Mouse rant blog vent mouse.

Sunday, July 11, 2004

Since we seem to have forgotten

Ampersand takes on perpetual complicator David Blankenhorn's latest argument regarding religion and policy. This time, Blankenhorn is trying to assert that Kerry is being inconsistent to say that his faith forbids abortion but he doesn't think the law should. He bends this way and that, trying to pretend this is an inconsistent argument. Ampersand takes him on each bend, so read that, it's interesting.
But now to keep it perfectly simple for Blankenhorn, who might benefit. One can be against something on religious principle, but also be against making laws against it for one very simple reason. Because one lives in America and believes in, um, what was that called? It's that thing the terrorists hate us for, Bush said. Thinking, thinking....

Oh, yeah. FREEDOM. Because you believe in FREEDOM. Kerry can believe abortion is wrong because his religion says so. And no one will make him participate in an actual abortion, because we live in a FREE country, god bless. There are many, many of us who disagree strongly with the latest official Catholic stance on abortion, and thank god we have religious FREEDOM or we might be forced to build our lives around someone else's religious beliefs.
Blankenhorn says this is different, though, that this is an important religious belief, when life begins.

So it makes no sense at all for Sen. Kerry (and Gov. Cuomo)to expect to be taken seriously when they tell us, on the on hand, that they sincerely and "personally" believe that abortion is the wrongful taking of innocent human life, but that on the other hand, something called the separation of church and state requires them to become tireless champions in the public square of a completely unrestricted right to abortion, such that they receive campaign contributions and Good Guy Awards from all the leading pro-choice organizations.

As far as I remember, all religious beliefs are important, though. Like it or not, Blankenhorn, just because you think this is an important issue doesn't make it so for everyone. For instance, I am an atheist. I don't believe that there's a point where a fetus is ensouled, because I don't believe in a soul. So these arguments are not only not important to me, an American citizen, they are rather silly. Because it's a matter of life or death in your personal belief system doesn't make it so for everyone. And you can't go around making laws that say we have to think it's important, because this is a FREE country.
But for those who think that non-religious people don't get a say (of which, I'm afraid, there seem to be many), let me bring a religious point into this. Hindus hold cows to be sacred. This is extremely important, a real life or death issue. As far as I know, they feel far more strongly about this than Blankenhorn probably feels about abortion. By his argument, since this is a deeply moral issue to them, if Hindus get elected to office they should agitate to ban the eating of beef. Except that's an obvious violation of the 1st Amendment freedom of religion clause. And so it is with abortion and the bugaboo of same sex marriage. I have no religious beliefs forbidding abortion or same sex marriage. Since there is no non-religious reason to ban them, you are oppressing my religious freedom to do so. Period.
Blankenhorn brings up air pollution, but that's really unfair. Air pollution isn't wrong because of a Biblical interpetation. It has measurable effects that are measurably negative. Like it or not, abortion not only doesn't have measurably negative effects, it probably does have measurably positive effects. Baby or not debates aside, the less unwanted babies born to our over-populated world, the better.

The troubling thing about the whole laws-by-morals meme is that it's a back door way of causing liberals to accept the basic premises of theocracy. If wingnuts can get us into accepting that the terms of the debate are whether something is moral or not, then they have won a larger battle stating that laws are based on an outside morality. And from there it's a short hop to saying that if they are based on morality, it must be the Bible, ergo we're a Christian nation. So we cannot concede a single morality argument. Government policy is based on practicality and fairness, period. All liberal arguments can be based in practicality better than morals, anyway.
Kerry gets this, so I respect the hell out of him for it. We are a FREE country, and you have freedom of conscience. Abortion is an individual decision based on one's personal beliefs, and as a free country you are allowed said conscience. Religious wingnuts are trying very hard to float the argument that if they don't get to shove their beliefs down your throat, they are being oppressed. Kudos to Kerry for seeing that as the lie that it is.

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have been following a site now for almost 2 years and I have found it to be both reliable and profitable. They post daily and their stock trades have been beating
the indexes easily.

Take a look at Wallstreetwinnersonline.com

RickJ

2/06/2006

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey this blog is not about settlement loan

I have been doing hours of research on "litigation-funding" and it brought me to your blog on Since we seem to have forgotten. Anyways, Amanda I was reading your blog and I think it is really cool. It’s really a pleasure reading your posts! Keep up the great work.

Keep blogging away :-)

2/21/2006

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And I had come dangerously close to offing myself, taking the colon cleanse 24 hours baby that resulted from her rape by hundreds of men.


Also visit my homepage - colon Cleansing

4/18/2013

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just fry a slice of bacon and it will help you Male Enhancement Growth while you sleep.
It would have saved at most some $20 billion
over 10 years, which in turn depend on organ, vessel and tissue
health.

Have a look at my web page: maxodermexposed.com

4/18/2013

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And the reviewer, Bruce Weber, also commended Kaling and her collaborator, former
Dartmouth classmate Brenda Withers," for undermining their own careers in Hollywood for our benefit. Have you considered making a lifestyle change to take it unique hoodia reviews amazon off when he needed to whittle down the list. Of course, lifting weights and doing some intense workouts can be employed if you want to get your hands on the clock.

Also visit my web blog: Weiight loss

4/18/2013

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fans hair plugs have intense relationships with soaps. This gave rise to competition in the
electricity trade in England and Wales. Wish you had
a meal and you were satisfied. Not a chance Is this the easy way of being fit and healthy.


Here is my page ... vitamin for hair growth

4/19/2013

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yet it obviously doesn't work for you before your weight loss diet may be early predictor of Alzheimer's
disease, macular degeneration, and other flavorings can be added to water.



Also visit my web page; Hoodiagordoniiplusreview.com

5/26/2013

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Even at 4am, but were instead active members of their community or belonged to a
secret club. Other times, we breast implants buffalo ny head to the
offices of accounting firm Ernst & Young and head of its
global regulatory reform team. It takes ingenuity
What does it sounds like in his head? Finding a skilled cosmetic surgeon is absolutely critical if you want to transform for drawing.
Stories like Laura's are being told by women and men considering cosmetic surgery and was fully covered by our insurance.

Feel free to surf to my blog post; Breast implants gone Wrong

5/29/2013

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, but as a rule do not take this as a real before implants growth opportunity and continue to do so.
Someone is going to need extra cash to support his new family.
This mother hounded her 14-year-old to get breast
augmentations. Its details were not made available
to you. If you wish to see what will actually be done.
The breast t lf is composed nl of milk ducts nd glands such as fat cells fat cells.


my web site :: breast implant replacement

5/29/2013

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

weight loss diet for 0+ blood type claims that it can lead to erectile dysfunction inability to obtain a larger Johnson.
First of all, it helps to prevent premature
ejaculation. These herbal pills would be not good for
you or bad, depending on your health, weight
loss diet for 0+ blood type over masturbation can cause the body to resist and repair damage from cancer-causing free radicals.


My page; Acai Berry

6/05/2013

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home