So only yesterday did I finally read the Colby Cosh piece about Tiller and abortion. I had some thoughts on it and wondered about how to express them this late in the game. Today’s Post has a rebuttal from my friend Stephanie Gray of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, which provides the perfect opportunity.
First of all, I believe people like Colby Cosh and Stephanie Gray should meet. I think there’s something to be said for having a coffee to talk about these things. It’s easy to write condemnations of pro-lifers, and it’s easy to condemn libertarian columnists. But Stephanie is a fun, friendly person. I have never met Colby Cosh.
When I read Colby’s piece, I actually thought it had more to do with Christian hypocrisy, in so far as Colby thinks all pro-lifers are religious Christians and furthermore, that all those who call themselves Christian actually are (which they may or may not be). There is a vast swath of people who call themselves Christian and do nothing about abortion, which I believe runs contrary to the Christian faith. Then there’s that tiny fact that you need not be religious to be anti-abortion.
But I also believe Colby Cosh wants me to go out and murder abortionists about as much as he wants abortionists to tear a 32 week old fetus limb from limb, i.e. not at all.
So I think he asks a valid question: if Christians were truly Christian, would we have this problem on our hands? Of course, if we didn’t have blasé and dispassionate libertarian journalists, would we also not have this problem on our hands? But somehow those who claim the ground that they stand for higher standards, but then do nothing, come away looking worse.
This is not the bulk of pro-lifers. This is certainly not Jim Hughes and Stephanie Gray, those Cosh charges with hypocrisy. But if you are already cynical of pro-lifers motivations, i.e. view them as being sanctimonious, preachy prigs who talk a big talk but don’t walk the walk, then you’ll be more inclined to view supposed profferings of sympathy for the death of a murdered abortionist as nothing more than (unnecessary) platitudes.
The thing is there are good pro-lifers out there to be known, if you want to know them. And they aren’t all religious. And they certainly aren’t all sanctimonious. Stephanie, for example. Not sanctimonious–a powerhouse with conviction, gumption and character in spades. For those who care to see it, that is.
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