Note two recent quotes from putative conservative commentators Peta Credlin and Janet Albrechtsen. In order:
- “As an imperfect Christian myself, who doesn’t always agree with the teachings of my faith…”
- “Had grass-roots democracy been allowed to take its normal course…there is a good chance women would have secured abortion rights in those states where they now face…a criminal offence for taking control of their bodies.”
Both these quotes were imbedded in sensible articles. Both articles would have been better without the quotes. Though the second quote is more profoundly wrong than the first.
The first is pregnant with unanswered posers. What is meant by “teachings of my faith?” Some teachings are so fundamental that you simply can’t be a Christian, even an imperfect one, which we Christians all are, unless you accept them. Of course, if by teachings she means woke pronouncements by the current Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope, then that’s a quite different kettle of fish. My point is that people should not write about the importance of Christianity in our national life and leave important contextual statements hanging. At best its sloppy. Very sloppy.
The second quote from Ms Albrechtsen is disappointing for its dishonesty. I expect such dishonesty from lefties not from conservatives. The article correctly defends, and puts in proper perspective, the Supreme Court’s decision in overturning Roe vs. Wade. It also establishes Albrechtsen’s point of view that women should have “abortion rights.” That’s fine, so far as it goes. Where it goes wrong is in anchoring such rights in women having control of their own bodies.
No one with any sense, decency or fairness would deny women the right of “taking control of their bodies.” (Covid-vax fanatics, aside.) But that is not what abortion is about. It is about deliberately killing an unborn baby; and in brutal fashion when it is late-term. And the overwhelming number of such unborn babies killed would be born healthy, and grow into children and adults. So, it’s not the mother’s body which is at issue here. It’s the unborn baby’s body. It’s the unborn baby’s body! A separate body.
Conservatives should not use euphemisms and/or deflections to hide the truth. We can have a civilised debate about abortion; only provided the pro-choice side are willing to be honest. You can’t have a debate when one side insists on starting with a false premise.
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