By now I’m sure you’ve heard Richard Mourdock’s rape and
pregnancy comments. If not, then here
are his comments:
I COMPLETELY understand why many folks have taken issue with Mr. Mourdock's comments. Rape, abortion, and anything dealing with pregnancy is pretty much taboo for congressmen to talk about, especially during an election season. But here we are...AGAIN.
Now, it didn’t look as if this topic was going to be a post
on our blog; however, this issue did result in a pretty lengthy back and forth
between the UP staff which of course meant we needed to bring it to all of
our readers for their opinion.
Mourdock, whose comments come weeks after Missouri
congressman Todd Akin’s comments about “legitimate rape,” has
made himself a modern day Typhoid Mary as every Republican up for election in
2012 is moving as far away from his words as possible. The left wing blogosphere and media heavy weights
are ripping him to shreds. However, the
conversation we had internally took a different look at this issue.
You see, I think it is important to really look at what Mourdock said. In my opinion, he wasn't saying that the HORRIBLE nature of rape was part of God's plan, but that life, the child, is still precious. I do believe that he felt
that the creation of a human life is something of high value.
And this was the central issue during our internal discussion.
Many Christians believe that life (and death) is a decision only for God. So is there room for someone in congress to have this point of
view? While I don’t agree with Mr. Mourdock’s
comments (totally) I do respect them. But to
understand that, you must first understand that the comment was NOT about rape
as MSNBC would have you to believe. The
comment was about the creation of life.
Yes, as hard as it is for some to believe, there are many people in our
country who believe that human life (and the protection of that life) trumps
all other matters. Many of these folks believe this way because of their religious upbringing. Should we bash folks who believe that life
(regardless how created) is a gift from God and should be protected? I’m not convinced.
Don’t get me wrong, I can absolutely see why folks are
offended by this issue, but, for those of us who grew up in a Christian
household, let’s not pretend that this is the first time we’ve heard this. I understand that this is crazy political
season, but I don’t think this is a vote changing issue. Some folks think life is precious above all else,
and others don’t. Both deserve
representation, right?
The argument has been made that a pregnancy resulting from rape
isn’t a gift from God but a result of violence.
Of course, I wonder if people who are alive today that were conceived during
rape feel as if their life is less in the eyes of God than others. I don’t know, but it is an interesting
question.
What are your thoughts?
