"I just don't understand..." Letter From A Reader
This is part of a letter (email) I received from a reader. I have written my response below. If you would care to add anything else to it or express your opinion below (in the comment section), please do so. I should add that "M" also told me in her email that she has been "a child advocate for over 20 years."
"I just don't understand... as a female I believe that it is my choice what I do with my body. The same religious zealots who insists that it is their business what takes place in my uterus also support hate filled constitutional amendments dictating who can love and striping away equal rights. It is this hypocracy and selective interpretation of the Bible that has turned me away from organized religion in Kansas."
M.
My Response:
Dear M.,
OF COURSE it is your choice to do with your body what you desire -- God gave each of us a free will. He is a perfect Gentleman and allows us to use our conscience and to make up our own minds. We can either choose to sin or to obey Him. As a result of Roe V. Wade, we can go and have abortions with no legal consequences.
And aren't we the lucky ones?
As a result of that abortion, any of the following mishaps can and do occur: death (to mother as well as baby), blood clots, complications of anesthesia. chronic infection and inflamation of female organs, ectopic pregnancy (in the tubes), hemorraging, perforation of the uterus, premature births (incompetent cervix), repeated miscarriage, permanent sterility, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - traumatic fear, helplessness, and horror, flashbacks, panic attacks, recurring dreams and nightmares, hallucinations, dissociation - "spacing out", repressed traumatic memories accompanied by acute pain, obsessions with death, psychotic reactions, repeat abortions as a result of coercion, alcohol and drug addictions, promiscuity, depression to the point of suicide, self-dstructive behavior, intrusive thoughts of hurting children, eating disorders -- anorexia, compulsive overeating, ruined relationships, and sexual dysfunctions.
And, I haven't even begun to touch on the spiritual consequences of this immoral behavior which cuts off the flow of graces from God. God still loves you, but you have chosen to severe your relationship with Him. Through the sacrament of Reconciliation, you can obtain his mercy and forgiveness and receive spiritual healing.
However, it isn't that easy to recover from the other consequences -- it may take years to heal if indeed the person does heal. Abortion is not only harmful and destructive to the life and health of the mother, but it is destructive to the life of the child -who is living and growing within the mother. The baby is a separate life growing within the mother. The baby has its own sex, blood-type, and fingerprints. The heart begins beating between 18 and 25 days and brain waves have been recorded at forty days. At only 8 weeks, the baby can make a tiny fist, have hiccups, suck its thumb -- the baby is not the mother's life, but a separate, individual life growing within her. The mother provides the food and a comfortable, temporary environment.
I believe that it is important that we support women's rights and women's rights begin in the womb. Since Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973, there have been approximately 47,000,000. abortions. How many of those killed were women? Have you ever wondered why we have a shortage of nurses, teachers, social workers or child advocates like yourself?
I know that one post like this isn't going to change your mind about abortion. Please know that I will pray for you.
Abortion is one of the worst destroyers of peace and family life in our country and throughout the world. It is the ultimate form of child abuse and unless it is stopped, our culture will continue to fall apart and self-destruct. "Equal rights" is something the unborn child will never experience, for he/she is not given the basic right that supersedes all others -- the RIGHT TO LIFE.
God bless you,
Jean
P.S. Exactly what version of the Bible are you reading? I know that there are over 100+ versions of the Bible in print. The Bibles I have read -- which include Protestant, Catholic, and non-denominational Bibles -- all state "Thou (or You) shall (shalt) not kill."
"I just don't understand... as a female I believe that it is my choice what I do with my body. The same religious zealots who insists that it is their business what takes place in my uterus also support hate filled constitutional amendments dictating who can love and striping away equal rights. It is this hypocracy and selective interpretation of the Bible that has turned me away from organized religion in Kansas."
M.
My Response:
Dear M.,
OF COURSE it is your choice to do with your body what you desire -- God gave each of us a free will. He is a perfect Gentleman and allows us to use our conscience and to make up our own minds. We can either choose to sin or to obey Him. As a result of Roe V. Wade, we can go and have abortions with no legal consequences.
And aren't we the lucky ones?
As a result of that abortion, any of the following mishaps can and do occur: death (to mother as well as baby), blood clots, complications of anesthesia. chronic infection and inflamation of female organs, ectopic pregnancy (in the tubes), hemorraging, perforation of the uterus, premature births (incompetent cervix), repeated miscarriage, permanent sterility, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - traumatic fear, helplessness, and horror, flashbacks, panic attacks, recurring dreams and nightmares, hallucinations, dissociation - "spacing out", repressed traumatic memories accompanied by acute pain, obsessions with death, psychotic reactions, repeat abortions as a result of coercion, alcohol and drug addictions, promiscuity, depression to the point of suicide, self-dstructive behavior, intrusive thoughts of hurting children, eating disorders -- anorexia, compulsive overeating, ruined relationships, and sexual dysfunctions.
