The Grassroots Abortion War (Protestants only)

Time ^ | Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007 | NANCY GIBBS

[jude24]

I frankly don't see the need for a caucus designation anyway. There's not much that's debatable between Protestants and Catholics on the matter of abortion. Maybe contraception as a preferable alternative to abortion, but that's not a topic of this article.

Color me stumped.

[Gamecock]

***I don't understand why an article about abortion that happens to feature a Reformed Christian Pastor is a caucus.***

Because I don't want non-Protestants coming in and potentially bashing this Pastor. It is a way for Protestants to discuss abortion from our perspective, not the Catholic pov.

Thanks in advance.

[Religion Moderator]

Any caucus of posters on the Religion Forum can use an article to shore up their own views on an issue whether theology, ideology or politics.

We may be seeing more of this as the primary elections draw near and certain areas of the map are dominated by certain confessions wanting to speak with a single voice on an issue.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

(Pardon my ignorance if Reformed Christian is another word for Protestant.)

"Reformed Christian" may be descriptively employed for either:

• 1.) A specific designation for the Christian Reformed Church denominations, derived from the Dutch Reformed (Calvinist) church; or...
• 2.) A broad term for Predestinarian Protestants, whether Presbyterian, Reformed Episcopalian, Dutch Reformed, Swiss Calvinist, "Old-School" Baptists, or what have you. Missouri Synod and other "Old School" Lutherans should probably also be included given the Lutheran origination of the Reformation and these Lutherans' continued adherence to Martin Luther's Predestinarian beliefs.

best, op

[Titanites]

This article mentions Catholic Charities. Are we free to discuss this organization?

[blue-duncan]

"We protest lists."

Thanks for reminding me, I didn't have a list with that on it.

[Corin Stormhands]

Remember that this is a caucus thread, it is like a church meeting behind closed doors. Posters must behave as if they are guests in the other guy's church.

Just so y'all know ~ since I'm the resident Pentecostal ~ if I ever post a caucus thread and you want to act like your at my church...well you get what I'm sayin'...

[Religion Moderator]

The statement appears to be a simple statement of fact to me, so the thread will not be opened unless you can convince me that it is incomplete, false, a strawman argument or otherwise needs to be rebutted.

Nevertheless, you can post on this thread as a guest in the other guy's church - providing the assembly is not disturbed, I will not remove a guest's post.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

"You are covered under Post #3." Do I need to send cash or will a check do?

Send cash or money order.

Here, let me just post for you My home addr..., er, the official Neener cashiering department address.

Having been drafted into the Neeners, I of course know these things.

[Gamecock]

Oh, and perhaps another reason is that on a truce was requested and a Catholic called us bloody heretics."

Bloody is a vulgar word and shouldn't be tossed around when a pleas for peace are being considered. Until the RCs police their own, I would like to have a thread where we Proddies can discuss our issues in peace and quite.

Thanks in advance for following the RMs rules.

[technochick99]

Ok - I have to bite on this. Please consider this an educational opportunity.

What is the difference between the 'Protestant' and Catholic perspective.

Are you speaking for ALL Protestants?

This is a serious question.

[technochick99]

We may be seeing more of this as the primary elections draw near and certain areas of the map are dominated by certain confessions wanting to speak with a single voice on an issue.

I will only address one section of the above statement. Is there a single Protestant voice on abortion (or on anything, I can ask somewhat flippantly)?

I think that this policy may lead to more contentions. And, if you disagree that the policy is unwise, won't you consider at least that this article really doesn't fall under the policy?

[Gamecock]

**Are you speaking for ALL Protestants?**

Not at all. That's why it is for Proddies, to see where WE stand on the technique used in Asheville.

[technochick99]

So not all Protestants are Reformed Christians, correct? I would assume this because not all Protestants are predestinarians.

[AlbionGirl]

Do we really view abortion as murder? Do we view abortion as exactly the same thing, as say, OJ killing his wife? I'm not sure we do, and I think that because of that certain headway can't be made.

I think we'd all agree that a doctor who performs an abortion should be in jail, but do we think the same thing about the woman who has one? I know that with RvW being the law of the land, it has to be approached in a different way, I'm just wondering if deep inside we really consider it murder or something less.

[Religion Moderator]

The same objection applies to every confession.

A Catholic caucus might be declared, for instance, to argue against "cafeteria Catholics" or fence-sitters. That is a valid reason for a caucus on the Religion Forum of this conservative website - and I would not allow it to be disturbed either.

[technochick99]

Please, let's not start pointing out rudeness on other threads. There's more than enough mud to notice! Besides, that occurred as others called Lent a pagan practice, and why should they respect our practices, etc.

I would like to not bring over nastiness from one thread to another - that is a basic FR policy. I could see asking the RM to be on the ready, but to designate a thread a caucus for non-Catholics only, when it happens to be about abortion, strikes me as really pushing the limit.

[technochick99]

I suppose. This thread mainly seems to be about drinking anyway.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Correct. In either its specific or its general usage, all Reformed are Protestants (well, some Baptists claim that Baptists are independent of the RC-Protestant divide, and... okay, I'll respect their views), but not all Protestants are Reformed.

Sorta like Thomists vis-a-vis Roman Catholics.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

In regards to the article, I'd love it if some State made a Law requiring that an ultrasound be performed for the mother before an abortion be performed. Call it an "Informed Consent" law, whatever. For a procedure which shouldn't be Legal in the first place, I'm willing to play a little loose with my anti-regulatory libertarianism.

Good idea. This is certainly a better goal for legislators than to arrogantly mandate our 10-year-old daughters be vaccinated against sexually-transmitted diseases.