Aborting Suffering
“Why would you, as a Christian, want to prevent abortion? If people can’t abort an unwanted fetus, that baby will be an unwanted child. It is cruel and un-Christian to force that kind of life on a child.”
Ironically enough, the person who recently raised this question claims to be a Christian and is involved in helping kids whose parents neglect them while pursuing lives characterized by irresponsibility.
Let’s start by talking about responsibility. Adulthood involves taking full responsibility for one’s choices. This is an overtly Christian value, but I believe most non-religious people would agree with it. If not, then we would need to have a long discussion about THAT before we can talk about abortion.
But if we agree, I wonder if we’d also agree that society should provide positive reinforcement for responsible, rather than irresponsible, behavior? If not, we need to have a long discussion about THAT before we can talk about abortion.
But if we agree that we should reinforce responsible behavior in adults, then let’s remember that most abortions – about 99% -- are usually performed for one of these four reasons:
1) financial instability on the part of the ‘parents’ (unable to support a child);
2) bad timing for the ‘parents’ to have a child
3) troublesome relationship issues with partner who created the child
4) need of the ‘parents’ to focus on caring for existing children
If you know that…
…you are not financially stable,
…it is bad timing for you to have a child,
…you are involved in a seriously problematic relationship that would
adversely affect a child born to the relationship,
…that you aren’t able to care for one more child,
and you put yourself in the position of possibly conceiving a child,
you are engaging in irresponsible behavior.
So, when people soothe your conscience and tell you that it’s perfectly acceptable to murder the innocent child you so irresponsibly created – to prevent the child from feeling unwanted – are we encouraging responsible or irresponsible behavior? Are we doing good?
If we allow you to murder the child (and worse, if we pay for the murder), are we encouraging responsible or irresponsible behavior? Are we doing good?
It is sad for anyone to feel unwanted, but aren’t there better ways to remedy that problem than resorting to murder?
“But,” someone will object, “that child is made to suffer!”
It is true and it is sad. All suffering is.
But it is also true that we all suffer
Suffering – even for things that are not your fault or beyond your control – is a part of life.
One was even crucified for things that were not His fault – and that ended up being the best thing that ever happened in our world!
Suffering is a painful thing, but it is not, from a Christian perspective, evil in itself, just as feeling good is not necessarily a moral good.
Feeling good is not compatible with suffering; but being good is. – Peter Kreeft
Isn’t THAT a key part of the message of the crucified Christ?
Ironically enough, the person who recently raised this question claims to be a Christian and is involved in helping kids whose parents neglect them while pursuing lives characterized by irresponsibility.
Let’s start by talking about responsibility. Adulthood involves taking full responsibility for one’s choices. This is an overtly Christian value, but I believe most non-religious people would agree with it. If not, then we would need to have a long discussion about THAT before we can talk about abortion.
But if we agree, I wonder if we’d also agree that society should provide positive reinforcement for responsible, rather than irresponsible, behavior? If not, we need to have a long discussion about THAT before we can talk about abortion.
But if we agree that we should reinforce responsible behavior in adults, then let’s remember that most abortions – about 99% -- are usually performed for one of these four reasons:
1) financial instability on the part of the ‘parents’ (unable to support a child);
2) bad timing for the ‘parents’ to have a child
3) troublesome relationship issues with partner who created the child
4) need of the ‘parents’ to focus on caring for existing children
If you know that…
…you are not financially stable,
…it is bad timing for you to have a child,
…you are involved in a seriously problematic relationship that would
adversely affect a child born to the relationship,
…that you aren’t able to care for one more child,
and you put yourself in the position of possibly conceiving a child,
you are engaging in irresponsible behavior.
So, when people soothe your conscience and tell you that it’s perfectly acceptable to murder the innocent child you so irresponsibly created – to prevent the child from feeling unwanted – are we encouraging responsible or irresponsible behavior? Are we doing good?
If we allow you to murder the child (and worse, if we pay for the murder), are we encouraging responsible or irresponsible behavior? Are we doing good?
It is sad for anyone to feel unwanted, but aren’t there better ways to remedy that problem than resorting to murder?
“But,” someone will object, “that child is made to suffer!”
It is true and it is sad. All suffering is.
But it is also true that we all suffer
Suffering – even for things that are not your fault or beyond your control – is a part of life.
One was even crucified for things that were not His fault – and that ended up being the best thing that ever happened in our world!
Suffering is a painful thing, but it is not, from a Christian perspective, evil in itself, just as feeling good is not necessarily a moral good.
Feeling good is not compatible with suffering; but being good is. – Peter Kreeft
Isn’t THAT a key part of the message of the crucified Christ?