The Salvation Army's Position on Abortion

I support the Salvation Army.  It does a job around the world that so many of us would never think of doing around the corner.  I'm a big fan of theirs.  And neither do I expect them to be perfect.  After all, like all Christian denominations, they are man-made.

Recently, I came across the fact that some evangelicals and conservatives have taken issue with the Salvation Army's Positional Statement, approved November 2010, on Abortion.  The link below takes you to the entire document for your own reading.

On the whole, the position is one to be lauded by Christians.  It presents a very well-balanced and sensitive view, realistically facing the various difficult circumstances including rape and incest that many women have to deal with today.

But at the same time it brings to light some aspects of the Army's philosophy on abortion that many of us do not know about.  In particular, the Salvation Army believes that termination can occur only when

• Carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or
• Reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a fetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period.
  

Simply put, mother's health comes before baby's health.  And if baby will be abnormal, it's okay to abort it.

A number of the problems with this stance are evident.  Man now plays God as to who should live and who should die -- mother or child.  How accurate are the predictions that a mother's life will indeed be lost?  How abnormal is abnormal?  Who decides?  And so on.  The issue is really about God's role vs. man's (or woman's).  And then there's Tim Tebow -- the great NFL Quarterback -- well, doctors were wrong about him and his mom.  They both survived.

The other aspect of the position paper deals with rape and incest.  This is indeed a tough situation.  But again, who is man or woman to play God?  The bottom line is that if a child is conceived as a result of either rape or incest, and such a child is brought to term, it can be put up for adoption if necessary and someone can and will love that child.  And there's also the post-abortion emotional harm that is often felt by the women carrying such a baby.

I believe in the work of the Salvation Army and I hope you keep on supporting these good works.  But I also found it interesting to know the position of such a great organization on this topic.  I think they've erred on the side of accommodation.  On the one hand they say that God is sovereign and is the keeper of life, on the other hand they don't seem to trust Him when it comes to deciding who lives or dies in certain circumstances.  A number of evangelicals think this is the thin edge of the wedge and I am one of them.

Please read the position statement for yourself.  


International Social Justice Commission: Abortion:

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The Stupidity of University Students and The Need for Heads to Roll

It is so hard to believe that in 2011, University students in America can be so blatantly stupid with a capital "S". These "kids" who don't likely deserve to be in an institution called a university must not read the papers or watch any serious TV -- or if they do, they must be under some influence which hinders their ability to comprehend what is going on in the world.

Any group on campus that thinks they can do what these guys did and get away with it, deserve to be tarred and feathered and dragged through the hollow halls of academia.

I'm expecting some heads to roll over this as it takes a life of its own. Take a look and marvel -- no, make that, gag -- with me.

UVM suspends fraternity after survey asks members who they want to rape | Burlington Free Press | burlingtonfreepress.com

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Sexual assault and rape in U.S. Military: 1 in 3 women victims during service, studies suggest.

First, let me tell you that this article is from AlJazeera. It's a very well-known and usually reputable media source of sorts, but it does make one wonder, since it is Islamic in nature, how much of any story they write about the United States of America (and they seem to be fixated on that lately) is about discrediting the Americans any way they can. So, do consider the source.

Secondly, I find this story difficult to cover for a couple of reasons, the main one being that one can no longer say freely without being ridiculed that "maybe, just maybe, the military is not the place for my daughter or grand-daughter". Perhaps if I make it that personal, I can get away with that statement to a certain extent. The truth is that I believe my assertion is indeed correct.

Thirdly, having said that, I expect that young women who do choose to join the military are indeed entitled to being fully protected from being raped by their own colleagues and the men with whom they lay down their lives for their country. It appears, that the U.S. has failed to offer them even a reasonable amount of that protection, never mind a guarantee they won't be raped.

It appears that men and women sacrifice a lot for their country when they enlist. It seems, however, that many women sacrifice a lot more than their 'brothers' by the time their term of service is over.

We need to change that. The statistics you'll read in this link are atrocious. Perhaps it is better that more women "come out" with what they have suffered. But it is best if some of the men that weren't part of the crime (for that is what it is) yet knew it was going on, stood up and told the truth.

Military sexual assault and rape 'epidemic' - Features - Al Jazeera English

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Ethics and "Females vs. Perverts" Controversy

More ranting by yours truly as I find things in the news today that just irk me.  Like these next two stories.

