Kerry's Logic
As a Baptist pastor who believes in the separation of church and state, I refrain from the making political comments. I do reserve the right, however, to comment on spiritual and moral issues. That’s my turf. When politics invades my turf, I have the right, and even an obligation, to speak. With that in mind, I would like to speak my mind on an issue. This is not intended to be a political comment; it’s about morality.
John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, told an Iowa Caucus that he believed that life began at conception. A short time later, he told Peter Jennings on ABC News that abortion was not murder! If I understand him right, Kerry’s explanation is that at birth the fetus is alive, but it is not human! I know that a politician’s favorite color is plaid, but that is ridiculous.
There are two issues here. First, “When does life begin?” It seems to me that Scripture teaches that a fetus is a human being. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, the baby “leaped in her womb” (Lk. 1:41). Elizabeth told Mary, “As soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Lk. 1:44). A mass of tissue does not experience joy; humans do.
The second issue is, “Should people’s religious conviction affect their decisions in every area of life?” If spiritual values do not affect our thinking and actions, of what value are they? I am not suggesting that politicians force others to submit to their religious convictions. Many politicians have said that they believe that abortion is wrong, but as a government official, they will abide by the law. At the same time, because of their personal conviction, they will work within the law to change the law. That is a reasonable position.
Kerry’s stand on abortion is illogical and inconsistent. Crispin Sartwell, a Political Science Professor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has written an article entitled, “Kerry’s Illogical Stand on Abortion” (Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2004, p. B13). In it, Professor Sartwell says, “If we could not bring our faith to bear on the law, we would have to separate the state not from the church but from all human values.” Concerning Kerry, Sartwell adds, “One can only conclude that there is absolutely no belief of his own that he would not compromise to be president.”
Sartwell goes on to say that he can respect the position that the fetus is part of a pregnant woman, or the position that the fetus is a human being, or the position that one does not know what to say. He concludes “What I can’t respect is the position that abortion is killing human beings and that is at the same time a political right that must be defended by the state. That position reflects a complete failure either of logic or of ethics; it is a sign of deep stupidity or deep cowardice.”
KERRY’S LOGIC As a Baptist pastor who believes in the separation of church and state, I refrain from the making political comments. I do reserve the right, however, to comment on spiritual and moral issues. That’s my turf. When politics invades my turf, I have the right, and even an obligation, to speak.
With that in mind, I would like to speak my mind on an issue. This is not intended to be a political comment; it’s about morality.
John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, told an Iowa Caucus that he believed that life began at conception. A short time later, he told Peter Jennings on ABC News that abortion was not murder! If I understand him right, Kerry’s explanation is that at birth the fetus is alive, but it is not human! I know that a politician’s favorite color is plaid, but that is ridiculous.
There are two issues here. First, “When does life begin?” It seems to me that Scripture teaches that a fetus is a human being. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, the baby “leaped in her womb” (Lk. 1:41). Elizabeth told Mary, “As soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Lk. 1:44). A mass of tissue does not experience joy; humans do.
The second issue is, “Should people’s religious conviction affect their decisions in every area of life?” If spiritual values do not affect our thinking and actions, of what value are they? I am not suggesting that politicians force others to submit to their religious convictions. Many politicians have said that they believe that abortion is wrong, but as a government official, they will abide by the law. At the same time, because of their personal conviction, they will work within the law to change the law. That is a reasonable position.
Kerry’s stand on abortion is illogical and inconsistent. Crispin Sartwell, a Political Science Professor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has written an article entitled, “Kerry’s Illogical Stand on Abortion” (Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2004, p. B13). In it, Professor Sartwell says, “If we could not bring our faith to bear on the law, we would have to separate the state not from the church but from all human values.” Concerning Kerry, Sartwell adds, “One can only conclude that there is absolutely no belief of his own that he would not compromise to be president.”
