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Subject:
From:
"Kyle E. Cleveland" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
Date:
Mon, 13 Sep 1999 13:13:36 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
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That would be great, Joy.

Regarding the abortion issue, I wonder how many of us CPers would be here
today, living (hopefully) productive lives had our parents chosen to opt out
of the birth?  Having said that, I cringe with embarassment every time a
"fundamentalist" _________ (fill in the blank) rails against abortion
clinics, and applauds when one is blown up or a physician is murdered.  Do I
feel that killing an unborn child is wrong.  Well, yes.  In the same sense
that driving 65 in a 55 zone is wrong.  Both are in conflict with a moral
absolute.  How dare these people say that one point of their moral code is
higher than another.

Some say, "Well, we can delineate moral relativity by the precept of,
'everything is permissible if I do no harm to myself or others'".  That's
well and good, but who defines "harm"?  The individual performing the deed
in question?  So one judges the quality of ones own character by their own
measuring stick?  How I tire of the line, "I didn't rob, kill or rape
anyone.  Therefore, I must be "better" that person x."

However, to single out abortion as a sin of greater insult to society is
like taking the car keys away from an unreformed alcoholic.  Sure, they may
not crash their car, but what about the real issue--the alcoholism.
Abortion is but one symptom of an unhealthy society where "self" is greater
than "other".  When was the last time you heard anyone teaching about the
benefits of creating esteem in others over "self-esteem" (the mantra of US
public education)?

Since it's usually Christendom that's associated with the anti-abortion
rhetoric, let me make a salient point to those of us who profess faith in
Christ.  I write this with the realization that to those who are not
followers of this faith, this will make no sense at all:  If we all
recognize that if we break one point of the "law" we are convicted by the
"whole law", of what purpose does it serve to rail against one violation of
the law?  Should we not be explaining the idea of Grace and the victory over
the "law" that it provides?  It is not our place to change this world as
it's already been handed over to another.  Our place is to be "salt and
light".  Those who would burn the clinics and demonstrate with placards of
aborted feti seem to have forgotten Christ's final instructions to his
disciples.

-Kyle

Like Ken, I must give the usual disclaimers that the statements made here
reflect my own and not necessarily those of my employer.


-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of - Joy -
Sent: Monday, September 13, 1999 12:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The Abortion/Euthanasia Thread (Long!)


I read them in Hebrew or Aramaic, depending on what the text was written
in, so no worries about translation <grins>  And I'm working on the
reference, I have to dig out my notes from last year's classes.  The
curriculum for the year was moral issues, and we ended up discussing
abortion, euthanasia, hostages, war, organ donation, bioengineering...
very interesting stuff.  It really helped to firm up some of my
convictions.

"Barber, Kenneth L." wrote:
> maybe they lost something
> in translation from hebrew to english.

Kyle wrote:
>  Can you
> give a Talmudic reference?
--

~Joy~
[log in to unmask]
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atlantis/5778
http://www.geocities.com/Soho/Exhibit/8689
"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."

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