When does human life cease to be “precious”?

Question

It’s ironic that you defend life before birth and say that every life is precious, then why don’t we choose our causes for war more judiciously? Why do you try and stop a woman from having a child she may not be able to support and yet cut Government funding to her children later? When do you stop caring about the unborn life you saved? Is this what God wants?

Answer 1

Good question. A couple of days ago I saw on my television the tiny sandal that had belonged to a young Lebanese child. The shoe had been left in a bomb crater from an explosion which had blown apart five young lives, including this little one. Her father stood at the edge of the crater and cried out in grief and confusion.

The sandal belonged to a little girl, and judging from the size of it, she was perhaps 4 or 5 years old. Juxtapose this image to another image on my TV an hour or so later -- Bush tilting his head and smirking, patting himself on the back for vetoing a bill that would have saved lives -- because, he said, kids have the right to life.

But not, apparently, in a US-sanctioned war.

Answer 2

Have you ever heard the word, "adoption"??? It's been around a long time, and there are people literally waiting years for a baby, yet these ignorant women keep getting abortion after abortion because they haven't figured out how to say the word "no", or to use a condom, never mind trying to rmember to take a pill or put on a patch. So if their getting pregnant is such a darned inconvenience, why don't they give the baby up for adoption? Are you really that selfish, that you'd rather take the child's life than take some precious time out of your life to give birth to the child that was conceived becaue you were too lazy to use contraceptives? Oh, yeah, poor you. I'm sure God doesn't want someone as selfish as that raising a child, I sure wouldn't, but luckily, there are some good people out there that will not only support your "mistake", but will love it and indeed, think that "mistake" is the most precious thing in the world.

Answer 3

I agree with you about the war thing, but as far as government funding for women...there are many women who just take advantage of the system and choose not to work or do anything with their lives other than have more babies so that they can get more money. What about the mothers who are on wellfare and do not care about the children that they have had? There are plenty of those. That's one of the reasons why there is so much chaos in today's schools. Too many wellfare families that do not care about their kids or what they do with themselves. As long as they keep getting assistance, they could give a crap about those precious children. And don;t throw God's name in here like you're some kind of spokesperson for the troubles in our nation's system. I do not feel sorry for anyone that does not do anything for themselves and expects government handouts. If the people receiving this aid would do something with their lives so that this type of lifestyle did not turn into a permanent situation, maybe I would feel differently about this. And another thing. You're using God in this situation as though you think He would agree with the lifestyle that most of these people choose: a life of crime and hate. This might not be the case with every person on wellfare, but it is the case with all the low lives that live in the city that I live in.

Sorry to rant, but this kinda question brings it out in me because I see it every day

Answer 4

Good point. If life is so precious, why do some religions validate hate and killing of others? Why does Christianity in the US create an environment where homosexual men and women grow up being taught they are "outcasts", "perverts" and need to be "cured"? This is proven to lead to higher rates of suicide in these individuals. So, if life is so important, why do they support an environment that ultimately leads to the death of some individuals.

I know, some Christians don't condone calling homosexuals "outcasts" or "perverts". However, the silent majority in Christianity does nothing to stop the proliferation of this preaching and does nothing to counter the negative effects of creating a taboo. Those who are silent, are complicit whether they believe in the cause or not.

Also, how can some religions be so against abortion and proclaim that life is sacred, yet be hardcore supporters of war and capital punishment?

I think your question is great. I look forward to reading the responses from the right.

Answer 5

We don't save an unborn life when we kill it in the womb. A child that has not had the benefit of baptism will never share the Beatific vision that baptised souls do when they go to Heaven and therefore it is a serious injustice to that unborn child if we kill it. There are plenty of persons who would willingly adopt the unwanted child, no matter if it has a healthy problems or what it's past may be. Padre Pio, who could read hearts and souls once told a woman who had come to confession because she had had an abortion, "You have just killed the man who would one day become pope and save the church from destruction." We never know what God has in store for each of us. Who am I to decide who can live, who can die?

