The Line We Can Live With? Just a Little Abortion, Please

1/18/2013

(Page 2 of 2)

pardon the pun, and for too many people, that's asking too much. They don't really like abortion, and they don't want to be lumped in with radical pro-abortionists, but they also want more flexibility than "no abortion, ever, period."

So they draw their comfortable lines at their acceptable limit of destruction. They'll tolerate this much, but no more, because after that it becomes wrong somehow that it wasn't wrong before. Why? Well, just because they said so. On this side of the line, it feels okay. On the other side of the line, it seems wrong, so that's the end of it. To hell with logic, science, and even morality if it disagrees with the line they've drawn. To hell with you if your line is different from theirs.

Trouble is, the line means nothing to the human souls being snuffed out. It's of little comfort to the human person being flushed away.

We might be able to live with the line we've drawn, but it's still killing them.

But since their faces can't haunt us; their unformed bodies aren't buried; since they didn't suffer pain; since they were never aware of themselves and we were barely aware of them; their names were never known to us; their futures not even imagined... we think their loss doesn't matter. We think their absence is meaningless and the responsibility for their deaths won't be laid at our feet for eternity.

We are wrong to think so. We are no better than punk bullies picking on someone who is a bother to us in the present moment. We are self-anointed gods who believe we have authority over life and death, including someone else's life and death. We are slave owners once again and the child in the womb is our property, so we think.

The line is actually very simple, yet very absolute.

The line is here: the child in the womb is a human person from the moment of conception, and has the right to live.

Any other line is purely an arbitrary one based on emotion, drawn in our own favor, while the child pays the price.

The Abolitionists in the 1800's didn't settle for partially-freed slaves who were almost always recognized as persons, except under certain conditions at certain times.

Neither should we who claim to be pro-life ever settle for any line that denies the humanity of the child in the womb in the early days and weeks of pregnancy, or at any time. To hell with politics.

Either we have the guts and the conviction to say the child is a human being at all times or we don't.

That's the line. It's the only line that everyone can live with.

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Jennifer Hartline is a grateful Catholic, a proud Army wife and homeschooling mother of three children, with another in the womb. She is a contributing writer for Catholic Online. Visit her online at Wake Up, Deborah!
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Chicks on the Right, abortion, contraception, conservatives, Jennifer Hartline

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1 - 7 of 7 Comments

DLL
3 months ago
All my life I have seen no sense to war and have wished an end to all war. So it is the same with abortion. Unfortunately when death becomes an accepted standard of behaviour such as war has and now abortion,it seems the human condition becomes accustomed to such options and than has to nerve to call them human rights. Once the idea is accepted it cannot be easily reversed because it becomes a condition of the human heart,a diseased one at that. Slavery did end as well as human and animal sacrifices to the gods. There is hope. As long as we pray and as long as prayer is exercised and never thought to be out dated there is hope. In Christ we can do all things.
Bill Sr.
4 months ago
To all,
The words of Jennifer here are very strong and firm, almost harsh or even unacceptable to our ears or conscience. Revolting one may say.
But I dare to compare them to the words which those who first heard Jesus Christ when he said to them "You must eat my flesh and drink my blood.." if you are to have the life I offer you. That was where many of his followers drew a line which would separate them from their very salvation. Jennifer's line separates us from damnation.
Praise the God of Creation and woe to those who would stand in His way.
Kathleenc
4 months ago
Excellent article! We also need to get the word out about something very important: Many people and groups define "conception" inaccurately. They define "conception" as when the person has attached himself or herself to their mothers uterine wall. This very deceptive. This is how some justify the birth control pill, the "morning after" pill, etc. We all need to get on the same page about the truth of the meaning of "conception" which is at the very moment the sperm and egg unite. The moment the zygote is created. This is much sooner than when the zygote person becomes attached to the womb. Some say that just because he or she is still traveling, they are not yet a person. This is 100% wrong. When some people are saying they want to end abortion from the moment of conception, we need to know if they mean the actual moment of conception, or if they mean their inaccurate opinion of conception. It is completely different.
Amber
4 months ago
I just feel it has to stop, too. All of it, and it is violence. There is an ethic of violence there when you take away life. Preventing life is not right either, according to God. I pray that this all ends someday soon. Give our babies the future they deserve, for they are all souls.
Irma
4 months ago
Absolutely true and very well said!
Stacy Trasancos
4 months ago
I hope they respond. This is exactly what so many of us watching their rants have wanted to say. THANK YOU!
Jim
4 months ago
While I agree whole heartedly with you Jennifer, Mockerena has a point. The reality is that until hearts are changed laws won't be. Laws don't even stop your everyday murders let alone abortions. I think what we need to do is get funding out of Planned Parenthood and its round about ways of receiving funds. Every citizen should have the option on their tax forms to choose either the pro-life way (send funds to crisis pregnancy centers) or the heinous option. Sadly the positions of Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock cost the Republicans control of the Senate. Much like Christine O'Donnell and Sharon Engle last time around. In a culture that thinks fun is the main function of sex you have to be a bit more clever. The Democrats have learned how to manipulate the population and conservatives have to as well unless we want to see more of money go to barbaric practices like abortion.

Democrats want to expand access to abortion. Republicans want to cut funding but leave the law as it is. I'll settle for the lesser of the two evils politically and do my best to change one heart at a time against abortion.

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