MM and Hello, i was wandering around the net at this disgustingly late hour and i happened to find your page...not being Catholic, or even Christian, and being very liberal myself, i was kinda surprised that i wondered in, but hey. i did.

As you would expect, i dissagree with the pro-life stance....but i do have to say i understand it. An abortion is not a good thing, not a easy way out or even a really "good" option. It has high costs. And it should--people must learn to be more responsible for our actions and think about consiquences. The idea of abortion as a quick-fix form of birthcontrol is frighteningly awful.

But, personally, i cannot think of a worse thing then bringing another child into this world where s/he would not be really *wanted.* Yes yes there are good, wonderful people who would adopt.....but not every child gets adopted. Not every woman--or girl--would put a child of her own up for adoption after bearing him/her. There is a good chance that those who are not adopted, both mother (and father?) and child go through hell for years, trying to make ends meet and deal with the emotional issues. It can't be good for either. And i have to say that i really think we, as human beings, should be taking care of those who are already alive and HERE before worrying about those who are not.

Also i, as a person who follows a different religion, have the added understanding (well, that is how i see it, you would see it differently i imagine) of knowing that we travel the Wheel--birth, life, death, Rebirth. So all of those who die are reborn again. They all have their chance to live and to learn the lessons we all need.

i have no clue if you will read this, much less answer it, but one thing i have been confused about for a while....it can relate to abortion, or just death in general--if, as the Christian belief seems to say, that Heaven it such a wonderful place...why is death, of even a fetus, so horrible? Why isn't is seen as sad for those left behind and joyous for those who have passed on?

> Indeeed abortion and killing an animal are not the same. A human
>person has immeasurably more
> value than even the most intelligent and human-like animal.

This i have to say i disagree wholeheartedly with. Life is Life, my life, or yours, is not automatically more valuable than any other creatures'. We are all living on this Earth. Together. Life should be treated with respect and reverence--no matter how many legs the being walks upon. Now, i will not announce that in a choice between saving a child or a puppy from being hit by a car i not always choose the child, because, well, like is drawn to like, but i would have to say i would grive for a dead puppy as much as for a dead child.

But whatever--that i think is mostly my own oppinion due to my own, er, dissallusion (sp?) with human beings in general....

Anyway. time to try to sleep. Brightest Blessings to you and yours. May you always be able to see your Way.

Ravyn

**************

Dear Ravyn,

Thanks for the late nite visit. It's always interesting to hear from people who stumble onto my website, especially those who have differing viewpoints.

You raise a question even Christians sometimes ask regarding abortion:

>as the Christian belief seems to say, that Heaven is
>such a wonderful place...why is death,
>of even a fetus, so horrible? Why isn't it is seen as
>sad for those left behind and joyous for those who have passed on?

Regarding the fate of aborted children (or any unbaptized person), the Catholic Church has a paradoxical teaching. First, baptism is necessary for salvation. That teaching is constant; it comes from Jesus and the apostles and has been affirmed by the Church in every age. But also we are told we can hope in God's compassion. Paul told Timothy that God desires that all men be saved.

However, we know that our own salvation depends on obeying God's law. (As I argue in the article on Carl Sagan, that law is written in our hearts.) One of the commands of that law is not to take an innocent human life.

Now, we all fall short of how we know we should live. Thanks be to God, our salvation does not ultimately depend on being perfect, but on humbly confessing our sins and asking for pardon thru Jesus. Please think twice before betting that life is a Wheel. It may be, as Jesus taught, that this life is totally serious and the one chance we have. (If you wish, I could give you the reasons why I am convinced that is so.)

Peace--and prayers,

Fr. Phil Bloom

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