And, I haven't even begun to touch on the spiritual consequences of this immoral behavior which cuts off the flow of graces from God. God still loves you, but you have chosen to severe your relationship with Him. Through the sacrament of Reconciliation, you can obtain his mercy and forgiveness and receive spiritual healing.
However, it isn't that easy to recover from the other consequences -- it may take years to heal if indeed the person does heal. Abortion is not only harmful and destructive to the life and health of the mother, but it is destructive to the life of the child -who is living and growing within the mother. The baby is a separate life growing within the mother. The baby has its own sex, blood-type, and fingerprints. The heart begins beating between 18 and 25 days and brain waves have been recorded at forty days. At only 8 weeks, the baby can make a tiny fist, have hiccups, suck its thumb -- the baby is not the mother's life, but a separate, individual life growing within her. The mother provides the food and a comfortable, temporary environment.
I believe that it is important that we support women's rights and women's rights begin in the womb. Since Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973, there have been approximately 47,000,000. abortions. How many of those killed were women? Have you ever wondered why we have a shortage of nurses, teachers, social workers or child advocates like yourself?
I know that one post like this isn't going to change your mind about abortion. Please know that I will pray for you.
Abortion is one of the worst destroyers of peace and family life in our country and throughout the world. It is the ultimate form of child abuse and unless it is stopped, our culture will continue to fall apart and self-destruct. "Equal rights" is something the unborn child will never experience, for he/she is not given the basic right that supersedes all others -- the RIGHT TO LIFE.
God bless you,
Jean
P.S. Exactly what version of the Bible are you reading? I know that there are over 100+ versions of the Bible in print. The Bibles I have read -- which include Protestant, Catholic, and non-denominational Bibles -- all state "Thou (or You) shall (shalt) not kill."
An after-thought:
ReplyDelete"hate filled constitutional amendments dictating who can love"?
I wonder what the readers definition of "love" is? M. - If you are reading this, I would be curious to know."
Are you referring to homosexual marriages here?
Dear M:
ReplyDeleteI suppose I know how you feel. I am a Roman Catholic and a practicing attorney in Ohio. I spent some time in my life alienated from the Church. After all, I am a smart guy, right? I had 18 years of business experience before law school, multiple college degrees, 10 years experience practicing law, and several years as a juvenile magistrate. Just what in the world was an out of date and misinformed group of religious people from Rome going to teach me about morals or right vs. wrong? Come on, I live in the real world. I face things they never will. I know about life's problems from first hand experience, right. I know more than the Church.
Uh oh......
Right around the time of the Pope's death, I picked up a book about the saints. I figured I can safely read this book without giving away any intellectual ground to the Church. I am smart and no one is going to push me around. Know what I mean?
Well, I wasn't really prepared to find out that many of the saints were pretty bright people too. Educated, socially powerful, sexually active. They had it all. St. Francis of Assisi is a pretty good example. There was however one thing they didn't count on and neither did I. The distant God that they didn't recognize could use their very disobedience to bring them near him.
Well now, how is that even possible. It took me quite a while to realize that trying to conduct an argument with God is a fools game. I know...I did it. It finally dawned on me that when you are able to create the universe, place a child in a mother's womb, and not abandon mankind when it abuses and murders your own child, you might have a few more answers and qualities that I don't have. Imagine that...I don't know more than God.
Look M, here's my point....God isn't swayed by our well reasoned and carefully thought out arguments. He just doesn't conduct his business from heaven as we do ours here on earth. Thank heavens for that. Where would we be if we had some smart guy like me in his place? Don't worry about the issues you have cited. I know they seem so real to you now, but to God, there is a dimension to these issues that takes precedence.
I can only suggest that whatever else you may think, don't ignore the simple fact that there is a God and he wants us near him in word and action. He counts on us to be responsible in our actions and to spend some time understanding what he means by words such as chastity, obedience and poverty. I can't tell you what these things mean for you, but the big book called the bible that your referenced can. So can the Church. (These two don't exist separately by the way. Really. It's true)
I hope this is useful. If you ever get a bit discouraged, just remember that if God can turn around some smart guy like me, there's hope for anyone.