Ethics

The Palestinian "envoy" to Canada is going home.  Why you ask?  Because we (Canada, that is) caught her tweeting a link to a video which we felt was offensive to Jews.  The Palestinians agreed to recall Linda Sobeh Ali after our Foreign Affairs Minister gave her a "dressing down" according to the Toronto Star.

What was offensive about the video of a poem being recited?  Well, apparently the poem was calling people "to a war that (raze) the injustice and oppression and destroy(s) the Jews" -- or so said the English subtitles.

Good for Canada.  More countries should take more stands like this.  But the envoy herself? -- Well, she gave a most lame excuse while expressing regret about the video.  She said, according to CTV via the Toronto Star, that she had "not actually viewed the video before tweeting a link to it".  Now, that's stupid.  And because she should know better and be aware of her position and anything that would be considered offensive, it was also a matter of ethics.  Recall was the least we could hope for.  She's lucky.

Of course, why we even bother with a Palestinian envoy beats me, but hey, let's play nice.   Unlike the author of the next story who wants it all her way.  Take a read . . .

"Females vs. Perverts" Controversy

Columnist Heather Mallick is a little excited.  She's angry at the police.  If it was a video account, I'm sure some of us would see venom coming forth.   The story has to do with the fact that two girls claimed some pervert on the subway was trying to look up their short private-school skirts (or kilts).  In trying to protect the girls and maybe the school, the officer who investigated the matter tried to suggest that perhaps students may wish to change at school before venturing unto Toronto's subways to head home and vice-versa in the mornings.  The principal took the suggestion to heart and relayed the message to parents as a precautionary action.  And now Mallick has him in her sights as well.

Look, there is no excuse for perversion.  Absolutely none.  But here's the bottom line for me as a parent and now a grandparent.   I accept the fact that there are perverts out there.  I accept the fact that we can't afford a guard on every bus or subway car.  I accept the fact that those young girls look very seductive to the kind of guy like the one who was stalking Shania Twain lately.  In short, they would appear pretty attractive to all perverts and maybe some of us who aren't and know better.   (By the way, Mallick in her eagerness to use every word she was allowed in the column to go after the police and the perverts, neglected to tell us how old the girls were.)  Yes, I know they're students -- but they don't always act, dress, talk or look like just students.  Of course, Mallick's point is that none of that should matter.  Perverts should keep their hands to themselves.

And I agree with her on that last point -- that perverts should keep their hands and their thoughts to themselves.  But not on her previous point -- that none of that should matter.  Oh, yes, I promised you the bottom line for me.  Well, here it is:

I would rather ask my grand-daughter to change her clothes at school before coming home on the subway and have her alive and untouched, than, like Mallick, insist that police are wrong with their suggestions.  Or worse still, demand that all perverts "avoid attacking people in order not to be arrested" and have my grand-daughter attacked, molested, sexually assaulted, or even dead.  Her argument only shows that Mallick just does not understand our society; she leaves no room for the fact that every pervert can't be watched every minute; and she knows nothing about the psychology of a rapist and a pedophile.  I don't care what other part of her body she chooses to cover or not, but I would strongly recommend that she get a nice mask for her mouth.  The woman is so out of touch with what we call "balance".

If you really want to read her side of it, go ahead.  Here it is:

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1072165--mallick-why-dress-down-for-perverts

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Would you marry a war rape victim ? Bravo to these men.

There are some stories from different cultures that are "good news" stories regardless of the content and context or whether or not we would do it the same way.  This one is one of them and it's well worth being aware of.  Take a look. . . .

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/06/20/syrians_protest_violence_with_a_vow_to_marry_rape_victims

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This is Preposterous! Gaddafi, Viagra, Soldiers, Rape

I can't believe what comes across my virtual desk these days. We now have a serious investigation by the ICC (International Criminal Court -- not to be confused with the ICC mission I'm involved with) as to whether or not Muammar Gddafi of Libya is giving his soldiers supplies of Viagra so they'll be ready and more prepared (I apologize for the lack of a better description) to rape the women of the rebels they are fighting.

I just wonder what NATO and the U.S. will do when they get the results. Remember, "no boots on the ground" in Libya according to B.O.

Anyway, here's the report for yourself. Tell me this is not true and soon we'll hear there was a big mistake.

Libya - Jun 8, 2011 - 22:16 | Al Jazeera Blogs

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