The Abortion Issue and Voting

I received an email that inspired me to respond and then I decided to post it (as is).

It has been so long . . . is this like roller skating? You never forget? ---------------------------------------------------------------------


My friend's comments are bolded in italics and mine follow:

1) "McCain doesn't care about abortion and neither do conservative republicans."
But Obama SUPPORTS abortions. At the very least, with McCain you have a stated platform and track record that opposes partial birth abortion.
That makes the choice clear to me. If I HAD to vote for one or the other I CAN'T vote for someone who will actively support the practice of abortions.

2) Do you want doctors jailed for performing abortions? Do you want women imprisoned for having an abortion.
Yes, if abortion is outlawed.

3) Do you want women forced to carry unwanted pregnancies under government order and penalty.

• May I change your wording to make my point here? I believe you are saying, "Don't you want women to be allowed to kill babies they do not want? " When your question is worded that way do you have the same answer?
• It comes down to . . . . what is the alternative when you feel a woman should not have to carry unwanted pregnancies ? The alternative is killing babies.
• Plus . . . . I think if you look at our catechism -- and using your wording -- a woman IS forced to carry unwanted pregnancies. That unwanted pregnancy isn't merely a medical condition -- it is a life given by God.
  

4) "I care not for a Christian society just as Christ did not care about the Pharisees and the material world".
Unlike in Jesus' time we play a part in choosing our government leaders.
That changes the perspective a bit.
If one does not care for a Christian society just as you state, Christ did not care about the Pharisees and the material world, and one does not take the different perspective into consideration then I would think that would lead to not voting at all.

5) I do care deeply about a free society. Remember, Christ gave a choice to the world to follow him."
This confuses a free democratic society with free will.

If the abortion industry is supported by the political party in power, that will result in more of OUR tax dollars funding abortions. That is not free choice . . . but that would be one result of electing a pro-abortion leader in our free democratic society.
I believe that in supporting a pro-choice leader one knowingly aids the abortion industry.
That would be blood on my hands. I just can't do it.

6) A quick aside:
Pro-lifers, Catholics and other Christians support the abortion industry in our society EVERYDAY when they really truly do have a choice. They still do it.

Example: Whenever one buys a Starbucks coffee they are sending support to Planned Parenthood. How many people actually take the time to find out where their money goes?
Curious about other ways we may be doing this? Feel free to read a post at Catholic Notebook on the subject.


ORIGINAL National Review article:

My friend's shared email response:

I think that if someone is truly a mindful Christian, they are Christian first and then a Catholic, Baptist, Episcopalian, whatever second. Christian to me is the emulation of the life of Christ and the sincere acceptance of Jesus' moral teachings. What has Christ said in regard to the termination of pregnancies which certainly happened in every age and every society. Nothing that I can see. God commanded us Not to Kill and Jesus said to follow the Commandments. I and everyone who has an honest understanding of aborting a fetus knows that it is killing. Just as is murder, euthanasia, suicide, killing in combat or battle. Pope Ratzinger and all the other Popes should condemn abortion, suicide, euthanasia, war, etc. I myself would feel I have committed a deep sin in choosing abortion over life. As I would if I had willfully caused the death of someone or myself in any other way.

My rebuttal to the Novak article would be, Look, (to use my Obama injunction)we have had Bush/Cheney since 2000. There were BABIES BEING ABORTED THEN as they are now. McCain doesn't care about abortion and neither do conservative republicans. (It did not become part of the anomalous Republican platform until the Christian right forced its platform on political conservatives.) Even Sarah Palin said in the VP debate that she would not want a woman sitting in prison for having an abortion. Do you want doctors jailed for performing abortions? Do you want women imprisoned for having an abortion. I DO NOT. Do you want women forced to carry unwanted pregnancies under government order and penalty. I do not. I care not for a Christian society just as Christ did not care about the Pharisees and the material world. I do care deeply about a free society. Remember, Christ gave a choice to the world to follow him.

Ask yourself is Michael Novak working to lessen the incidence of abortion in the world or just giving trying to give another reason not to support Obama/Biden? I think I know the answer and I do not remember ever hearing Michael Novak's name mentioned in a list of prominent Catholic thinkers.