Friday, November 18, 2011

The Five Slogans

Some years ago, I started taking pro-life apologetics training courses in which I was taught how to make the case against abortion, staying strictly away from feelings ("feewings") religion or personal preferences.

I've talked before about S.L.E.D. and if you missed it, go here. I'm not going through it all again.

But I post the link to this thing in the Martlet, the student paper of the University of Victoria, (Yaaaaay!) where the Sled thing was used fairly effectively. It is interesting to note how far and how fast Scott's stuff is spreading in Canada, probably mostly due to the work of these two people (and now all their little friends) who founded this organisation (Watch out, scary pics on the opening page of this site). (We all took the course together in ... um... can't remember, maybe about 2000?... and the Canadian org. was formed while we all sat around the coffee table in a cabin on an island in the middle of a lake in New Jersey. It was fun.)

But I thought the most interesting part of the Martlet thing were the comments. A number of people chimed in saying why the argument against abortion is invalid. Fair enough. We believe in freedom of speech around here, (Ha ha!, not really...) and I note that the pro-aborts' arguments have been quite effectively addressed by others writing in. (Which is the point of this post ... which I keep forgetting.)

All the things they said are things that Scott listed as the same things people ALWAYS say in defence of abortion. Scott told us that they absolutely never come up with any other ones. (And the fun bit is that they really, really think they are being great independent thinkers, thinking these things up for themselves. Really!)

But I'm not kidding when I say they always say the exact same things. A.L.W.A.Y.S. and E.X.A.C.T.L.Y. the same things. It's amazing. I've been keeping track. On the few occasions I have been able to stomach reading this stuff, that is. Frankly, in recent years, it has really bored the crap out of me.

But when he told us, I thought Scott had to be exaggerating. It just seems impossible that an entire cultural movement (perhaps anti-cultural), one that has resulted in the deaths of 50 million people in the US alone, and is responsible for putting bajillions of dollars into the greedy blood-soaked mitts of the abortion industrialists.

All those lives, and just five slogans. Five.

- woman has a right to choose

- abortion should be a decision between a woman and her doctor

- woman has a right to bodily autonomy/privacy

- you can't bring unwanted/poor children into the world

- I wouldn't have an/am personally opposed to abortion, but I can't impose my personal beliefs on others (also, when you're standing on the sidewalk with a sign, "How DARE YOU try to impose your beliefs on MEEEE!!!! EVIL FACIST!"...)

All others, or actually "others," are just variations on this. Really. Try it yourself. The "rape exception" thing, the "overpopulation" thing, the "abortion is safer than childbirth thing," the "foetus is just potential life" thing, the "violinist" thing, etcetera, etcetera ad nauseum....whatevs.

One of my all time favourite bits of nonsense is the variation that starts, "if you don't have a uterus, you can't have an opinion..."

Rilly, I'm not even making it up...
"If you do not have a uterus, I don't believe you have any right to dictate what my body can and will be used for in regarding to pregnancy. I am not an incubator, I am a human being with rights to my own body and my own choices..."
blah blah blabbity blahblahblah...

(It's amazing, but even more, she goes on...

"Also, I believe it is most likely safe to assume you don't have a uterus. Therefore, why do you think you should have any say on a uterus bearer's body? I say UTERUS BEARER, because not all women have a uterus, and not all people with a uterus are women...."

Wwwhhheeeeeee!!!!!

Unbelievable...)

Srlsly. They're all on the list. Go check it out. Think of it as a training exercise.



~

7 comments:

marie therese 1 said...

This is off topic but I wanted to let you know that my healing began two years ago when looking through an 'art' site I found a link to 'The Artist’s Study of Nature and its Relationship to Goethean Science' on your site. I have perused your site since. I can only say I am very grateful. That article helped me to soar into realms I was totally ignorant of and I was delighted it was through art. It led me to my true love, writing. Thanks and God bless you.

Sarah said...

Could you perhaps put a warning on the "this organization" link, so that people will know it has graphic photos of aborted children before they click?

Sarah

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Oh yeah. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Is this five slogans for keeping abortion decriminalized, or five slogans for abortion not being evil? Because while abortion is evil, the way that it would get criminalized in the US is through fetal personhood amendments which would lead to criminal liability for manslaughter for drinking too much coffee and having a heavy period. So my argument against the criminalization of abortion as it happening in the US is: it is a waste of resources, will isolate women from healthcare, and isn't even going to happen anyway because fetal personhood is completely unworkable without a total reformation of criminal law which obviously isn't going to happen so the whole thing is just a big civics exercise for homeschoolers.

I feel about the whole thing the way you feel about banning Christmas in the UK; let's just stop the fooling around and get really clear about the state no longer being the eensiest teensiest bit Christian. Then again, careful what I wish for... - Karen

Teresa B. said...

Thanks so much for this link!!!
I haven't been on your website long enough to have read that before.
I just checked out their website and Scott will be in Niagara Falls/St. Catharines area in Feb. I will have to get in touch with the Right to Life Assoc. I definitely want to go to that and my kids and husband. My husband teaches religion and philosophy in High School and this website is perfect for his students!
Thanks so much! I will definitely pass this site on!

Steve T. said...

4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad for legs good 2 legs bad for legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad 4 legs good 2 legs bad

Anonymous said...

Umm, but what if another Catholic priest rapes another child and they become pregnant as a result. Can they pretty please have an abortion then?