Thursday, October 7, 2010

Clarifying, and a PSA



Hi all! I just want to clarify a couple of things.


First, bear with me if my posts are simple and short, and if my responses in the comments are even simpler and shorter. I think I must have A.D.D! I always need to get right to the heart of it, in as few words as possible. And, I can't handle the "multiplication of words" that seems to come when I try to address every single point that is brought up (which is a battle for me, because I always want to address every single point that is brought up!). So, forgive me. It's not you, it's me. That's why I love when other commenters jump in and address whatever points I may have missed or can't get to. Thank you all, on both sides of the spectrum!


Second, I am so sorry I didn't clarify this earlier. I am not writing this blog to find "consensus." The idea that "consensus" can be found on every issue is a liberal model. I don't subscribe to the consensus model when it comes to issues of objective truth, life or death, etc. We cannot find "consensus" between truth and error. Now, that is not popular to say in this culture, but I just said it. :) 


Still.... that does not mean that I don't strive to understand the other side. As I've said many times, I am interested in understanding why liberals think as they do. My oft-repeated line from Dennis Prager: I prefer clarity to agreement. We don't have to agree, and we don't have to find "consensus." But we do need to be clear on what we believe and what others believe. At least then no one is misrepresenting the other side, and we can begin to understand each other. Clarity is good.


So, I was disappointed when Gwen and Mai decided not to even touch the issue of suffering in my last post, but bowed out immediately. I presented what I thought was a fair representation of the liberal view of suffering. If I was wrong, tell me. Show me how I misrepresented things, and set me straight with the correct view. Tell me where I am not understanding. It's really not a trap.


Finally, a little Public Service Announcement:


If you love EWTN, Mother Angelica and Raymond Arroyo, and if you live in the Phoenix area, please join us on November 12, for the Bioethics Defense Fund's "Passion for Life" benefit!  Both Mother Angelica and Raymond Arroyo will be receiving the Witness for Life Award (better than a Bubble Award!!). Mother cannot be in attendance due to her fragile health, but Mr. Arroyo will be accepting the award on her behalf. I personally cannot wait! Register here, if interested!


And, for more information about Bioethics Defense Fund, go here. BDF was founded by my dear friends, Nik Nikas and Dorinda Bordlee, two of the nation's very few full-time pro-life attorneys. Nik and Dorinda speak at law schools all over the country, they draft pro-life legislation nationally and internationally, and they are two of the greatest people I know. I love, love, love them, and they are definitely Bubble Buddies! They are heroes in the trenches, fighting the Culture of Death on the legal and legislative front every single day, and they are worthy of our support!


Here is the BDF Mission Statement:


Bioethics Defense Fund is a public-interest law firm whose mission is to advocate for the human right to life through litigation, legislation and public education, on the issues of healthcare rights of conscience, abortion, human cloning/destructive human embryo research, and end of life issues including physician-assisted suicide and healthcare rationing.


I hope to see you there! I would love to finally meet some bloggers.... :)




PS: I will get to the post on the Christian meaning of suffering just as soon as I can.

13 comments:

  1. Well I know I, for one, appreciate your simplicity!

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  2. One of my very sweet real life Protestant friends posted about contraception being abortion on her blog last night. I really think you will find the post interesting and so will many of your readers. Us Catholics are not alone in this fight against the Culture of Death!

    http://jdadoption.blogspot.com/

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  3. That BDF sounds like a very worthy cause! I wish we lived closer!

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  4. I do want to add: Though I don't do the whole "consensus/common ground" thing, I will say that it is good when both sides can agree on some things. For example, most Americans (conservative and liberal) do not want third trimester abortions to be legal. At least that is my impression. I don't have the stats in front of me. But, if we can work to ban things like partial-birth abortion, well, that's a good thing. (I'm pretty sure that the Democratic Party would not agree to ban PBAs, but I hope that most citizens who are Democrats would think the practice abhorrent.)

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  5. Thanks for the info about the BDF dinner! I am going to try and attend if scheduling and finances allow. :)

    Re: 3rd tri abortions, I think you'll find that most liberals would oppose them unless the baby has a disability. :( The "suffering" thing again. As I've said before, after Dr. Tiller was killed I read many msg board posts that praised him for helping women kill their babies if a disability was detected in the third tri, so they (the babies) "wouldn't suffer". :(

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  6. great clarification and I was disappointed, too. At least we got some insight elsewhere!

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  7. JoAnna, I would love to meet you... I hope to see you there! :)

    You are right on third trimester abortions.... that's the one caveat I forgot. Under no circumstances should a woman be "forced" to bear a defective child. Sigh.

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  9. Julie, great link!!

    Paul, I agree that it is good when we do find consensus on things, in order to move forward towards a more just society. However, I think the pendulum has swung so far in the direction of "searching for common ground" that we have forgotten to stand on principle and define what we believe, even when it means we cannot have common ground. I will have common ground with everyone until the "ground" they want me to walk on is in fact shifting sand. Now, having said that, I am a Christian, and that means that, unlike other religions, I do not then physically harm those who don't think like I do. My response is to respect their free will (even if they are dead wrong), to have peaceful protests when necessary (think, praying at an abortion mill), and to pray for their conversion of heart.

    As for balancing this blog and a large family... Oh, I'd love to tell you all about that, ha ha!! It's crazy. I will say that I purposely decided not to make this a family blog or "mommy blog," for many reasons, so I don't talk about what's going on here. I will say that I have a very helpful husband. And, I don't get a lot of sleep. Ha ha!

    But since this is my "hobby" (or, passion!), I don't think I will quit anytime soon.... It's my "escape"! Yes, debating people who disagree with me is my relaxation, ha ha ha!

    I'm very glad you are here, and I hope you will stay.

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  10. Leila, have you read Raymond's book about Mother?

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  11. Barbie, I started it and loved it! I never finished it... sigh....

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  12. Thanks Leila for your kind words about Bioethics Defense Fund, and for all you do to build a culture of life. You are an angel.

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