He mumbled something that sounded a bit like “bass whole” as he walked away. Still, I know I made him think about it, and I doubt he’ll wade into another encounter with me again at a family gathering. If so, then I have made all future holidays a much less perturbing affair.

Jesus used that question-asking strategy frequently in his disputations with his adversaries, and it’s something we need to be more alert to employing in our conversations.

“Do you ever consider that in order for a right or freedom to exist in our system, it must be accompanied by a correlating responsibility?” I asked.

He dismissed this out of hand. It appeared to either be beyond his reasoning skills or something he had never considered.

“We have a bill of rights, not a bill of responsibilities,” he offered in rebuttal. I saw an opening, so I took it.

“Let me take a step back. Do you agree that each generation that has come before us has done a good job of making this nation better for the following generation?,” I inquired.

“Well… I guess so,” he replied. “Without what they did, we would not have what we do.”

“Good. So, do you think that those who came before us felt a sense of responsibility for what they passed on to us?” I continued.

“Well, I don’t know that they actually ever thought about it, but I’m glad that they did good things that we have benefited from,” he countered.

“So, when they wrote in the preamble to our Constitution that it was ordained and established on behalf of themselves and their posterity, it had no real meaning!” I interjected. “You’re saying that our founding generation and the generations that followed never thought about their responsibilities to their children and their children’s children? Those words had no real meaning and it was just serendipity that made this nation great?”

“Well, I guess I’d never thought about it,” he concluded.

And that was what I wanted. I wanted him to start thinking about it. Conservatism requires thinking about the past and the deeds, concerns and mindfulness of responsibility that guided those who came before us. Without this sort of mindfulness, there can never be an appropriate realization that we also have a responsibility to those who follow us. Without it, there is too great a possibility that society revolves around selfish concern for the here and now where rights are all that matter. Without thought for generational responsibility, liberalism has fertile soil in which to dig its gnarly roots. Progressivism requires it’s adherents to be selfish with the present and reject any selfless concern for the future; considering the past to be in any way informative is not allowed.

“You’re pro-choice, right?” I asked?

“You know that,” he replied.

“Well, as I see it, if you are pro-choice, you really have no standing to be concerned about your future entitlements,” I insisted.

“That’s BS! I paid into the system and I have a right to get that back!” he demanded, angrily. “My position on abortion has nothing to do with my position on Social Security!”

“I strongly disagree! Isn’t your concern about Social Security based on your fear that its looming fiscal insolvency will make it unavailable?” I asked.

“Yes, it is,” he replied. “Leadership has done a poor job of preparing for the baby boomers’ aging.”

“You wouldn’t be so worried if there were 100 million younger taxpayers, would you.” I asked.

I had him.

“No, if there were more young taxpayers, the system would be solvent for a lot longer,” he replied, tentatively. I could tell he knew something he didn’t want to hear was coming.

“Well, as I see it, if you are pro-choice, whether you call a fetus a tissue a tadpole or a person, you have had a hand in preventing the births of more than 100 million Americans,” I stated firmly. I saw his jaw begin to drop. “You’ve not only sanctioned the elimination of 50 million taxpayers, you’ve rid your retirement fund of the benefit of having the children and grandchildren of these tissues contribute to your retirement, too.

“That’s absurd!” he stammered.

“Well, you may think so. Hang on to that illusion, because it’s all you have,” I asserted. “Factually, without Roe there would be more than 100 million additional Americans, all under the age of 37, here to pay for your retirement. The liberals of your generation in their ignorant selfishness have screwed up your own retirement funds,” I said tersely, my voice rising. “So as I see it, you’ve forfeited any so-called right you might have to complain about what we end up having to do with Social Security and Medicare. And I’m hard-pressed to find any sympathy for folks in your situation.”

He walked away.

And that’s the way it is. From a conservative perspective, we don’t need to get into the semantics of “when life begins” to win the argument. We only need to point out the self-destructive nature of liberals who, by their nature, have a myopic focus on rights. In order to perpetuate a progressive agenda, they must never consider that each right does indeed have a correlating responsibility. As I see it, nearly every problem they decry can be directly associated with some past victory of rights over responsibilities they have celebrated.