Answer 6

What God wants and what the government does are two very different things. Life ceases to be precious when people can't make any money with it. For now, the whole abortion issue is making various organizations a lot of money, so it's pushed. You don't make money by helping a family survive, so no one really cares about that.

Answer 7

You are right, we should not go to war injudiciously. Similarly we should be responsible for our actions and not encourage abortions. Many people are going in for abortion just to avoid the nuisance of an unwanted baby.

The other reasons are:

Overview:

A diversity of views exists within the U.S. and Canada concerning abortion access. Many pro-life and pro-choice groups have been organized with opposing goals. Surprisingly, they agree on a few very important points:
(1) They both want to see the abortion rate decline.
(2) In those cases where they feel that an abortion is acceptable, they are both concerned that it present a minimal health risk to the woman.
(3) Once human personhood is attained by the embryo or fetus, both pro-life and pro-choice supporters are concerned that his/her life be preserved, except in very unusual circumstances.

Unfortunately, the two sides cannot agree on when personhood is attained. Most pro-life groups believe it happens at conception and are thus generally opposed to all elective abortions. Pro-choice groups believe that it happens later in gestation or at birth, and are thus generally supportive of a woman's access to affordable elective abortions.

Liberal and some mainline denominations:

In general, these either promote a woman's right to choose an abortion, or are relatively silent on the matter. A number of liberal and mainline Christian and Jewish faith groups and organizations have publicly stated that abortions are sometimes an acceptable option, and should remain legal.

Conservative and some mainline denominations:

These are found in most religions, and are generally opposed to abortions. They have adopted a range of policies:

(a)Some are unalterably opposed to all abortions, from conception to birth, for any reason;
(b)Some would allow abortion only to save the woman's life;
(c)Some would permit abortion to save her life or when pregnancy was caused by rape or incest.

When IUDs and other birth control methods are available it is not understood why women allow the conception of babies whom they cannot support. Women need to be responsible and frivolous abortions should not be encouraged. As mentioned above if a woman becomes pregnant due to reasons beyond her control then abortion is accepted.

Answer 8

The anti-abortion leaders really have a larger purpose. They oppose most ideas and programs that can help women achieve equality and freedom. They also oppose programs that protect the health and well-being of women and their children.

Anti-abortion leaders claim to act "in defense of life." If so, why have they worked to destroy programs that serve life, including prenatal care and nutrition programs for dependent pregnant women? Is this respect for life?

Anti-abortion leaders also say they are trying to save children, but they have fought against health and nutrition programs for children once they are born. The anti-abortion groups seem to believe life begins at conception, but it ends at birth. Is this respect for life?

Then there are programs that diminish the number of unwanted pregnancies before they occur: family planning counseling, sex education, and contraception for those who wish it. Anti-abortion leaders oppose those, too. And clinics providing such services have been bombed. Is this respect for life?

Such stances reveal the ultimate cynicism of the compulsory pregnancy movement. "Life" is not what they're fighting for. What they want is a return to the days when a woman had few choices in controlling her future. They think that the abortion option gives too much freedom. That even contraception is too liberating. That women cannot be trusted to make their own decisions.

Americans today don't accept that. Women can now select their own paths in society, including when and whether to have children. Family planning, contraception, and, if need be, legal abortion are critical to sustaining women's freedom. There is no going back.

Answer 9

When does the girl who can't support her kids start giving her kids up for adoption to the thousands of people on the waiting lists who can't have babies? Who says we don't care about the unborn life? There are valid reasons for abortion, but not being able to care for the life that you conceived is not one of them with all of the opportunities women have for adoption alternatives.

Answer 10

They are only concerned with their own beliefs and do everything they can to secure their place in the afterlife. Why should they care what happens to the child once it's born? That's the mother's problem at that point they figure. Their job is to make sure "Thou shalt not kill" happens. There is no commandment "Support thy neighbors children wtih funding when they are unable to"