In consultation with the sponsor of my daily radio spots and the local station that produces them we decided not to air the following piece, given how divisive the issue of abortion has become in our society.
A wise decision? I welcome your comments.
It’s clear that all human life begins, or rather continues, at conception, but there have always been debates over when “ensoulment” happens, as in “When does a human life become a human person?” In ancient Jewish tradition full personhood was believed to happen at birth, when a child drew its first breath, when that intricate organism within the womb became an autonomous, breathing, separate soul. This is in line with our practice of officially naming and documenting someone’s existence only when a birth has taken place. Also, our life stories, biographies and memoirs begin with our birth date rather than the date of our conception or viability. This birthdate, so linked to our identity, is celebrated annually, required for verification at medical appointments, and is memorialized on our tombstones. Likewise, when it comes to census taking or a passenger ticket, someone pregnant is still counted as only one person. It's also true that with massive numbers of natural abortions (miscarriages), we normally publish obituaries and hold memorial or burial services only for stillbirths or for infants already born, and although we have hopefully begun to do better in supporting those grieving these losses, we still have not normally erecting grave markers to memorialize prenatal life. Having said all that, my prayer is that we can all gain a greater appreciation and respect for the gift of human life at all levels and in all forms--but without equating all abortions with murder.
2 comments:
I like it. You express my own feelings. I also understand why you chose not to broadcast it.
It was me, Dennis Kuhns who posted the comment marked anonymous.
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