A drunk has the right to choose whether or not to drink, but our law ordains that they do not have the right to choose whether or not they can drive while drunk because it may take lives. What is the difference?

I watched John McCain and Barack Obama talk with Pastor Rick Warren on CNN both last night and this morning. I have always been a registered Democrat and until this election, I’ve been proud of it. John McCain’s straight talk was refreshing and bold, considering that he has chosen to take an ethical stand instead of going with the consensus.

Obama’s answers, though thoughtful, showed that he is still equivalent to a child in regard to most social issues. I believe that with experience he will learn, but John McCain has already been where Obama is and through experience has gained the knowledge to make the best choices for Americans.

Did this sicken anyone else? Now advocating personal responsibility is crypto-racism?

These people are unbelievable. I honestly can’t understand how anyone can think this way.

Thanks.

Reguardless of ability to pay?–Meaning that if Dems get their way I will be directly financing the murder of children through my tax dollars?!? That’s where I draw the line. It’s bad enough to live in a country that is morally bankrupt enough to allow abortion, but to require its citizens to pay for other peoples abortions!!

If this ever happens I will seriously conscider moving to a country where this is not the case, or joining a militia and not paying “baby murder” taxes. I barely tolerate the presence of abortion in this country (although I will always vote against it) but I will expatriate, go to prison for failure to pay taxes, or even fight and die to keep from financing murder of the innocent myself…..

and no I’m not a gun toting wack job Right winger–I’m actually a year away from getting my M.D.–and thus a very smart and reasonable person, who is committed to preserving life, from it’s conception/inception to it’s eventual and natural end, some eighty or ninety years later –Looks like another country might get to reap the benefits of my excellent American training.

They are no different than Stalin, Hitler or Lenin who murdered millions to get and retain power. They even try to justify their killing with claims of compassion for the mother, society and even, hard to believe, the aborted child. It is this insidious lie that keeps support for Roe v Wade as high as it is.

It is heartening to know though that we are winning the fight for the hearts and minds of our young people. I was a confirmation instructor for two years and was so uplifted by the pro-life attitude of those kids. They are the future, we just have to keep doing what we are…showing abortion’s horrors, supporting girls and women who choose life and voting for men and women who will fight this cause for us within the halls of justice.

STOP ABORTION! NOBAMA!

I read a article stating that the reason for this legistaion was because babies were being left to die after botched abortions and a nurse testified before the Illinois congress and told her story that she witnessed this pracitce which moved every one that heard her but Obama almost single handedly killed this bill. After he left Illinois the legislation was passed. He then tried to say he would have supported the federal version of the bill if he had the chance..

Obama is a secular humanist. He claims to be a Christian. However when it comes to a clash between Christian principles and secular humanism he opts hook line and sinker for everything that is the antithesis of Christianity.

He is endeavouring to ride two horses at the one time on the abortion issue.
He cleverly uses differing scriptural interpretations to justify the slaughter of the innocents. The devil can quote scripture to suit his own purposes. Obama is a coward.

By twisting the meaning of words you can justify almost anything. This is what happens to those who have no core beliefs.

There is a simple rule of thumb on this issue. Just go back to first principles.
The Fifth Commandment states “Thou shalt not kill”.Thats all you need to guide you Mr Obama. No difficulty in deciphering the meaning of these words. Christians contemplating a vote for Obama must remember the 5th Commandment.

We are answerable to God for our actions. No Christian in good conscience can vote for abortion. It is a choice between flowery empty rhetoric of Obama which glorifies the culture of death or the truth as given to us in the Fifth Commandment.

Obama’s record on abortion is shocking in its callousness. As far as he is concerned the unborn child is a thing to be discarded. His behaviour on partial birth abortion is horrifying. The Democratic Party has plummeted to the depths on the abortion issue. It is time for conservative Democrats to leave the Party in droves and make common cause with the GOP. Stop this dangerous liberal Barack Obama. He is out of line with mainstream America.

For myself, I think the federal government should stay out of this debate and mostly likely, all government.

Let individuals decide for themselves, without the government, what to do, BUT don’t give a penny of government money to pay for it.

Apparently, they think the American people support this position strongly enough that they don’t have to hide it anymore.

I wish I was confident that they are wrong, but I can’t say that I am.