HumanBeing
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I hear people talking about this a lot, but is it really true? I mean, look at the world depicted by the Old Testament and compare it to the world we live in now. Yes, there is still lots of pain and suffering, but we don't openly argue in favor of the scale of mass ethnic cleansing as was common place (and encouraged) in the Bible. Times have changed so much that even people who follow the same God who unleashed deadly plagues across Egypt, killing countless men, women, children (and no doubt fetuses too), now claim that the killing of babies is "evil" and unjust under pretty much all circumstances, even when they belong to your enemy.the growing callousness towards life in society.
I hear people talking about this a lot, but is it really true? I mean, look at the world depicted by the Old Testament and compare it to the world we live in now. Yes, there is still lots of pain and suffering, but we don't openly argue in favor of the scale of mass ethnic cleansing as was common place (and encouraged) in the Bible. Times have changed so much that even people who follow the same God who unleashed deadly plagues across Egypt, killing countless men, women, children (and no doubt fetuses too), now claim that the killing of babies is "evil" and unjust under pretty much all circumstances, even when they belong to your enemy.
Much much longer discussion, if you want to start talking about the whys and wherefores and etc of the OT. Thing is, it is an old tired argument, whenever anyone wants to justify anything its "well back in the OT they....!!!"
Let's stick to the actual topic. You asked a question framed in religious terms, you got a religious-framed answer. Maybe not the answer you liked, but it is what it is.
The callousness of society... possibly some of it is perception, but it certainly seems like the past 20 years I've heard FAR more stories about mothers killing their own children, attempting to kill their own children, women and men attacking pregnant women and trying to force them to miscarry by beating the abdomen for revenge purposes, that sort of thing. Two decades ago, Peter Singer's advocacy of infanticide up to age 3 would have resulted in him having to leave the country and change his name... now its still a big controversy but he continues to teach "bioethics" at the university.
It does seem to me that society has become more callous towards mothers and children in the past few decades, yes.
It is the actual topic. If God gave instructions to slaughter other people's babies, and even did so himself from time to time, then it seriously undermines the modern Christian "all life is sacred" argument. I mean, I actually agree with it, but I don't think it's a Christian thing, quite the opposite in fact.Much much longer discussion, if you want to start talking about the whys and wherefores and etc of the OT. Thing is, it is an old tired argument, whenever anyone wants to justify anything its "well back in the OT they....!!!"
Let's stick to the actual topic.
I liked all the answers so far. I don't agree with some of them, but they all seem valid in one way or another.You asked a question framed in religious terms, you got a religious-framed answer. Maybe not the answer you liked, but it is what it is.
As I said, I'm not so sure more of this is going on than previously. I think we hear a lot more about it, because it's now stuff that people are widely outraged about. The specific example you gave isn't one I'm going to get into, but I will point out people have been saying that sort of stuff since biblical times, and it's only in the last couple of hundred years that it has become controversial, let alone near unanimously condemn-able.The callousness of society... possibly some of it is perception, but it certainly seems like the past 20 years I've heard FAR more stories about mothers killing their own children, attempting to kill their own children, women and men attacking pregnant women and trying to force them to miscarry by beating the abdomen for revenge purposes, that sort of thing. Two decades ago, Peter Singer's advocacy of infanticide up to age 3 would have resulted in him having to leave the country and change his name... now its still a big controversy but he continues to teach "bioethics" at the university.
Much much longer discussion, if you want to start talking about the whys and wherefores and etc of the OT. Thing is, it is an old tired argument, whenever anyone wants to justify anything its "well back in the OT they....!!!"
Let's stick to the actual topic. You asked a question framed in religious terms, you got a religious-framed answer. Maybe not the answer you liked, but it is what it is.
The callousness of society... possibly some of it is perception, but it certainly seems like the past 20 years I've heard FAR more stories about mothers killing their own children, attempting to kill their own children, women and men attacking pregnant women and trying to force them to miscarry by beating the abdomen for revenge purposes, that sort of thing. Two decades ago, Peter Singer's advocacy of infanticide up to age 3 would have resulted in him having to leave the country and change his name... now its still a big controversy but he continues to teach "bioethics" at the university.
It does seem to me that society has become more callous towards mothers and children in the past few decades, yes.
For examples of callousness you don't have to go back to the OT. Look at Dicken's England, Salem in the US, Many countries today in the Middle East.
No shortness of callousness now, nor was there ever.
Or maybe, like the present day Russia, a large section of America has basically dropped off the map and now spends most of it's myopic mental energy and unlimited time on pointless topics like "poor widdo ("preborn") babies"............................
Perfectly aware of that. I'm not talking about the 1800's, or the 1600s, or the Middle East. I'm talking about America over the past 40 years.
Well I was a young mother with a very much wanted baby when Roe vs Wade passed and I feel that for most part the fact now that most girls and women who give birth choose to give birth is much better for our society as a whole.
I love hearing all the women who are so excited they are expecting.
To me that is the way it should be. women should be thrilled that they are going to become mothers.
They should excited just like women who are so excited to be engaged and planning a wedding.
Pregnancy should be a happy, joyful event for a woman.
Eve inherited her soul from Adam? Where do you get THAT from?
Not dignifying that jackassery with any further response.
Age of Innocence. Isn't the cut-off point from some Baptists age 13? So on the 13th birthday a teen is told "Congratulations! You are NOW old enough to go to hell."
I have never seen fetuses on heaven or heaven itself, hence I cannot tell you.
Thank you. This is about the only rational answer to this question. Everything else is guess work.
According to Christianity, do aborted fetuses go to heaven? If not, how do you reconcile that with your ethics? And if they do, doesn't that mean abortion would be better for the fetus than giving birth?
I don't particularly disagree with anything you said. I just don't think abortion is necessarily the centerpiece of making sure every child is born wanted.
I don't know where you get the idea that I or anyone else thinks that any child not loved should be killed but you are wrong.Indeed, when you really think about the juxtaposition of one who thinks that “Every child deserves to be wanted and loved.” and advocates, as a means of enforcing this ideal, that any child who is not “wanted and loved” should be killed; it's really a very sick, depraved position to take.
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Note that I'm not saying it's a perspective I agree with, especially since I'm not religious. I'm simply saying that traditional Christian arguments against abortion seem inconsistent to me, and pointing out what I believe to be faults in the logic.That's just really sad - why stop at fetuses? - wouldn't it be better for all beings to be killed before experiencing life in your world?
I don't know where you get the idea that I or anyone else thinks that any child not loved should be killed but you are wrong.
Other than that that seems to be the only cause that I ever see you discuss on this forum, the “right” to kill children who are not wanted, no I don't see where anyone would get that idea either.
According to Christianity, do aborted fetuses go to heaven? If not, how do you reconcile that with your ethics? And if they do, doesn't that mean abortion would be better for the fetus than giving birth?
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