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Posted on 05/09/2011 1:29:23 PM PDT by marcbold
We’ve all heard Christians argue that while their religion might say abortion is wrong, they can’t force their religion on others. That’s the out they give themselves. But Reverend Matthew Westfox of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice goes one step further by actually twisting one of Jesus’ parables into a pro-abortion defense. He did so in an article on his reflections on Easter.
Westfox wrote:
A pro-life stance cannot concern itself only with the life of the woman. In the parable of the sower, Jesus reminds us that seed alone does not bring about new life — that all aspects of the conditions into which the seed are cast must be suitable to sustain life. If there is not enough light or too many weeds or other circumstances that make the ground unfit, the seed will not grow. The story reminds us that respecting and honoring life means doing all we can to create the conditions that will allow life to flourish — while at the same time respecting and accepting that some conditions are not suitable to sustaining life. We do no service by trying to force life into places where the ground is not right.
Similarly, living out a pro-life theology means ensuring that those who want to create new life or parent a child never feel they cannot because the ground they stand upon is not suitable. It also means that no one should ever be coerced into bringing new life into a situation they do not believe is ready to sustain it. A truly pro-life theology means working for health care, employment, and other factors so that no one ever feels he or she cannot be a parent because the conditions aren’t suitable and...
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
See my post # 17.
Harkens me back to the 60’s when I was a similar scholar at the Crane theological school (now defunct) at Tufts. I was in the last graduating class.
We were a motley bunch seeking to save the world from all I now hold dear, precious and holy. God save us from the idiocy of youth.
NCRegister.com is one of those domains that FR only allows excerpts from. The author of the thread, even if he is the author of the piece, has no choice.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
Well said.
In that particular parable, Jesus explained each of its elements and their meaning.
Jesus didn’t mention abortion even once.
Isaiah 5:20
I know it is difficult but this man needs our prayers desperately.
From the last portion of his column, directly quoted in the article, on the group’s homepage:
” At this time of year I hear the endless debate about what the resurrection “really meant” and what “truly happened.” I gave up finding a definitive answer to that question, at least on a historical, factual level, in my first year theology class. I find many truths on Easter morning, truths that go far beyond historical fact. Yet one in particular is the truth of a biblical, sacred exhortation to affirm, revere, and defend life; to be unabashedly, unashamedly pro-life. As Christians, let’s work together to honor the resurrection by resurrecting and re-claiming the term pro-life— not as an attack on choice but as an affirmation of all that life entails. I believe we can do this in so many ways, one of which is by being passionate advocates for reproductive justice.”
http://rcrc.org/news/views/Passover_and_Easter.cfm
I will try hard not to be too quick to judge, and will only say that I will pray for him, given the comment regarding giving up finding out what really happened at the Resurrection, especially.
I agree. If a fundamentalist used this variety of “exegesis” to bolster a politically conservative thesis, Mr. Westfox would be cackling with glee at his ignorance of basic methodology.
He’s no pastor. He’s an anti-Christian Bastor.
I fail to understand why a person who discovers in his first year of theology school that he doesn’t believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus would not just drop out and do something else. Isn’t that kind of like finding out in your first year of medical school that you don’t believe that certain germs can cause disease?
He’s “pro-life” but wants to be a passionate advocate for “reproductive justice” (whatever that is).
This man is either hopelessly confused, dishonest, or he has been educated beyond his intellect.
Is it in your DNA to support blogpimps who enrich themselves using FR as advertising?
Where do your loyalties lie?
You are to blog policing as Frantzie was to television and Willie Green was to trains. That's a badge of honor, huh?
That would be the part about how the poster wrote it himself yet can't post it here.
He wants hits. I say screw him, this isn't his hit farm.
and "Mat 19:14 : But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Guess he forgot to read that part, huh. And all the other many references to children. Wow. We should pray this guy pulls his head out before it's too late.
"The author of a work is the initial owner of the copyright in it, and may exploit the work himself or transfer some or all the rights conferred by the copyright to others.[19] The author generally is the person who conceives of the copyrightable expression and fixes it or causes it to be fixed in a tangible form. Exceptions and special cases in determining the author are:
# Works for hire. If a work is made "for hire" within the meaning of the Copyright Act, the employer or commissioning party, who paid for the work and took the economic risk of it, is deemed the author for copyright purposes and is the initial owner of the copyright."
Smacktard should have posted it here first.
Doing otherwise is pimping for blog hits.
Do you view FR as a blog advertising medium? Particularly for those who fail to donate?
That’s way too much ugly for one day.
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