Letters: CDT readers express views on abortion, what it means to be ‘pro-life,’ and more
The Objective Verity of Protecting Life
We have heard much about religion lately, especially the faith of Catholic-Christians in this election time. Some Catholics are appreciated (e.g., Joe Biden), while others are too Catholic (e.g., Amy Coney Barrett). Some believe it’s fallacious to vote based on one issue, namely abortion, while others say that abortion is a politically correct genocide and nothing’s as urgent.
Putting religion aside, let’s focus on biological science. Humans are placental mammals. Young develop in the uterus and remain there longer than in other mammals. A unique human being is formed following fusion of egg and sperm. This unicellular, microscopic human — the zygote — grows for about eight days prior to implantation. The zygote has its own DNA and requires resources and time to grow. Young humans are very dependent creatures. My 19-year old daughter still comes home to do her laundry! Dependency in human mammals does not negate humanity. Life science is clear — clearer than the science on global climate change.
Interestingly, the average human lifespan is approximately 27,375 days with about 270 days spent in utero. Only approximately 1.0 % of a female’s lifespan is all the time required to change the world one person at a time! Catholic-Christian voters in particular must wisely discern their faith’s teachings. They should not misunderstand the writings of the popes over the centuries. They should know the teachings of the bishops who wrote, “Every human being has a right to life, the fundamental right that makes all other rights possible.”
The Prime Directive
All issues are not equal. Some issues are nonnegotiable and never justified. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “There are acts which, in and of themselves, independently of circumstances and intentions, are always gravely illicit by reason of their object; such as blasphemy, perjury, murder, and adultery.” (1756) Actions that are always wrong are called intrinsically evil. Murder is the direct, intentional killing of an innocent person at any point in his or her lifetime.
The scourge of abortion is one of Satan’s greatest strangleholds. I am always bewildered how some people would fight to save 62 million trees but act indifferently at the 62 million children murdered since 1973 via abortion.
Abortion is the most direct threat to human life in our world right now. A staggering 673,000 abortions have been performed in the U.S. this year so far, contributing to the staggering loss of life (62,300,000 children in the US alone) since Roe v. Wade.
The right to life from conception to natural death has always been a pre-eminent issue for Catholics. The Catechism states: “The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation.” (CCC 2273) Pope St. John Paul II teaches: “It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop.” (Evangelium Vitae, 101).
Life and love are inseparable.
Where is ‘pro’-life after birth?
What is “Pro-Life?” The dictionary lists a movement that is “anti-abortion.” How does that become pro-life? What is it for? After the babies (all colors?) are born, is it pro-health care, pro-nutrition, pro-education or merely “pro-birth?” After that, children can be denied medical care, wholesome nutrition, and equal opportunity in schools. Where is the pro-life movement as families are torn apart and children are put in cages? Where is the pro-life movement when health insurance is ripped away, social programs are eliminated, and schools’ funding is cut?
Here’s the larger issue in the dark underbelly of the anti-abortion movement. It is the last vestige of power to control women and their bodies. Fighting for equality for women is a struggle thousands of years old. The right to vote is relatively new. Pay equality hasn’t happened yet. What else has been denied to women — getting a mortgage, credit card, checking account, opening a business, going to college, or owning property? Women couldn’t hold public office or serve on a jury or be executors of wills. Women couldn’t marry without permission and a dowry. They couldn’t get birth control or custody of their children in a divorce. They couldn’t work while pregnant or even work while married.
In some countries women cannot drive, show their faces, or even be in public without a man present.
Clearly, the pro-life movement is misnamed. If correctly stated, it is pro-control of women.
Biden hiding from the truth
Joe Biden may no longer be hiding in his basement, but he’s absolutely hiding the truth from American voters. Biden is running for the most important position on the planet, yet he refuses to answer simple but critical questions.
Where does he stand on packing the Supreme Court? Does he support adding justices to the Supreme Court as many other Democrats have suggested? This would break a 150-year tradition and effectively eliminate the judiciary as an equal branch of our government.
Where does Joe stand on the elimination of the filibuster in the Senate? Should we continue the bipartisan tradition that gives the minority party a say in our government or should we allow the majority to rule absolutely?
What about the Electoral College? Our country’s founders established this process to protect us from the tyranny of the majority. It ensures that a few populous states cannot dictate who will be our president.
Progressives are demanding that we abolish every safeguard and every check-and-balance in our government. Their goal is absolute power. The lock-downs prove what will happen when they gain that power. Like his personality or not, President Trump is transparent. You know where he stands on every issue. The American people deserve this same transparency from Joe Biden. We deserve answers from Biden before the election, not after!
GOP defending election from outside influence
The recent letter “GOP Clearly Trying to Sow Election Fear” said the lawsuit to prevent local election officials from taking money from an outside organization “was a Republican move to bully their way into somehow affecting the election.” There is no bullying and I do not know what “somehow” affecting the election means. The writer did not tell us.
The Republicans are using the rights of every American to have an independent judiciary decide an important issue.
The letter did not tell us the organization attempting “to help the community with money” for voting administration is the Center for Tech and Civil Life. A Google search shows that while the organization claims to be nonpartisan, it is a left-of-center organization funded by major Democrat donors. It is not a nonpartisan organization, so why would we want that organization anywhere near our voting process? That is what the lawsuit is about.
The letter says that by challenging this organization in the courts, the Republicans are doing that which “happens in Putin’s Russia.” Here in America we are free to challenge such situations through an independent judiciary. That is the opposite of what you could do in Putin’s Russia.
Crazy World!
I don’t understand the world anymore! I was raised to believe that lying, bragging and bullying is wrong. I played team sports growing up. Leaders were humble and led by example. Leaders brought the team together they didn’t pit one player against another for all to lose.
This country can not survive another four years of divisive tweeting leadership.
God help us all !