Just when you thought that the rhetoric could not get any worse, Wiley Drake (former VP Candidate and SBC 2nd VP) said on his radio show that he was glad that Tiller had died. From Salon:
“There may be a lot who would say, ‘Oh that is mean. You shouldn’t be that way,’” Drake said on his radio show. “Well, no, it’s an answer to prayer.” He went on to explain:
Would you have rejoiced when Adolf Hitler died during the war? … I would have said, “Amen, praise the Lord, hallelujah, I’m glad he’s dead.”
This man, George Tiller, was far greater in his atrocities than Adolf Hitler. So I am happy. I am glad that he is dead. Now I am sad that he went to hell, because he had a choice just like everybody else did. He could have chosen Jesus Christ and when he died went to heaven. But he chose the devil. He chose to neglect, he chose to reject Jesus Christ. And therefore on Sunday morning when he breathed his last breath there in the Lutheran church, he breathed his last breath, and he slipped into the presence of the devil. And I have a strange hunch and a strange feeling that there is a special, superheated, super-hot place in hell for people like George Tiller.
Are we really approaching this level?
Last night, as I was watching the rhetoric, I have a singular thought – exactly what was the Late-Term Abortion Law in Kansas, and why is this law missing from the narrative? I have not seen anyone cover it – Rachel Maddow did a fair job of reminding us that abortions, while legal, are impossible to come by for about 87% of the country. Yet, what about Kansas? My impression was that women could murder their children up until breach for no apparent reason – maybe not until breach.
As my wife and I discussed this point – I decided that I had to find out.
Kansas law requires that such procedures can only be performed after viability if two independent doctors agree that not to do so would put the mother at risk of irreparable harm by giving birth.
Friends, I am against abortion, period; yet, in the event of a choice between the death of my wife and the other, knowing perhaps that my unborn, while being born may kill both, I simply do not know what I would do.
What would you do? What would you do if you or your wife found out at 24 weeks that she had terminal cancer, and that by having the child, she would die? And it was possible that because of the cancer, the child would die as well. What would you do?
If we listen to a certain talk show host, we will hear that all it takes is 5k to end the life of the unborn – yet, Kansas law prohibits that type of elective abortion.
I am not defending abortion, nor Tiller, but trying to find a narrative of perspective.
As always, friends, tell me what you think. Please.
June 3rd, 2009 3:53 pm
Asking ourselves "What would I do?" is, I think, too scary for some people. We might find out that it challenges our preconceived notions about our faith, our beliefs, our lives….. and for some people, that's more than they can handle.
June 3rd, 2009 3:54 pm
"And I have a strange hunch and a strange feeling that there is a special, superheated, super-hot place in hell for people like George Tiller."
He doesn't seem to remember that we all deserve that super-hot part, does he? Apparently, Drake is actually too good to display grace, huh?
I wonder how good he is at walking on water.
June 3rd, 2009 5:29 pm
"What would you do? What would you do if you or your wife found out at 24 weeks that she had terminal cancer, and that by having the child, she would die? And it was possible that because of the cancer, the child would die as well. What would you do?"
In reply to an earlier post about abortion, I wrote that a friend of mine during a check-up found out that her unborn baby had died. She had to go through the heart-breaking experience of having a 'termination' to remove the dead foetus. This procedure is classed as an 'abortion'. Your response Polycarp, was that she should have not had the termination of the dead foetus but should have continued with the 'pregnancy' as sometimes doctors can misdiagnose. I did not agree with your response.
In my mind and my heart, what she went through was clearly not an abortion (since the general public uses the term abortion to refer to the termination of a live foetus). I think there needs to be a clear distinction between natural deaths/miscarriages and abortions.
June 3rd, 2009 5:31 pm
Thank you for continuing to post on this!
June 3rd, 2009 7:29 pm
Via IE, safari, and Firefox (both PC and Mac) – I can't read comments on your new blog (except for the first one posted – by Wickle?) What am I doing wrong?
June 3rd, 2009 7:32 pm
I just set up a comment account here. But does that mean the earlier comments made will show? And now will this one? Sorry to clutter your site with these questions. I can't see any of the comments made except the first (even when trying via various platforms and browsers).
June 3rd, 2009 1:44 pm
NT, forgive me is I made that response. I do not remember making that, but if I did, I retract. (If you could find that post, I will retract it there as well.) A dead fetus should not be classified as an abortion.
There is a story that a woman was refused the treatement that you describe, and Dr. Tiller finally performed the operation. For this, he was still criticized as a baby killer. I believe that you are right, NT. This is not an abortion, as there is no life lost.
June 3rd, 2009 7:56 pm
NT, forgive me is I made that response. I do not remember making that, but if I did, I retract. (If you could find that post, I will retract it there as well.) A dead fetus should not be classified as an abortion.
There is a story that a woman was refused the treatment that you describe, and Dr. Tiller finally performed the operation. For this, he was still criticized as a baby killer. I believe that you are right, NT. This is not an abortion, as there is no life lost.
June 3rd, 2009 1:44 pm
Thank you, Dr. Gayle. I have found that this tragedy has brought up some internal dialog as well.
June 3rd, 2009 3:33 pm
Dr. Gayle, does this work?
June 3rd, 2009 3:36 pm
Dr. Gayle, I am new to the IntenseDebate, but it was doing the same thing to me. I think that I have fixed it – I think.
June 3rd, 2009 3:52 pm
I *think* that I have it figured out now. The IntenseDebate was holding them back. Okay – all should be fixed until it messes up again.
June 3rd, 2009 3:52 pm
Whatever you did fixed it! I can see clearly now all comments. Thank you, and keep on blogging please.
June 3rd, 2009 3:58 pm
CSalafia, you seem to be moderated – not my fault.
I think instead, I should ask ‘What would my wife do?’ And while we may rightly judge abortion to be wrong, I am in no place to understand what the woman that choose that route and her reasoning.
No, Wickle, Grace is given only to those that carry the GOP card.
June 10th, 2009 1:04 pm
Oh, right! I forgot that passage. Thanks for setting me straight.