I would like to respond to some of my commenters to my entry after the election, clearing up, first, some of their perceptions about what I think of Obama. I was happy for the joy of many blacks to see an African American ascend to the white house, but I have come to ask more of everyone who aspires to lead us. Years ago, when legalized abortion caused a huge leap in the death of the unborn, I had to make a choice about what to do about it. First let me say I am a strong believer in the spirit. I was in the process of being murdered after five hours of torture by my insane husband one time at the age of 20. All feeling ceased. I perceived a light descending and I knew somehow it was Christ who had meant a lot to me as a child growing up facing a lot of trouble. I looked up as all feeling in my body ceased. A would be killer's hands were around my neck ready to squeeze the last bit of life out of me, and he recognized the look in my eyes as ecstacy at the thought of seeing Christ, knowing I would soon be in his presence. He threw me down on the bed and said, "I would kill you but it wouldn't do any good."
I felt I had been saved by Christ. My drunk Jack Mormon husband had actually descended from the Prophet Smith's family, and he was religious enough that he processed what was happening and did not murder me. I never doubted that I would have important work to do on this earth.
I believe when we stand before God which I expect to do in a few years, it would be hard to defend not fighting against so many of the unborn being killed. I think those who have more wisdom than we possess, those with a higher power ask us not to kill, and there are many in this country who have been taught in their churches that aborting a child is wrong, including Catholics and Mormons, of which I was one through my twenties. Right now these churches' record in fighting abortion is good.
Why do people proseletyze? A lot of the reason is because they do not think that others have had the opportunity to grow up in a society that tries to welcome every child that is conceived to life. I did not have it easy as a child. My father was also a rebel, a Jack Mormon, and he caused my mother terrible grief in the marriage which I particularly noted as a child. I thought he was gay and his life of affairs and neglect of her drove my mother out of her mind. She aborted one child herself, and I greatly feared she might try it again and die, but she was finally able to persuade a doctor to give her a tubal ligation so her pregnancies ended after five live births.
I think we will be able to have sensible dialogues about legalized abortion as long as people don't get very angry. I detected quite a bit of anger from some of the commenters. I write a blog on http://www.azcentral.com called g4life, so am accustomed to getting some very angry comments on this subject. But too much anger will get us nowhere. When a law is perceived as bad, as leading to too many deaths, to fight it requires more risk of extreme conflict. I believe at least 80 percent of the media are pro choice, which means if you are pro life, you will not be liked by these people. If you are a playwright, they will turn up their noses at your pro life writings. In many ways you will have to suffer for your belief because you are actually fighting the law of the land, but what if you believe that the law of the land is at odds with the laws of God?
Will you be justified if you go along with the law of the land? To a degree, I think, especially the young who have grown up with such laws, but in order to come out of what you believe is a dark night of the soul, you will have to fight such laws. The Supreme Court, consisting of just a few, changed this country across the land with Roe vs Wade making abortion legal in the whole country. What made it more acceptable is that Russia had already legalized it as had China to name the big ones. Aside from the fact that these countries were also responsible for killing millions of their own citizens with their totalitarian regimes, we were now in step. But the Supreme Court went against many Churches and their teachings about the wrongness of abortion by legalizing it. So I am not alone here in fighting it.
I happen to think that church teachings are right about a lot of thngs. Mormonism has kept thousands of young men from becoming alcoholics by preaching a strict Word of Wisdom against alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. I credit their teachings from keeping me from ever trying any of them. I am sure my children thanks them. My rebellious father and my ex husbands caused their families endless grief by becoming addicted to at least two of them.
I am willing to continue to reason all day about these beliefs. Do you angry commenters tell Catholics, Mormons, and people of other Christian faiths that teach abortion is wrong that they are full of crap? If you do you will not get far in a dialogue to find agreement. Or maybe you won't even talk to a 'religious' person very long you are so full of resentment about what you perceived as your persecution by the righteous.
If you feel that way, it is possible you may have been mistreated in the name of religion. That could be so in my opinion. Which is why years of dialogue and control of the emotions is ncessary from opposing sides to make progress.
As long as we don't get too angry, we won't close the door to those who disagree with us.
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