Health and Science For Sunday 030809
Hey folks,
This is one of those stories that just make you think. Now you all know where I stand on Abortion, and where I stand on Organized Religion. So when I saw this, I can fully understand both sides of this one. Until I read the whole thing that is.
So why is this being reported the way it is by Time.com? Other than the fact it has that Shock Factor, it is being put forth by those on the side of Pro-Choice to denounce those that are Pro-Life and to portray the Catholic Church as this evil oppressive entity that should be fled from. Why do you think? Well, you will have to come to your own conclusions. Let's read it together and I'll let you know what I think as we go.
Time.com - Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrages Brazil's Catholic Church
The case of the pregnant 9-year-old was shocking enough.
You think? Do we have actual proof of this? This has to be one over developed and well advanced 9 year old. I'm not saying it is not possible, but on the average, how many 9 year olds do you know that this is even possible?
But it was the response of the Catholic Church that infuriated many Brazilians. Archibishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho of the coastal city of Recife announced that the Vatican was excommunicating the family of a local girl who had been raped and impregnated with twins by her stepfather, because they had chosen to have the girl undergo an abortion. The Church excommunicated the doctors who performed the procedure as well. "God's laws," said the archbishop, dictate that abortion is a sin and that transgressors are no longer welcome in the Roman Catholic Church. "They took the life of an innocent," Sobrinho told TIME in a telephone interview. "Abortion is much more serious than killing an adult. An adult may or may not be an innocent, but an unborn child is most definitely innocent. Taking that life cannot be ignored."
Now I'm not a fan of the Catholic Church by a long shot. No question about that. But they do have one thing right here. "They took the life of an innocent." Two I guess since she was carrying twins. Right?
The case has caused a furor. Abortion is illegal in Brazil except in cases of rape or when the mother's life is in danger, both of which apply in this case. (The girl's immature hips would have made labor dangerous; the Catholic opinion was that she could have had a cesarean section.)
Which is true. She could have had, and with twins, may have had a C-Section anyway.
When the incident came to light in local newspapers, the Church first asked a judge to halt the process and then condemned those involved, including the 9-year-old's distraught mother. Even Catholic Brazilians were shocked at the harshness of the archbishop's actions. "In this case, most people support the doctors and the family. Everything they did was legal and correct," says Beatriz Galli, the policy associate for Ipsas Brasil, an NGO that fights to give women more say over their health and reproductive rights. "But the Church takes these positions that are so rigid that it ends up weakened. It is very intolerant, and that intolerance is going to scare off more and more followers."
So you see folks, that this bizarre and extremely rare case is being popped and glorified by the Pro-Choice Movement. Nothing more, nothing less. They really do not care about this little girl. They care about furthering their agenda.
Brazilian devotion to the Catholic Church has declined over the past several years. Whereas Brazil was once an almost entirely Catholic nation, only 74% of Brazilians today admit allegiance to Rome, with large numbers, especially the urban poor, having defected to Protestant Evangelical sects. Many more water down their Catholicism with dashes of African religions such as Candomble or spiritist beliefs such as Kardecism. Only recently has the decrease in Catholic affiliation seemingly leveled off.
Interesting, but, what's the point? What does that have to do with the stor,,OH, I get it. "You are not alone. You should feel free to give up your stupid devotion to this oppressive and controlling religion and find your own way." I get it now.
Evangelicals have not projected a united pro-life platform in Brazil, certainly not one as monolithic as the Catholic Church's. But at least one major sect, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, has taken a stance that showcases its differences with its Catholic rival. The Universal Church's television channel TV Record recently aired spots featuring a woman declaring, "I decided who to marry. I decided to use the pill. With my vote I decided who'd be elected President. I decided to work so that I won't be discriminated against. Why can't I decide what to do with my own body? Women should be able to decide for themselves what's important."
Translation time "Even Religious folks believe in the murder of the unborn. So it is OK. Join us and you can kill your children and we will not excommunicate you. You are fine. Don't worry."
