Monday, March 07, 2005

Paging Focus On The Family

As I am sometimes wont to do, I have wondered over to the Focus On The Family website to see what James Dobson--a prominent self-appointed spokesperson of the Christian community--has to say about the bankruptcy "reform" bill, a measure of utmost rancid slimeness, now slithering its way through Congress.

The only thing I could find was this, a piece of commentary and handwringing from February 21, that is, predictably, only concerned about the potential for an anti-anti-abortion amendment being tacked onto the bill (as it was last session) preventing ardent pro lifers from being able to declare bankruptcy in the event they find themselves financially and legally liable for any actions relating to their protests.

But Dobson and the FOTF gang seem to favor bankruptcy "reform". Their summary of the legislation goes like this--

America needs to reform its bankruptcy laws, but every time Congress tries to do so, harsh amendments aimed at punishing pro-lifers are dumped onto the bill. This year is no exception.

Isn't that special?

I guess the only families FOTF is concerned with are those whose millions will ensure they aren't affected.

FOTF, you are hypocrites, money changers running wild in the temple.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

First of all, I would question why, specifically, would anti-abortionists be targeted in regards to a bankruptcy bill? If we are talking about hypocrites here, shouldn't anyone, then, who uses their own personal means, which could be used for paying off their own debt instead of for any other means, especially that which they believe in, be included in an amendment? How about donating to charity? We can go into debt for that, can't we? Can't we give all we have to the poor instead of paying our bills and then declare bankruptcy and start all over again? We become some kind of hero, right? How about supporting non-profit research and other things that might otherwise save the lives of others, such as cancer research, or AIDS reasearch? IT is OUR choice how we spend our money, even if it puts us into debt. The more we give, the more we believe in the cause that we are giving it to.

Secondly, as for only being concerned about the families "whose millions will ensure they aren't affected", what are you talking about? FOTF literally does that - focus on the family!!! Not just their own, but yours as well! They seek to promote traditional family values for the betterment of society as a whole. They have a respect for life and the value of it, no matter how big or how small. It is not an attempt to limit anyone's freedoms that they promote, but rather, an attempt to preserve the freedoms of those whose voice is not recognized, i.e. - the unborn child. It is a difference of opinion merely that separates their agenda from yours - the mere fact that they recognize life as a gift, an opportunity and a miracle of procreation, the sustenance of life itself, and that they recognize it at the level of conception...pro-choicers generally speaking, don't recognize conception as a new life already begun; they don't consider "it" alive until "it" takes its first breath of air on its own after "it" leaves the mother's body. But before that, "it" (if you will) lives off the mother's own blood and oxygen supply. "It" is not merely an extension of her body, a growth so to speak - but another body that solely depends on hers to develop and be able to survive on its own. That does not mean that the mother should have the right to choose what to do with "it", whether to sever "it" from her body or not, like some kind of infection or abnormal growth. Pro-lifers seek to protect the defenseless and nameless new life, still dependent on its mother for its survival. So you tell me - who do they care about more - themselves and their own families, or everyone that already is and would be? They also believe that there is a need to recognize that parenting and motherhood are not always the desire of those who are pregnant, and sometimes pregnant by abuse. The actions of pro-lifers are not intended to hurt these people or punish them in any way. There are options, such as counseling and adoption, even foster parenting until the parents are cabable of caring for the child themselves.

Taking it back to the bankruptcy reform, I agree that reform is necessary to curb the abuse of those who are financially irresponsible. Do I have the answer? No. Is there an answer? Maybe. But regardless, we need to ask ourselves why do we so often attack those who seek to defend the defenseless? Where is the justice in that? Why deprive them of the benefits of the rest of the country simply because they have chosen to empty themselves of everything to put other's lives before their own? They may find themselves in the misfortune of having gone bankrupt in the process of giving everything they have, even going into debt, for the sake of the defenseless. Shouldn't that alone speak loudly enough to show us where we are being too judgemental and self-centered? Who are the real "money changers running wild in the temple"? Those who love themselves and their money so much that they would have a disregard for the sanctity of the very lives that they have been given to protect with it.