It's time to quiz Kerry - "Life Begins at Conception"

Boston Globe ^ | July 7, 2004 | Eileen McNamara

[rface]

I did not know that Senator John F. Kerry believes that life begins at conception. Now that I do know, I do not understand 20 years of votes supporting a woman's right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's explanation over the weekend implied that his civic duty in a pluralistic society required him to ignore his conscience. ''There is something called freedom of conscience in the Catholic Church," Kerry told an Iowa newspaper. ''I oppose abortion, personally. I don't like abortion. I believe life begins at conception. But I don't take my Catholic beliefs, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant, on a Jew, or an atheist who doesn't share it. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America."

So, Kerry's conscience is not at odds with church teaching, just with his voting record? .......

[ snip ]

, and I suspect many others who support legal abortion, had mistakenly assumed that, on this very personal issue, Kerry's conscience was at odds with the teaching of his church. His consistent record in favor of abortion rights, family planning, and reproductive freedom was, I thought, a courageous reflection of an independent mind.

[snip ]

I wanted to ask Kerry more about this, but he was busy yesterday, trumpeting a vice presidential pick that the NARAL Pro-Choice America, the lobbying arm of the abortion rights movement, called ''a dream ticket for a woman's right to choose."

Betsy Cavendish, interim president of NARAL Pro Choice America, was offended that I wanted to discuss Kerry's abortion comments on ''such a great day." Why, she asked, would I spin a ''minor comment" into a ''minicyclone" .....

[big snip ]

[rface]

snip from the article: If you believe that life begins at conception, doesn't your conscience compel you to vote in concert with that belief? Just as, if your conscience tells you capital punishment is state-sanctioned murder, you would vote against the death penalty? Or if you believe that gay marriage is a fundamental civil right, you would vote against a constitutional amendment to ban it?

[blanknoone]

Let's say hypothetically that someone feels strongly that they should have the right to kill lefty politicians trying to destroy their country. Do they have freedom of conscience? Who are we to say that they are wrong? Why do we legislate our morality on them?

For the record, this is done to show the ridiculousness of lefty politicians' positions, not as an implied threat.

[EggsAckley]

I can't believe some reporter hasn't already pointed out the contradictions of Kerry's statement. Or....maybe I'm not so surprised. But it sure is a loaded gun, just sitting there for the using.

[madprof98]

His consistent record in favor of abortion rights, family planning, and reproductive freedom was, I thought, a courageous reflection of an independent mind.

Yeah, right. As opposed to the politically expedient position of a gutless charlatan.

[alancarp]

"But I don't take my Catholic beliefs, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant, on a Jew, or an atheist who doesn't share it."

Fine John K., so Catholics shouldn't listen to your "life begins at conception" line, 'cause it makes no difference in your (occasional) Senate votes - obviously we know this from the record.

(Idealistically speaking,) Elected officials are placed in office to vote in a manner that represents the best interests of the people and the country. But note that every vote expresses a belief or opinion - whether for or against a particular religious viewpoint, whether for or against the viewpoint of a particular lobbyist/special interest group, whether for or against the people of the United States.

Singling out religion as something you won't take to the voting booth is a red herring, for it's simply another yardstick against how your record is measured. If you aren't proud of your voting record and can't defend it, then don't blame religion -- or anything else, for that matter -- when you are criticized for it.

And by the same token, don't cite religious beliefs and then say you ignore them in an effort to play to both sides of an issue (again).

[dead]

Basically, he saying that he believes a fetus is a person who must die in order to ensure that John Kerry can obtain political power.

Sorry, kid.

[NYer]

I can't believe some reporter hasn't already pointed out the contradictions of Kerry's statement.

Here ya go ....

Your Eminence, what's there to study? Pat Buchanan yearns for bishop to stand up

[TexasCajun]

President John Kerry, "I personally believe Iran has nukes and I personally believe they are a threat to American and Israel, however, I can't impose my beliefs on fellow American Pacifist, Peaceniks, Anti-War Liberals."

[Cicero]

Of course it's one of the great unexamined issues. In the middle ages, scholars could argue when life began, and many argued that it began when the child "quickened" (i.e. came alive) in the womb and the mother could feel it kick. The Christian believe is that God creates and infuses the soul into the unborn child, and back then it was possible to think that maybe God did so a month or six weeks after conception.

They also believed that Nile mud could spawn living creatures.

Scientists now know that none of these theories was true. Life begins at conception. If life begins then, and if you believe with Aristotle and the Church that "the soul is the form of the body," then the unborn baby must have a soul from the beginning too. Leaving that aside, however, it's still clear that the unborn child is a) human and b) alive from conception onward. That is a scientific truth, not a religious opinion.

I believe that probably 99% of proabortionists understand this at some level. Abortion kills a living human being. That's the scientific reality. But only a few of them will admit it, even to themselves, partly because it bothers them and partly because admitting it risks losing votes at the polls for their precious "right" to kill babies.

Many ignorant viewers thought that Pontius Pilate came off better in "The Passion" than the Chief Priests of the Jews, because he knew that Jesus was innocent. Anyone with the moral sense God gave a gnat, however, understands that Pilate comes off worse, because he knew Jesus was innocent but killed him anyway. The same applies to John Kerry.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[Aquinasfan]

I can't believe some reporter hasn't already pointed out the contradictions of Kerry's statement. Or....maybe I'm not so surprised.

Mr. Kerry, if you believe that life begins at conception, why won't you act to save the lives of these unborn babies?

No reporter will ever ask this question. Maybe President Bush will in the debates.

[Aquinasfan]

Anyone with the moral sense God gave a gnat, however, understands that Pilate comes off worse, because he knew Jesus was innocent but killed him anyway. The same applies to John Kerry.

Good point. John "what is truth?" Kerry.

[Smartass]