The public-relations campaigns of the Catholic Church's rivals do not impress Archbishop Cardoso Sobrinho. He told TIME that the Vatican rejects believers who pick and choose their issues. Rome "is not going to open the door to anyone just to get more members," he said after comparing abortion to the Holocaust. "We know that people have other ideas, but if they do, then they are not Catholics. We want people who adhere to God's laws."
Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. But that is why I'm not Catholic. I chose not to be because I do not believe as they do in many areas. But that would be a whole other article. But why would this be shocking to anyone. Christians want to to believe as they, Jews, Muslims, ETC. If you do not, why would you want to be part of it?
In Brazil, that hard line carries over into public life and government policy. While equally devout neighbors Mexico, Colombia and Uruguay have taken steps to give women more of a say in the matter of terminating pregnancies,
Killing innocent children.
Brazilian public opinion supports the status quo, and the country's Congress last year voted overwhelmingly to reject a modest attempt at decriminalizing abortion. The advances that have taken place are mostly local initiatives carried out almost surreptitiously, such as the move by SÃo Paulo states to offer the morning-after pill and heavily discounted contraceptive pills at state-run pharmacies.
Nothing Wrong with contraceptives. I would rather no one get into a situation that the have to chose between killing their child or having an unwanted child that someone else would have to care for. But sorry, I do not agree with legalized Murder. That is all abortion is.
President Luiz InÁcio Lula da Silva did make a halfhearted attempt to spur a national debate last year, calling abortion a public-health issue - even as he declared himself steadfastly against it. But with the Church quick to stifle such talk and the general public not sufficiently engaged to demand action, the debate never took off. In truth, abortions and unwanted pregnancies are a sad constant in Brazil. Although abortion is illegal, an estimated 1 million women each year have one. The poor are forced into clandestine clinics or take medication, while the better-off are treated by qualified physicians at well-appointed surgeries known to anyone with money and overlooked by colluding authorities.
Doom and Gloom. You evil Abortion foes. You hate women. You want them to suffer. You want to take away their rights. {Sigh}
That secrecy has a price. More than 200,000 women each year are treated in public hospitals for complications arising from illegal abortions, according to Health Ministry figures. Those who don't have the courage or the money to be treated take the pregnancy to term. Although the fertility rate has fallen considerably in Brazil (from 6.1 children in 1960 to about 2 today), 1 in 3 pregnancies is unwanted, according to Dr. Jefferson Drezett, head of the Hospital Perola Byington, Latin America's largest women's health clinic. Meanwhile, 1 in 7 Brazilian women between the ages of 15 and 19 is a mother, and the average age at which women have their first child has fallen to 21, from 22.4 in 1996, according to a government-funded study.
By the way?
Those numbers shock the Catholic Church. But the Church's response to the Recife rape and abortion has shocked public opinion. Some Brazilians hope the controversy may compel the country to deal seriously with an issue that affects so many of its citizens. "Brazil wants to be a world leader, but the government can't guarantee equality for women," says Galli. "This is not a topic that anyone wants to debate."
Yeah, by the way? This has NOTHING to do with that poor 9 year old girl. If it really did, what was her name? Where does she live? What happened to the guy that is claimed to have Raped her. Does she have any regrets? What is her take on all this "Controversy" surrounding her case? Get the point?
No. I'm not saying she is a straw man. I hate that phrase anyway. She may very well exist. But again, how often does this type of situation happen? Even in this story, they say "1 in 3 pregnancies is unwanted" but that does not mean Rape. If 1 in 3 are unwanted, then what about NOT having sex?
Like I said, you have to draw your own conclusions. But after seriously thinking about this story again, It's really not as shocking as I thought it was when I just read the first paragraph. It's just a propaganda piece.
Be right back with the Idiot of the Week.
