The Road to Hell is paved with ... exceptions.
This following Friday, Operation Rescue president Troy Newman issued a press release providing an argument for supporting South Dakota bill HR 1293 which seeks to "ban" abortion while explicitly permitting abortion by way of exception. My first e-mailed response to Mr. Newman is below.
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Dear Troy,
Thank you for your thoughts in this press release below. I certainly trust your sincerity and understand your argument very well. The problem is your strategy cannot achieve its stated end, and I am willing to guarantee that you are making a strategic mistake that will end up being counterproductive.
One exception in the law surrenders the only principle that can prevent the full legalization of abortion on demand: the personhood of every human being from fertilization. This "pro-life" bill you are supporting is premised on the non-personhood of the preborn and the civil government's claim that they have the authority to deprive innocent human beings of their God-given right to life. In this sense, this bill not only surrenders these children you refer to, but the entire body of natural moral law in general--in favor of moral relativism (i.e., "choice") which, as John Paul II states in Centesimus Annus, will always lead to totalitarianism, or "thinly veiled totalitarianism."
In other words, again, as stated by JPII: "Even though intentions may sometimes be good, and circumstances frequently difficult, civil authorities and particular individuals never have authority to violate the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person. In the end, only a morality which acknowledges certain norms as valid always and for everyone, with no exception, can guarantee the ethical foundation of social coexistence" (JPII, Veritatis Splendor, 97).
Trying to end abortion while permitting exceptions is folly. Establishing exceptions in the law, affirming the non-personhood of the preborn, can never lead our country to recognize the personhood of the preborn (again, the only principle that can prevent the full legalization of preborn child killing). In fact, the very opposite is true ... this strategy invincibly leads to abortion on demand. As confirmed by Dr. Brian Clowes of HLI in his research:
"In every one of the 56 countries that now have abortion on demand, the first step the pro-abortion forces took was intense lobbying for abortion in the so-called 'hard cases'—the mother's life and health, fetal deformity (eugenics) and / or rape and incest … Once the pro-abortionists secure abortion for any of the 'hard cases,' they point out the 'inconsistency' in the laws in order to justify abortion on demand" (Clowes, Facts of Life, 1997 ed., 179, emphasis in original text).
Doubt it? Check out this story from today's Catholic World News: UN presses Colombia on abortion access. Since Colombia allowed abortion by way of exception last year, it is now a discrimination issue in that country. After all, if abortion is permissible in cases of rape, incest, etc., why can't women in other circumstances obtain them as well? How long do you think it will be before the pro-aborts achieve fully legalized abortion in Colombia, now that they have established the non-personhood of the preborn?
Pro-aborts never compromise their lies. Why should we ever compromise God's natural moral truth? In fact, I wrote my M.A. Thesis on this question (in Catholic Morals) and concluded that not only should we not pursue such a course (for it is counterproductive), but we may not pursue such a course for it is immoral.
Also, in the second chapter of that thesis paper, I attempt to show why the exceptions strategy can never get us any closer to ending abortion. Another reason comes from the abortionists themselves who admit that they could exploit the smallest exceptions loophole to perform any abortion they want. Brian Clowes shows how abortionists can legally “interpret any loophole—even a ‘life-of-the-mother’ exception—to mean abortion-on-demand" (Clowes, Facts of Life, 1997 ed., 181). Check it out.
In any event Troy, I would encourage you and all the legislators in SD to support and pass the same bill as last year, and let the next battle continue. Conforming your legislation to God's natural moral law will also bring about the dynamic of grace ... for when the truth is spoken and defended, grace is imparted to listeners and can transform hearts. This is not possible with falsehoods.
In addition, I would encourage a large scale vote verification effort. Somehow I doubt the board of elections in SD, or whatever phantoms count the votes, are angels from heaven.
As a former employee of American Life League and a member of Pro-Life Wisconsin's speakers' bureau, I'd be happy to talk with or come to SD to discuss these issues which I have been privileged to study in depth. Though I would not actively oppose your legislation, my research, training and judgment tell me this course is counterproductive.
Take Care and God Bless,
Patrick Delaney
P.S. In addition, your analogy limps Troy. A better one, is yes, you are trying to save 10 innocents condemned to die by terrorists (who have abducted them). The terrorists decide they will relinquish eight so long as you allow them to brutally kill the other two without prosecuting them for the crime. They draw up a contract to this effect and ask you sign. Do you sign? And to take it a step further, let's say one of the two is Jesus Christ.
