Tuesday, January 12, 2010

T. Christopher on abortion

Here's T. Christopher on abortion.
This is a topic that I seldom post about, other than the Libertarian position that it's a 10th amendment issue (for the states), and that no government money should be used.

T's main argument is about the labels and language we use, and their tendency to obscure what both sides are trying to say:

What if a conservative came along? Lets just call him Thomas Jefferson. He was a champion of individualized Principle protected by the 1st Amendment, so we will use his name here. Jefferson dismisses the Pro-Choice argument and believes abortion is murder. What if Thomas Jefferson, relying upon his own 1st Amendment protected list of principles, which were only loosely “religious” in nature, believed that life began at birth? His religion, or more accurately, his guiding principles led him to believe life begins when a baby is born. This would certainly disqualify him from the Pro-Life camp in the 21st Century, but would it make him any less “conservative?” Perhaps more importantly, would it make him Pro-Choice or dare I say Pro-Abortion? Maybe it makes him something else.

He concludes with:

I genuinely believe that the conventional “conservative” position is anything but conservative as it is expressed in contemporary politics. I believe it is merely an expression of personal beliefs masked in the legitimacy of “conservatism.” I believe this endeavor discredits true conservatism with every word that is uttered in its name. I believe that real progress will not be made on this issue until ALL conservatives can admit that their position is rooted in religious, social, and moral beliefs rather than an ideology which would never intend to make any of those compulsory. Conservatism is about principled governance, but it is not about choosing those principles for American citizens, and being Pro-Life is about saving the lives of the innocent – not about telling our fellow citizens where that Life begins.

T. Christopher. The busiest man on the internet. Go here to read the entire post.

3 comments:

Republican Redefined said...

Many thanks man. A little conservative rambling from time to time on the issue of abortion never hurt anyone - especially when its someone telling the "conservative" world that they've got it all wrong. Oh the vanity.

T Christopher

TarrantLibertyGuy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TarrantLibertyGuy said...

I'm fairly pro-life... And I came up with my position without use of Pope, Pat Robertson, the Bible, Scientology or any other religious means. I decided that "God says so", while a compelling morality argument for Christians, isn't a good public policy litmus test.

If you want my rationale, using philosophy and science and a splash of vermouth, olive juice and a pearl onion - - just ask me. It takes four minutes. Of me talking.