Peter
Sources:
Time.com - Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrages Brazil's Catholic Church
Hey folks,
This is one of those stories that just make you think. Now you all know where I stand on Abortion, and where I stand on Organized Religion. So when I saw this, I can fully understand both sides of this one. Until I read the whole thing that is.So why is this being reported the way it is by Time.com? Other than the fact it has that Shock Factor, it is being put forth by those on the side of Pro-Choice to denounce those that are Pro-Life and to portray the Catholic Church as this evil oppressive entity that should be fled from. Why do you think? Well, you will have to come to your own conclusions. Let's read it together and I'll let you know what I think as we go.
Time.com - Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrages Brazil's Catholic Church
The case of the pregnant 9-year-old was shocking enough.
You think? Do we have actual proof of this? This has to be one over developed and well advanced 9 year old. I'm not saying it is not possible, but on the average, how many 9 year olds do you know that this is even possible?
But it was the response of the Catholic Church that infuriated many Brazilians. Archibishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho of the coastal city of Recife announced that the Vatican was excommunicating the family of a local girl who had been raped and impregnated with twins by her stepfather, because they had chosen to have the girl undergo an abortion. The Church excommunicated the doctors who performed the procedure as well. "God's laws," said the archbishop, dictate that abortion is a sin and that transgressors are no longer welcome in the Roman Catholic Church. "They took the life of an innocent," Sobrinho told TIME in a telephone interview. "Abortion is much more serious than killing an adult. An adult may or may not be an innocent, but an unborn child is most definitely innocent. Taking that life cannot be ignored."
Now I'm not a fan of the Catholic Church by a long shot. No question about that. But they do have one thing right here. "They took the life of an innocent." Two I guess since she was carrying twins. Right?
The case has caused a furor. Abortion is illegal in Brazil except in cases of rape or when the mother's life is in danger, both of which apply in this case. (The girl's immature hips would have made labor dangerous; the Catholic opinion was that she could have had a cesarean section.)
Which is true. She could have had, and with twins, may have had a C-Section anyway.
When the incident came to light in local newspapers, the Church first asked a judge to halt the process and then condemned those involved, including the 9-year-old's distraught mother. Even Catholic Brazilians were shocked at the harshness of the archbishop's actions. "In this case, most people support the doctors and the family. Everything they did was legal and correct," says Beatriz Galli, the policy associate for Ipsas Brasil, an NGO that fights to give women more say over their health and reproductive rights. "But the Church takes these positions that are so rigid that it ends up weakened. It is very intolerant, and that intolerance is going to scare off more and more followers."
So you see folks, that this bizarre and extremely rare case is being popped and glorified by the Pro-Choice Movement. Nothing more, nothing less. They really do not care about this little girl. They care about furthering their agenda.
Brazilian devotion to the Catholic Church has declined over the past several years. Whereas Brazil was once an almost entirely Catholic nation, only 74% of Brazilians today admit allegiance to Rome, with large numbers, especially the urban poor, having defected to Protestant Evangelical sects. Many more water down their Catholicism with dashes of African religions such as Candomble or spiritist beliefs such as Kardecism. Only recently has the decrease in Catholic affiliation seemingly leveled off.
Interesting, but, what's the point? What does that have to do with the stor,,OH, I get it. "You are not alone. You should feel free to give up your stupid devotion to this oppressive and controlling religion and find your own way." I get it now.
Evangelicals have not projected a united pro-life platform in Brazil, certainly not one as monolithic as the Catholic Church's. But at least one major sect, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, has taken a stance that showcases its differences with its Catholic rival. The Universal Church's television channel TV Record recently aired spots featuring a woman declaring, "I decided who to marry. I decided to use the pill. With my vote I decided who'd be elected President. I decided to work so that I won't be discriminated against. Why can't I decide what to do with my own body? Women should be able to decide for themselves what's important."
Translation time "Even Religious folks believe in the murder of the unborn. So it is OK. Join us and you can kill your children and we will not excommunicate you. You are fine. Don't worry."