------
Dear Troy,
Thank you for your thoughts in this press release below. I certainly trust your sincerity and understand your argument very well. The problem is your strategy cannot achieve its stated end, and I am willing to guarantee that you are making a strategic mistake that will end up being counterproductive.
One exception in the law surrenders the only principle that can prevent the full legalization of abortion on demand: the personhood of every human being from fertilization. This "pro-life" bill you are supporting is premised on the non-personhood of the preborn and the civil government's claim that they have the authority to deprive innocent human beings of their God-given right to life. In this sense, this bill not only surrenders these children you refer to, but the entire body of natural moral law in general--in favor of moral relativism (i.e., "choice") which, as John Paul II states in Centesimus Annus, will always lead to totalitarianism, or "thinly veiled totalitarianism."
In other words, again, as stated by JPII: "Even though intentions may sometimes be good, and circumstances frequently difficult, civil authorities and particular individuals never have authority to violate the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person. In the end, only a morality which acknowledges certain norms as valid always and for everyone, with no exception, can guarantee the ethical foundation of social coexistence" (JPII, Veritatis Splendor, 97).
Trying to end abortion while permitting exceptions is folly. Establishing exceptions in the law, affirming the non-personhood of the preborn, can never lead our country to recognize the personhood of the preborn (again, the only principle that can prevent the full legalization of preborn child killing). In fact, the very opposite is true ... this strategy invincibly leads to abortion on demand. As confirmed by Dr. Brian Clowes of HLI in his research:
"In every one of the 56 countries that now have abortion on demand, the first step the pro-abortion forces took was intense lobbying for abortion in the so-called 'hard cases'—the mother's life and health, fetal deformity (eugenics) and / or rape and incest … Once the pro-abortionists secure abortion for any of the 'hard cases,' they point out the 'inconsistency' in the laws in order to justify abortion on demand" (Clowes, Facts of Life, 1997 ed., 179, emphasis in original text).
Doubt it? Check out this story from today's Catholic World News: UN presses Colombia on abortion access. Since Colombia allowed abortion by way of exception last year, it is now a discrimination issue in that country. After all, if abortion is permissible in cases of rape, incest, etc., why can't women in other circumstances obtain them as well? How long do you think it will be before the pro-aborts achieve fully legalized abortion in Colombia, now that they have established the non-personhood of the preborn?
Pro-aborts never compromise their lies. Why should we ever compromise God's natural moral truth? In fact, I wrote my M.A. Thesis on this question (in Catholic Morals) and concluded that not only should we not pursue such a course (for it is counterproductive), but we may not pursue such a course for it is immoral.
Also, in the second chapter of that thesis paper, I attempt to show why the exceptions strategy can never get us any closer to ending abortion. Another reason comes from the abortionists themselves who admit that they could exploit the smallest exceptions loophole to perform any abortion they want. Brian Clowes shows how abortionists can legally “interpret any loophole—even a ‘life-of-the-mother’ exception—to mean abortion-on-demand" (Clowes, Facts of Life, 1997 ed., 181). Check it out.
In any event Troy, I would encourage you and all the legislators in SD to support and pass the same bill as last year, and let the next battle continue. Conforming your legislation to God's natural moral law will also bring about the dynamic of grace ... for when the truth is spoken and defended, grace is imparted to listeners and can transform hearts. This is not possible with falsehoods.
In addition, I would encourage a large scale vote verification effort. Somehow I doubt the board of elections in SD, or whatever phantoms count the votes, are angels from heaven.
As a former employee of American Life League and a member of Pro-Life Wisconsin's speakers' bureau, I'd be happy to talk with or come to SD to discuss these issues which I have been privileged to study in depth. Though I would not actively oppose your legislation, my research, training and judgment tell me this course is counterproductive.
Take Care and God Bless,
Patrick Delaney
P.S. In addition, your analogy limps Troy. A better one, is yes, you are trying to save 10 innocents condemned to die by terrorists (who have abducted them). The terrorists decide they will relinquish eight so long as you allow them to brutally kill the other two without prosecuting them for the crime. They draw up a contract to this effect and ask you sign. Do you sign? And to take it a step further, let's say one of the two is Jesus Christ.
Labels: Exceptions
posted by Patrick at 11:52 PM
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