Sartwell goes on to say that he can respect the position that the fetus is part of a pregnant woman, or the position that the fetus is a human being, or the position that one does not know what to say. He concludes “What I can’t respect is the position that abortion is killing human beings and that is at the same time a political right that must be defended by the state. That position reflects a complete failure either of logic or of ethics; it is a sign of deep stupidity or deep cowardice.”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/29/2004
John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, told an Iowa Caucus that he believed that life began at conception. A short time later, he told Peter Jennings on ABC News that abortion was not murder! If I understand him right, Kerry’s explanation is that at birth the fetus is alive, but it is not human! I know that a politician’s favorite color is plaid, but that is ridiculous.
There are two issues here. First, “When does life begin?” It seems to me that Scripture teaches that a fetus is a human being. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, the baby “leaped in her womb” (Lk. 1:41). Elizabeth told Mary, “As soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Lk. 1:44). A mass of tissue does not experience joy; humans do.
The second issue is, “Should people’s religious conviction affect their decisions in every area of life?” If spiritual values do not affect our thinking and actions, of what value are they? I am not suggesting that politicians force others to submit to their religious convictions. Many politicians have said that they believe that abortion is wrong, but as a government official, they will abide by the law. At the same time, because of their personal conviction, they will work within the law to change the law. That is a reasonable position.
Kerry’s stand on abortion is illogical and inconsistent. Crispin Sartwell, a Political Science Professor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has written an article entitled, “Kerry’s Illogical Stand on Abortion” (Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2004, p. B13). In it, Professor Sartwell says, “If we could not bring our faith to bear on the law, we would have to separate the state not from the church but from all human values.” Concerning Kerry, Sartwell adds, “One can only conclude that there is absolutely no belief of his own that he would not compromise to be president.”
Sartwell goes on to say that he can respect the position that the fetus is part of a pregnant woman, or the position that the fetus is a human being, or the position that one does not know what to say. He concludes “What I can’t respect is the position that abortion is killing human beings and that is at the same time a political right that must be defended by the state. That position reflects a complete failure either of logic or of ethics; it is a sign of deep stupidity or deep cowardice.”
KERRY’S LOGIC As a Baptist pastor who believes in the separation of church and state, I refrain from the making political comments. I do reserve the right, however, to comment on spiritual and moral issues. That’s my turf. When politics invades my turf, I have the right, and even an obligation, to speak.
With that in mind, I would like to speak my mind on an issue. This is not intended to be a political comment; it’s about morality.
John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, told an Iowa Caucus that he believed that life began at conception. A short time later, he told Peter Jennings on ABC News that abortion was not murder! If I understand him right, Kerry’s explanation is that at birth the fetus is alive, but it is not human! I know that a politician’s favorite color is plaid, but that is ridiculous.
There are two issues here. First, “When does life begin?” It seems to me that Scripture teaches that a fetus is a human being. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, the baby “leaped in her womb” (Lk. 1:41). Elizabeth told Mary, “As soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Lk. 1:44). A mass of tissue does not experience joy; humans do.
The second issue is, “Should people’s religious conviction affect their decisions in every area of life?” If spiritual values do not affect our thinking and actions, of what value are they? I am not suggesting that politicians force others to submit to their religious convictions. Many politicians have said that they believe that abortion is wrong, but as a government official, they will abide by the law. At the same time, because of their personal conviction, they will work within the law to change the law. That is a reasonable position.
Kerry’s stand on abortion is illogical and inconsistent. Crispin Sartwell, a Political Science Professor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has written an article entitled, “Kerry’s Illogical Stand on Abortion” (Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2004, p. B13). In it, Professor Sartwell says, “If we could not bring our faith to bear on the law, we would have to separate the state not from the church but from all human values.” Concerning Kerry, Sartwell adds, “One can only conclude that there is absolutely no belief of his own that he would not compromise to be president.”
Sartwell goes on to say that he can respect the position that the fetus is part of a pregnant woman, or the position that the fetus is a human being, or the position that one does not know what to say. He concludes “What I can’t respect is the position that abortion is killing human beings and that is at the same time a political right that must be defended by the state. That position reflects a complete failure either of logic or of ethics; it is a sign of deep stupidity or deep cowardice.”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/29/2004