Via Andrew Sullivan some people are hoping for a truce in the divisive culture war
In the 35-year fight since Roe v. Wade, it seems there are few common values to be found between our opposing sides. But it turns out that nearly all of us agree on the common value that we should reduce the need for abortions in America.
Supporting that common value is the common ground of dramatically reducing the number of unintended pregnancies in this country that lead to abortions. It means together supporting sex education programs that include accurate information about contraception and the importance of abstinence so that fewer unintended pregnancies occur. It means together supporting programs that teach parents how to communicate better with their children about values and programs that give low-income women greater access to contraception. It means that together we can agree that abortion should never be the only option and that young and poor pregnant women should receive support when they feel they need it to carry their pregnancy to term. The truth is that the most effective way to reduce the prevalence of abortions in America is to actually work together rather than to fight.
Gay and lesbian issues, like abortion, have also been tearing the nation apart. Here again, the differences are real and rooted in theological and philosophical differences. But on these issues too we can find a shared common value and shared path forward. That shared value is human dignity. We can all agree that all human beings are created in God’s image and have and deserve an innate human dignity – even those with whom one differs or disagrees. We can all agree that honoring this human dignity is a high moral and religious calling. And we can agree that any laws we create to expand rights must not abridge the religious liberty of religious communities. Common ground means, for example, that, apart from religious institutions, the workplace should judge you at work for the job you do and nothing more. That would be a careful step along America’s journey to fulfill its national ideals, and also to honor our highest moral and religious beliefs.
The purveyors of abstinence education don’t care about reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies, they want to reduce the number of people having sex. The main reason that people are against gay marriage is that by allowing gays to participate in mainstream activities it makes them part of the mainstream. The same can be said of milatary service, if gays openly serve, suddenly openly gay people are doing something that is seen as heroic, it helps make other people accept them and we cannot have that; at least the homobigots cannot have that.
Unwanted pregnancies help to show the rest of the world what happens to people who have sex. If unwanted pregnancies can be avoided, suddenly sex doesn’t have a negative consequence, if condoms are involved you cannot even scare people about STD’s, what then, how do you stop people from having sex?
To me the culture war is about parents trying to control children, I have seen some feminist web sites argue it is about men controlling women but it seems to me that it is about keeping everyone from having sex, especially young people. It is hard to negotiate a truce in the culture war when many “experts” don’t seem to understand why it is being fought.
I disagree, I want to reduce the number of people who can’t handle the responsibility of parenting to have less sex.
If someone can parent well, they should have a lot of sex.
Good parenting is not about controlling children, but equipping them to make good independent decisions as soon as they are able, and then pushing them out of the nest (and pushing hard).
Unfortunately, we have plenty vicious cycling of unfit parenting. This is in part due to sex between people who cannot create stability for their children. Even condoms do not prevent pregnancies perfectly, never mind less effective forms of contraception.
people with poor impulse control are probably the most likely to get pregnant and they are also likely to be bad parents. Think Brittany Spears and her one day marriage.
At least if birth control is made available and encouraged maybe some portion of these people will not have children.
As for whether they have sex or not who cares, as long as they are not spewing toxic children into society it does not effect me one way or another.
Well, the abortion question (and the socialism question) are not yet resolved in our country, as much as the monarchy, slavery, facism, segregation, and communism questions over the last couple of centuries.
As a libertarian, I do not want the government either subsidizing nor prosecuting abortion–I wish individuals and their families the freedom to make these choices.
As a theist, I believe life has purpose and meaning and needs to defended. Advocating a person’s interest who is too weak to speak can be heroic. It certainly was heroic to me that a few people would speak out against the powers oppressing colonialists, slaves, victims of genocide, and victims of discrimination.
I respect that you and your blog are solidly pro-choice. I am actually pro-choice more consistently–I want more individual freedom and less government involvement (one way or another). And as a theist, I find myself in the minority when being against school prayer, faith-based subsidies, etc. The anti-Dobsonian, if you will.
With respect, abortion could also be a form of oppression or genocide. The practice certainly seems to conflict with Darwinian theory, that is, contradicting the processes of natural and sexual selection.
Morons or kids often are the catalysts for unwanted marraiges. Then who gets the bill? Parents and responsible people. Not to be sexist, but maybe if we “disappeared” unwed pregnant women like the olden days we would have less. Hey, what do I know?
Sure, S.R. then women will REALLY loosen up. Put out, disappear, no worries. Are you assuming a negative IQ for the fairer gender?