tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101859138648955033.post8523135020923493829..comments2024-03-16T14:29:04.010-04:00Comments on Lance Strate's Blog Time Passing: Human Sacrifice and the False Idol of FirearmsLance Stratehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13033954765699126246noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101859138648955033.post-3573236001104819862013-01-11T14:13:30.070-05:002013-01-11T14:13:30.070-05:00Joshua, thank you for your kind words, and for sha...Joshua, thank you for your kind words, and for sharing that interesting post. And I do realize that some of my posts are long, at least for being blog posts, but they are still shorter and less formal than the equivalent print articles and chapters would be, and I do want to deal with the topics as well as I'm able to, given constraints of time and the medium itself.<br /><br />Thank you, Ernie.<br /><br />John, you pose an interesting, albeit loaded question. I don't accept your characterization of abortion as murder, as the longstanding tradition is that life begins with birth. And going back to prehistory and oral/tribal cultures, women had methods of ending unwanted pregnancies, albeit methods that were less than reliable. <br /><br />So what made abortion an issue over the past half century is in fact modern technology, not only in providing safe and easy procedures for terminating pregnancies, but also in giving us a better understanding of prenatal development. So both sides are products of technology, but I will say that the idea that a woman has a right to choose is based on technology providing her with that choice, and that is part of the worship of medical technology that almost all of us engage in in one way or another. <br /><br />And while I don't consider abortion murder, I do think that it is a moral issue, and a morally questionable activity, that there most definitely should be limits (the distinction between fetus and embryo seems very relevant in this context), and that the anti-abortion movement has a valid argument that needs to be attended to, as long as it is presented in a rational and respectful manner. I know that is difficult when you believe that you are trying to prevent 50 million murders, and I think that goes back to seeing abortion as something less than murder, but something more than just another medical procedure.<br /><br />I think the pro-life movement would gain a great deal more legitimacy if they came out vocally against gun violence, because if you care so much about embryos, you should care much, much more about the murder of children. And if you also were vocal in opposition to the death penalty, and to war and any use of the military, and made "pro-life" a consistent position across more than the single issue of abortion, there would be much more sympathy for policies that place limits on abortion rights.Lance Stratehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13033954765699126246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101859138648955033.post-57827552250336632222013-01-10T20:19:55.750-05:002013-01-10T20:19:55.750-05:00My father recently retired from the pulpit and aft...My father recently retired from the pulpit and after much urging has finally started to blog. He has done plenty of writing over the years, but it has mostly been chapters, articles, and letters so the idea of a blog was a bit alien to him. <br /><br />I told him that your blog would be a good model since you post on a variety of issues and on a variety of formats. This article is a perfect (though REALLY long) example of why I think he’d enjoy your blog even more than I do.<br /><br />In case you're interested, here's a link to what he wrote on the topic<br /><br />http://pearleafblog.com/2013/01/06/what-is-it-about-guns/<br /><br />Joshua<br />Joshua Bentleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101859138648955033.post-19864090744373112772013-01-04T14:08:03.525-05:002013-01-04T14:08:03.525-05:00Great stuff. Great stuff. Erniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03402574470913808658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101859138648955033.post-83408080897121601452013-01-02T21:45:33.558-05:002013-01-02T21:45:33.558-05:00What do you say about the murder of 50 million thr...What do you say about the murder of 50 million through abortion? What god is worshiped by those who kill innocent life?John Gridleynoreply@blogger.com