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March 6, 2010

A Piling of Sin

Justin Katz

Sandra Lavin, writing about coming to grips with having an abortion, makes an important point:

If I had to say why I had an abortion it would all begin with the decision to begin that illicit relationship and then all of the nets of sin that suffocate you without you even knowing it. One sin leads to another leads to another until you no longer even recognize yourself. Your conscience is deadened.

One can withdraw the religious terminology without losing the essential insight. Sin requires compounding sin, all mutually reinforcing each other. One could also say that error, self-deception, or whatever, does the same.

The consequence also translates into both religious and secular terms: The more one invests in a particular sin, error, or self-deception, the more difficult it becomes to reassess. In the case of abortion, the weight upon a woman's decision to kill her own child must be terrifying, giving her huge incentive to push doubts away. Similarly, those who've assisted or even generally supported the broad legality of abortion can't but see the possibility that they're wrong as the possibility of a monumental indictment.

Comments

Although my beliefs about abortion may not be as perfectly "right wing" as I desire, I am still very concerned by its prevelance.

In an age of very good contraception, I am unable to come to grips with the idea that as of 2006 we had aborted more children than there are people in Canada. Is it the "compounding of sin" that has made us regard it as just another method of birth control?

I also wonder why middle class women predominate among those seeking abortion. I wonder why I have known so many relatively young, "professional" women who have had 2, 3, 4 and in one case 5 abortions. Is there no other form of birth control which will suit them?

It is of some interest that abortions seemed to have peaked in the early 90's at about 1.5 million annually. That number is an estimate only above 1.3 million. 1.3 million were reported, but several large states (California, Florida) and several smaller states do not report them. The figures indicate, that since legalization, 35 million abortions have been required. That works out to 20% of American women (ignoring repetitive abortions). One does have to wonder.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 6, 2010 10:20 AM

"since legalization, 35 million abortions have been required."

Required?

Is that what you meant to say?

Posted by: brassband at March 6, 2010 4:20 PM

Required?

Is that what you meant to say?

Posted by brassband at March 6, 2010 4:20 PM

Yes, "required" seems the appropriate term. The procedures are legal and women demanded them.

Please don"t misinterpret my own feelings on the matter. While my beliefs are not seamless, overall I do not favor it.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 6, 2010 6:57 PM

Is masturbation sin? It seems to waste a lot of lives......or prospective lives?

Is a woman having her monthly period a sin? Oh, yes, that's right...In Christian and some other cultures it IS.....

That is why many curses (british and other) have to do with that part of the reproductive cycle.

I will tell you what is a real sin...that of trying to tell someone else what to do when it does not directly...and I meand DIRECTLY affect you. Have you now thrown ANY libertarian (freedom loving) principles out the window because some priest whipped guilt into you?

I would have to assume by your writing that you must be the perfect person, that ONE who is capable of casting the log out of your own eye before seeing it in your brother or sister.....

As I said before, the righties like Justin just love that LIFE - that is, until after you are born. Then they want you to be enslaved for life by corporate masters and, because you are so broke, to enlist in the military and go fight those wars that Justin so cheers on.

oh, thou hypocrites. Let me chase you from the temple.....
And always remember my friend, Providence is watching you second by second and knows your thoughts and will judge you with a meter which matches or exceeds that which you hold to others.

It really must be sad....or maybe it is exhilarating, to be so far higher and more spiritual than the rest of us peons.

Posted by: Stuart at March 6, 2010 7:48 PM

Stuart-what is your take on firearms possession by private citizens?

Posted by: joe bernstein at March 6, 2010 10:15 PM

Now how did I know you'd avoid that one,Stuie?because you will reveal your real agenda-an anthiil with the elite overseeing things from outside.
You vile social democrat agenda has been tried in Europe.They've had their day and the people are turning against it because it's resulted in taxation up the wazoo and a population of feckless eloi supported by "guest workers"who are becoming aggressive and refuse to assimilate.Even these eloi can see the handwriting on the wall.You can't.Your agenda is anathema to Americans.It was around years ago as the Progressive Party.Elected a few people to Congress.didn't last.
I think that quite a few of the illegal aliens I arrested probably had a better appreciation of the USA than you do pal.
You oughta consider moving to a "progressive social democracy"like let's see-Venezuela?You would be running home with your tail between your legs in two weeks.

Posted by: joe bernstein at March 7, 2010 9:22 AM

Joe, you are an angry man...and it shows.
I'm sorry you are not more fulfilled. Maybe in the fantasy world you live in, you can throw litmus tests out there....but not in mine....or the real one. Online everyone is a hero and a revolutionary. Tell you what - I'll put my pen up against your sword any day of the week.
:-)

Honestly, I don't spend much time thinking about boys with small penises and big guns. That's obviously your thing. However, there are probably about 100 firearms on my small street and I have never spent 10 seconds thinking about them.

I think about more important things. And, yes, I have various awards for marksmanship, both with a rifle and a bow, but frankly little need for either at this point. Still, in your fantasy world - if the world as we know it ended, I'm sure I could bag those wild turkeys which walk down our street on some days.
Now, calm down my friend. You will live longer and happier!

Posted by: Stuart at March 7, 2010 6:20 PM

I never know how to deal with comments by Stuart, and a few others.

It is possible that they are sincere and truly believe the opinions they express. That provides them First Amendment freedom. We are "conservatives" after all.

I like to think that that they have truly not thought through the opinions they express, perhaps they have never learned how to think about them. For instance, go to ForgottenProvidence.com. That is set up to display all of the abandoned houses in Providence. I take it that most of the posters are rather young and seem to whine about "Why doesn't the government do something about this". I hear little there of individual initiative, such as "I'm gonna grab that one and turn it around". My experienced opinion is that market rents would not support the repairs and code compliance required.

For all of that, I cannot avoid the feeling that Stuart is just dropping in to foment trouble. But still, he is entitiled to his opinion; however aberrant it may be.

I have to admit that his manner of expression is not helpful.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 7, 2010 6:34 PM

I wonder how we will discuss the "piling of sin" in the vatican that just was exposed with the right hand man of the pope involved in a homosexual prostitution ring?

Posted by: Tara at March 8, 2010 10:30 AM

Stuart-the "small penis big gun" thing was current about 30 years ago.I've BEEN shot at asshole,probably before you were born.And I'm angry.You actually never answered my question.
Would you like my home address?You can find it online.Come with whatever you have.I'm an older man,and not in the best of health,but I'd gladly deal with you head on any day of the week.
If you're the tough guy you pretend to be you'd use your real name.
I'm not unfulfilled-I raised a family and supported them a generation down.
What have you done?
I never had a chance for a fantasy life you f**king punk.

Posted by: joe bernstein at March 8, 2010 3:30 PM

Oh yeah-I don't get the "penis" thing at all.Too bad I'm not gay,because I'd tell you to s**k mine if I were.
You're actually worse than Rhody.
You come across like a punk whose parents wiped his ass into adulthood.

Posted by: joe bernstein at March 8, 2010 3:37 PM