Government and Religion

I don't know why I do this... but I love to go to the blogger sign in page and click on the blogs of note or those recently updated. Sometimes they are inane in a completely harmless way. Sometimes they are amusing. And sometimes they give me insights into the thoughts of other folks out there in the world.

Today was one of those days.

Today, I found a blog called, Traditional Catholic Interests, which is written by a person who refers to him/herself as Sgnofcross. Sign of the Cross seems a bit presumptious to me... but I am a sinner, I guess I don't understand.

This blogger was applauding the State of Mississippi following suit with the State of South Dakota in banning most abortions, including those performed in cases of rape and incest. Sgnofcross states:

Thank God there seems to be a growing trend in this country to end abortion....Keep praying that one day all abortion will come to an end and that all will be open to God's plan of life.

As a former good Catholic girl, I have found issues with the abortion issue, especially when it comes to U.S. law and told him/her so. I am including my comments here:

Doesn't God's plan of life require the consent of the woman involved? Mary assented to carry Jesus. Of coure, Mary was born by immaculate conception and the rest of us women aren't but that certainly isn't our fault.

So your glee at the lack of an exception for rape and incest cases runs contrary to God's plan as I understand it. And does this mean that rapists are heretics for assuming rights that even God doesn't presume?

I appreciate the idea of a woman's sacrifice on the part of an unwanted child in terms of giving the child up for adoption, let's not presume for a moment that a woman would ever be free from the child at the moment of the adoption. We have all heard stories of adopting children coming back to find their birth mothers. A rape victim that gives her child up for adoption would always live with the spector of that child coming and knock on her door every day of her life. The rapist then continues to be able to victimize her in that way.

And sacrifice itself requires that a person has the choice to do something differently. You remove that choice, you remove the essence of the sacrifice and the accompanying grace that should come with it.

When push comes to shove, free choice is the requirement of faith and morality. Anything else is tyranny.

Now, I understand that there is an argument to be made that two wrongs don't make a right. And I agree that this is true. But we are assuming that the child will actually be born alive if no abortion is performed. I contend that only God would know this.

Additionally, there has always been an exception to the commandment about not killing. Killing in self defense has been allowed as has during times of war. An abortion in the case of rape or incest would certainly be self-defense. Saving a woman from being imprisoned in her own body at the will of another and the possibility of further injury and death which are all possible outcomes of childbirth.

As I recall my catechism from childhood, there is no such thing as "innocent" life in the Catholic Church. We have been born with the stain of sin. Except the Blessed Virgin who alone was born of an Immaculate Conception. Who's sin is greater is for God alone to judge.

Government is not in the business of saving the immortal soul of me or any other person. That is because in the U.S. all religions and the lack thereof are to be protected and cherished.

So while people may argue is sinful that is not an issue for government to undertake. That is a question of faith and religion.. not secular government.

And while two wrongs may not make a right, it certainly equals parity.