The public-relations campaigns of the Catholic Church's rivals do not impress Archbishop Cardoso Sobrinho. He told TIME that the Vatican rejects believers who pick and choose their issues. Rome "is not going to open the door to anyone just to get more members," he said after comparing abortion to the Holocaust. "We know that people have other ideas, but if they do, then they are not Catholics. We want people who adhere to God's laws."
Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. But that is why I'm not Catholic. I chose not to be because I do not believe as they do in many areas. But that would be a whole other article. But why would this be shocking to anyone. Christians want to to believe as they, Jews, Muslims, ETC. If you do not, why would you want to be part of it?
In Brazil, that hard line carries over into public life and government policy. While equally devout neighbors Mexico, Colombia and Uruguay have taken steps to give women more of a say in the matter of terminating pregnancies,
Killing innocent children.
Brazilian public opinion supports the status quo, and the country's Congress last year voted overwhelmingly to reject a modest attempt at decriminalizing abortion. The advances that have taken place are mostly local initiatives carried out almost surreptitiously, such as the move by SÃo Paulo states to offer the morning-after pill and heavily discounted contraceptive pills at state-run pharmacies.
Nothing Wrong with contraceptives. I would rather no one get into a situation that the have to chose between killing their child or having an unwanted child that someone else would have to care for. But sorry, I do not agree with legalized Murder. That is all abortion is.
President Luiz InÁcio Lula da Silva did make a halfhearted attempt to spur a national debate last year, calling abortion a public-health issue - even as he declared himself steadfastly against it. But with the Church quick to stifle such talk and the general public not sufficiently engaged to demand action, the debate never took off. In truth, abortions and unwanted pregnancies are a sad constant in Brazil. Although abortion is illegal, an estimated 1 million women each year have one. The poor are forced into clandestine clinics or take medication, while the better-off are treated by qualified physicians at well-appointed surgeries known to anyone with money and overlooked by colluding authorities.
Doom and Gloom. You evil Abortion foes. You hate women. You want them to suffer. You want to take away their rights. {Sigh}
That secrecy has a price. More than 200,000 women each year are treated in public hospitals for complications arising from illegal abortions, according to Health Ministry figures. Those who don't have the courage or the money to be treated take the pregnancy to term. Although the fertility rate has fallen considerably in Brazil (from 6.1 children in 1960 to about 2 today), 1 in 3 pregnancies is unwanted, according to Dr. Jefferson Drezett, head of the Hospital Perola Byington, Latin America's largest women's health clinic. Meanwhile, 1 in 7 Brazilian women between the ages of 15 and 19 is a mother, and the average age at which women have their first child has fallen to 21, from 22.4 in 1996, according to a government-funded study.
By the way?
Those numbers shock the Catholic Church. But the Church's response to the Recife rape and abortion has shocked public opinion. Some Brazilians hope the controversy may compel the country to deal seriously with an issue that affects so many of its citizens. "Brazil wants to be a world leader, but the government can't guarantee equality for women," says Galli. "This is not a topic that anyone wants to debate."
Yeah, by the way? This has NOTHING to do with that poor 9 year old girl. If it really did, what was her name? Where does she live? What happened to the guy that is claimed to have Raped her. Does she have any regrets? What is her take on all this "Controversy" surrounding her case? Get the point?
No. I'm not saying she is a straw man. I hate that phrase anyway. She may very well exist. But again, how often does this type of situation happen? Even in this story, they say "1 in 3 pregnancies is unwanted" but that does not mean Rape. If 1 in 3 are unwanted, then what about NOT having sex?
Like I said, you have to draw your own conclusions. But after seriously thinking about this story again, It's really not as shocking as I thought it was when I just read the first paragraph. It's just a propaganda piece.
Be right back with the Idiot of the Week.
Peter
Sources:
Time.com - Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrages Brazil's Catholic Church
2 comments:
Nicely done!
Hey Sweating Through fog,
Welcome to the OPNTalk Blog.
Thank you.
Peter
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