Big Daddy Aaron Weaver joins chorus to defund Planned Parent

[Stephen Fox]

http://ethicsdaily.com/planned-parentho ... -cms-22864

Aaron makes strong case.

Would be good to hear a clear word from rest of national staff of CBF, even Baptist Women in Ministry on this matter.

And part of the conversation should focus on Christine Stansell's New Republic article on the "mendacity" in the politics of the anti abortion crowd.

I do not put Aaron in the mendacity group; he speaks with conviction; still I sense some hesitancy in him to speak about the fundamentalist politics in the SBC that adopted abortion as a wedge isue, a point Randal Balmer makes clear in his bio of Jimmy Carter.

Aaron doesn't say much about the life of the Mother or the individual Mother's conscience, her agency to chose in the first trimester.

Until Aaron can persuade CBF leadership consensus on this matter, thorough going re-examination, seems to me we are left with well politically timed disturbing videos used a s wedge issue for Tea Party ends that still leave a lot of questions unanswered.

A cave in to the Killing Babies outcry, with no regard for the excruciating other questions raised; especially as used as wedge issue for keeping low and middle clas folks voting against their economic interests, a grave sin in itself; Mendacity.

[William Thornton]

Babies are killed, Stephen; hence, the outcry. BDW recognizes this. Suzy Painter should as well. The CBF is AWOL on the issue, preferring progressive causes that have current cachet like sex trafficing, social justice, etc.

[Dave Roberts]

[Tim Bonney]

Well said Dave.

And as usual, many conservatives are pro-brith but after the child is born have no interest in offering solutions for support, health care, or education for that child. It is a lot more complex issue than it being made of it.

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: As I have said for years, I am pro reason. Welcome Dave and Tim. As I understand Planed parenthood selling of fetal tissue it BOTH provides income AND assist the medical community in their attempts to improve quality of life for all of we who are living.

[Sandy]

[Tim Bonney]

I don't agree with Aaron's position but yes it is a well written article. But it also reminds me that groups of men are always willing to get together to tell women what to do with their bodies, their healthcare, etc. Are there women leaders in the CBF writing on this topic? I'd like to read those as well.

Planned Parenthood does much more than provide abortion services and shouldn't be defunded for doing something that is guaranteed as a right under our current law. Many women depend on Planned Parenthood for other health services that are not related to abortion. So if you defund them for the abortion related issues you are setting many women up not to get they help the need in other areas of women's health.

[Sandy]

[Tim Bonney]

I don't see that it is all that complicated. Those who oppose reproductive rights want to defund anyone who ever offers abortion for nearly any reason. The latest is just another set of political maneuvers to make that happen.

[Sandy]

Well, it is a bit complicated in that there is a line between "reproductive rights" and responsibility when it comes to the choice that is made long before a child is conceived. Reproductive rights extend to responsible behavior, but of course, there's one side to this issue from which you never hear that. And who decides that someone's "reproductive rights" trump another persons right to life? Some people have conceded that authority to the government alone, others feel that's an individual choice, and others feel individual choice ends where another life begins. There is plenty of precedent for deciding not to spend public funds on many things related to issues of conscience. That's why there's an outcry on this one.

I believe that life is the spark in which human beings are created in the image of God. So I believe that it begins at conception. At that point, it's not just one person's rights to be exercised any more. But I recognize that the law says otherwise. And since that's the case, I think there needs to be a determination as to whether what Planned Parenthood was doing was illegal, or was it simply a logical process developed by individuals who are thinking about the scientific and medical benefits of harvesting tissue and organs, and not considering the religious perspective. If it turns out that what they were doing was illegal, then that's the time to make a decision about their funding. But to depend solely on the information provided by a group that was recording conversations to "catch" them doing this, and then putting their own spin on the publicity is not the best way to handle a situation, no matter what you think of the process. Everyone is entitled to due process, and if conclusions are drawn and action taken on inuendo, without an investigation, doesn't that mean that the same thing could happen to you?

[Ed Pettibone]

[Haruo]

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

I don't see that there is any moral ambiguity in these late term abortions. Everything necessary for life is present except the decision of the mother to allow thr baby to exit the womb prior to being killed. In a weak moment when I think fondly of the CBF I remind myself that they are deploring sex trafficing, creating various economic justice initiatives, but managing to eschew advocating protection for pre=born life, even these near full term babies. Guess it's a matter of not wanting to offend a major constituency.

I appreciate BDW's article.

[Dave Roberts]

[KeithE]

I’ll go further than Dave on the abortion issue and say virtually all abortions are wrong (exception: bonafide threat to a mother’s life). I’m with Sandy (and maybe William) here. A potential life (at a minimum) is created at conception and that has great value.

I will say we as a society should provide services (counseling and more material aid) for mothers who do not want their babies (for whatever reason) to help them go to term and offer up the baby for adoption ( offers such advice/support for adoption). And there is no need too call anyone (mother, doctor) a “murderer" for an abortion or a “fetal tissue harvester” for the use of fetal tissue for scientific studies. Such inflammatory name-calling is not very Christ-like, imo.

The fact that apparently the CBF is pro-choice does not bother me greatly. If I waited for organizations to be 100% in line with my views, I’d never join any!

I do draw the line however on denominations that are clearly into what Jesus is clearly against (like judgmentalism). That means I am 'intolerant of intolerance' as absurd as that sounds. But so was Jesus - Read Matt 23 whole chapter. Too many fundamentalists/inerrantists derive their religious motivations and self-identity by being against somethings people do, denying the basic teachings of Jesus like Love God and Love Your Sisters/Brothers. Witness the anti-LGBT movement.

I need to think/study more about whether or not I think Planned Parenthood should be funded by tax dollars.

[Stephen Fox]

Soon as they are born

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz ... mod-latest

[Stephen Fox]

https://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/08/20/ ... nversation

[Sandy]

[Sandy]

[Ed Pettibone]

[Sandy]

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: Thanks Sandy for the reply.

[KeithE]

[KeithE]