{"id":10229,"date":"2012-08-31T14:45:18","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T19:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/?p=10229"},"modified":"2017-01-24T17:57:08","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T22:57:08","slug":"the-friendly-atheist-on-muddled-pro-life-arguments-by-conservatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/2012\/08\/the-friendly-atheist-on-muddled-pro-life-arguments-by-conservatives.html","title":{"rendered":"The “Friendly Atheist” On Muddled Pro-Life Arguments By Conservatives UPDATED"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hemant Mehta has a post up entitled\u00a0Why Are Religious Conservatives So Bad When It Comes to Discussing Abortion?<\/a>\u00a0He notes that,<\/p>\n

When it comes to the 100% pro-life position regarding rape\/incest exceptions, here\u2019s an argument against allowing them that I can understand:<\/p>\n

If the product of conception between two humans is a human, and if human life \u2014 including inchoate human life \u2014 is deserving of protection, then the manner of a baby\u2019s conception is irrelevant to a determination of whether that inchoate life has the right to continued existence.<\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t\u00a0agree<\/em>\u00a0with that\u2026 but I\u00a0understand<\/em>\u00a0that. If the pro-lifers left it at that, I think they\u2019d be better off strategically.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I agree with him in understanding that argument, though I don\u2019t agree with his not accepting it. C\u2019est la vie<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Humanists should agree on the sanctity of human life whether they are Christian humanists, from other faith traditions, \u00a0or whether they\u2019re secular humanists. If you believe, as I do, and as the Catholic Church does, that all human life from conception to natural death should be honored, then there really can be no exceptions that stand up under a humane, moral, scrutiny.<\/p>\n

Politicians should stop muddying the waters when it comes to abortion. \u00a0If the dignity of the human being is something that we honor, then we can\u2019t only honor it in the breach, but it must be honored in total. Truth demands it. Exceptions, and the goofy non-scientific, sentimental, \u00a0wishful thinking scenarios they are built around, \u00a0are not worth the candle.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like I said a little while ago. You can\u2019t be for percentages of \u00a0pro-life<\/a>, as the only tenable position is that you are either 100% for life or 100% against it. \u00a0Arguments are easier to defend when they are ironclad. So even if the first part of the statement below, with its reference to God, is scrapped,<\/p>\n

As a gift from God, every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. The life and dignity of every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition. The right to life is the first and most fundamental principle of human rights that leads Catholics to actively work for a world of greater respect for human life and greater commitment to justice and peace<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

the argument for the right to life still stands , no matter whether you\u2019re an atheist, or a believer. Which explains why being an atheist and being pro-life<\/a> is not mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n

UPDATE: The Secular Pro-Life Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Hemant Mehta has a post up entitled\u00a0Why Are Religious Conservatives So Bad When It Comes to Discussing Abortion?\u00a0He notes that, When it comes to the 100% pro-life position regarding rape\/incest exceptions, here\u2019s an argument against allowing them that I can understand:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,36],"tags":[220,467,53,169,40,154],"class_list":["post-10229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-living","tag-abortion","tag-new-atheists","tag-other-blogs","tag-politcs","tag-pro-life","tag-secular-pro-life"],"yoast_head":"\nThe "Friendly Atheist" On Muddled Pro-Life Arguments By Conservatives UPDATED<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u00a0 Hemant Mehta has a post up entitled\u00a0Why Are Religious Conservatives So Bad When It Comes 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