Tuesday 30 October 2012

Mourdock's Direct Line to God



Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock claims to know God’s mind on abortion - "I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God," Mourdock said. "And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."

On these grounds, Mourdock opposes abortion.  I presume, then, that he’ll be stating his opposition to any help from the medical services in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.  Presumably if pregnancy from rape is within Mourdock’s perceived sphere of God’s will, and Mourdock knows God thinks abortion is not the right kind of intervention after a disaster, then not intervening to help after Superstorm Sandy might be part of God’s will too.  Oh wait, I forgot, some disasters aren’t God’s will, but pregnancy is, so if a raped woman falls pregnant then the rape was not of God’s will but the pregnancy was, so no abortion can be permitted.

But I’m confused; if a lout sets fire to a house, can firefighters put it out, or must we leave it because fire is of God’s will?  What about fires in the living room that keep grandparents warm, or attempts to put the economy straight, or mobilisation of troops in war torn countries – and if so, in which countries does God want us to intervene, and which should we stay out of?

You see the absurdity; if, according to Mourdock, God wants the pregnancy but not the rape from which it occurred, then there must be a huge list of things in the world that occur, some of which God does want to occur and some He does not.  I presume the only way to know for sure on each case by case issue is to ask Mr. Mourdock.  What about if he’s unavailable when I want to know something important?  Maybe Pat Robertson will be free instead. 
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