Thursday, November 15, 2007

I do believe it IS a sick world

A commenter has raised some questions about the veracity of my posting A sick, sick world. I appreciate the vigilance shown by this reader, as I certainly do not want to pass on falsehoods as truth. (I likewise appreciate his kindness in assuming good faith on my part!) Having been thus apprised of possible problems with what I had reported I dug a little deeper and I found information from an ABC 20/20 program on the subject. The price list I printed from David Trosch's website might be questionable, but it seems that the whole trade in aborted body parts is not a lie.

10 comments:

Mike said...

I appreciate the attempt, but I think you have still missed the mark. Had your link gone to a story on ABC's website, it would carry more credibility, but this is just another link to the same agenda mongers.

Let me make a few points:
First, "fetal tissue" does not equal "aborted body parts".
And "aborted body parts" does not equal "intentionally aborted body parts". This difference in terms is just to be sensationalist and inflammatory, and when abortions are totaled here, they include miscarriages to increase the numbers.

The vast majority of aborted pregnancies are spontaneous miscarriages, not intentionally induced abortions. We all know some hopeful mother, who has not been able to experience natural motherhood because of this, and this is tragic. But what are we to do with the tissue that results?

When I die, I hope my body parts can do some good by giving someone sight, of saving a life, helping in research, or whatever. Personally I have no problem with human tissue being used for these purposes. I understand that some may have other opinions about the "integrity" of a body on religious grounds. That too, is fine, but I would rather help others.

As for the problem of "paying for parts" This too is a controversial subject, but it's not an argument about abortion, it's an argument for and about capitalism.

For the record,
I have mixed opinions on both capitalism and abortion, but on the question of use of tissue to benefit others, I see no other moral choice but to support it.

Oh, and as to your title;
There may be horrible things in this world(although not the ones talked about here), but you cannot believe this world is anything other than wonderful. Especially after watching this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnRqYMTpXHc

IronKnee said...

Mike, are you saying that the number of abortions the R-t-L crowd quotes includes miscarriages? If you are, and you can prove it, that drastically reshapes the abortion debate. And it also calls into question the veracity of the whole R-t-L movement. Once upon a time, my wife conceived twins. One of them miscarried very early in the pregnancy (This was long before home pregnancy tests, and she hadn't yet been to the doctor. When our second daughter was born, weighing in at 7 pounds something, two months "premature," that's when the doctor figured out what had happened.) Ironically, my wife pronounced the words of baptism as she flushed the toilet, so maybe I have a son or daughter who will be among those "aborted" fetuses that Archbishop Chaput thinks will judge me, with Jesus, at the last judgment. I hope so, anyway. And that little sucker better be pulling for me, too.

But seriously, are miscarriages really counted as "abortions?"

Terry Nelson said...

This is a sick world. It's all the _____ fill in the blanks. LOL!

Mike said...

I wouldn't say that all R-T-L statistics use miscarriages in their totals. I just don't know.
I'm just referring to this wacko parts list thing. Strictly speaking, a miscarriage is an abortion. In every day language we THINK of an abortion as an "elective", "induced" abortion, but a miscarriage is also abortion in the sense that it is a termination. R-T-L sites concede this. Perhaps to their statistical advantage. Be alert as to what people are including in their statistics.
Anyway, don't take my or anyone else's word for it. Do your own research to discover to what extent the numbers are manipulated.

IronKnee said...

I have a much more nuanced position on abortion than the "pro-life" camp. I am totally pro-life, but I think the Catholic pro-life movement has only addressed the supply side of abortion. That's the cheaper side, after all. I want to attack the demand side of abortion. What conditions exist that make abortion desirable? Fixing the demand side of abortion would cost trillions of dollars. Condemning the supply side costs nothing.

Anonymous said...

Fr. Charles Ledderer, The Dakotas, USA you are impersonating a Catholic priest. Your identity is fictitious. There are people on here that are believing you. I am asking you not to trick people anymore.

Mike said...

IronKnee said...
I want to attack the demand side of abortion...Fixing the demand side of abortion would cost trillions of dollars.


That sounds like a really good idea. What is it that you think would cost that much?

As far as I can tell, if the Catholic Church spent as much money promoting condom use and other birth control methods as they do suppressing that information, they could do much to reduce the rate of abortion.

Mike said...

Anonymous said...
Fr. Charles Ledderer, The Dakotas, USA you are impersonating a Catholic priest.


I know nothing about the truth or non-truth of your claim, but the fact that you make it anonymously is a clue.

To those of us that consider a Catholic Priest to be no different from anyone else, it makes no difference.

Anonymous said...

Mike -- ask God for faith and then you can know the difference. You didn't try asking God.

Mike said...

Anonymous said...
Mike -- ask God for faith and then you can know the difference. You didn't try asking God.


How do you know? Actually, I asked god, not to let innocent people suffer needlessly, but he never answered, so I'm trying to do whatever I can on my own. I figure he either doesn't care about people, or doesn't exist. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. ;-)