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Should Kerry Be Allowed To Eat Human Flesh?

Interesting opinion piece in the Register-Guard here.

Is God so judgmental that God will withhold grace from someone who votes the wrong way?

Well, that would depend on who you asked, I suppose.

The author is clearly a decent guy, but I don’t think I agree. The thing is, I’d love to see the Church take a hard line on this issue, because I think it would ultimately lose. Western culture is – mercifully, in my opinion – as secular today as it ever has been. The Church (Catholic or Anglican or whichever) is no longer making the culture happen. I look forward to seeing some influence shift back the other way.

Yet in this time of war and religious conflicts, I believe that all religious sects need to realize that they do not have a monopoly on the absolute truth or salvation. No social or political issue of consequence is black and white. Individuals within any congregation must have the freedom to make up their own minds and trust their heart, lest they lose their living faith.

Salvation. Damnation. Sounds pretty simple to me! If, that is, you believe in it. I’m not sure there’s any way out of this one: if the burning lake of unfalsifiable fire exists, and awaits, then one is doing people a service by pointing out to them that they’re heading in that direction – and if you belong to an evangelical sect it’s not just a mitzvah, it’s an obligation. The people are not, of course, obliged to listen.

  1. Danimal says:

    Personally, I celebrate every cell division. Another little part of me being born. It’s a nonstop party.

  2. Timbo says:

    I celebrate my date of conception. I love nothing more than imagining my parents having sex.

    Eww.

  3. Danimal says:

    A civilian death in war is an unintended result, and is therefore not murder.

    An unintended result of an intentional act can very well be murder, by transferred intent. Furthermore, everyone knows and admits that civilian deaths will unavoidably happen as a result of acts of war. So even if intent couldn’t be applied, knowledge of a certain result of one’s actions is also sufficient for murder. Face it: deaths in war are murders. The only reason we accept them is that war is war. It’s a special scenario in our eyes. But what about God’s?

    On the other hand, whether or not abortion is murder depends on whether or not you deem the “victim” to be alive. As you clearly do, let me ask you something. Do you celebrate your date of conception, or your birthday?

  4. JohnH says:

    The difference, from a Catholic Moral Theology point of view, is that abortion is intrinsically evil, while going to war is a prudential judgement.

    From a secular point of view, abortion is intended to kill an innocent, while war is intended for other reasons. Therefore, while the death in abortion is an intended result, it is is murder. While a civilian death in war is an unintended result, and is therefore not murder.

  5. Olly says:

    So I hear! But the beauty of this kind of thing is that people can use your last sentence to argue against – to pick the first examples that come to mind – either abortion or the war in Iraq. (Or, less frequently, both.)

  6. JohnH says:

    Is God so judgmental that God will withhold grace from someone who votes the wrong way?

    If that wrong way is by voting for someone who will increase the murder of innocents – yeah. God doesn’t like murder of innocents very much, you know.

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