Of gods and Women, Personhood and Power

By Jennifer Hartline
1/6/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

By this current philosophy, women now have the power to grant or refuse the individuality, the humanness, of another human being.

The pro-abortionists cannot conquer science and bend it to their will, so now they must fabricate a new "truth" that depends not on science and reality but purely on emotion and self-interest. Now they proclaim that only the woman can make the unborn child a child, and if she chooses not to do so, then the child becomes a "thing" that can never attain personhood. Now the woman has the power of deity; the power of life to grant according to her will, or the mandate of death to be carried out as she requires.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - I read a public letter early last December that demands a response, but rather than interrupt the joyful Christmas season I have waited til now to write.

This letter appeared in The Daily Kos, and I think it encapsulates the current philosophy of pro-abortionists better than anything else. More importantly, I think it reveals exactly what we who seek to restore a culture of Life are up against. It's Lucifer's echo.

Women are now gods. The pro-abortion army has shored up the weary old "My Body, My Choice" mantra with something far more insidious. Now women actually have the power to bestow life itself, or withhold it, or nullify it.

"An Open Letter to Supporters of Personhood", written by someone called BadKitties, begins by lashing-out at Republicans in Michigan over an attempt to offer a tax credit for unborn babies. "The Michigan GOP is trying to legally make women hostages to a fetus."

The author goes on to describe herself and the qualities that make her a person. She's a sister, daughter, friend, mother, wife, etc. She breathes, speaks, cries, laughs, bleeds, and sings. In short, that makes her a person.

Then she says, "When you attempt to declare a blastocyst a person, you are stripping me of MY personhood." She insists, "Personhood is conferred when a woman says to herself, 'This is my baby.' Yes. Exactly."

She describes her joy and excitement at being pregnant with her children, then strangely, she goes on, "I had a miscarriage, once, too. I cried, and suffered... I found and held a tiny little empty sac in my hand, and mourned what could have been..."

Then she continues, "But... my living children were wanted, and they are deeply loved. Unwanted pregnancies do not have 'personhood' conferred upon them. They are an intrusion, a parasite, a thing. However they were conceived, they are not wanted. They are not loved." Rather than dreaming of little booties, she says, "There is, instead, a desperation and determination that the thing be removed."

One of the many things that struck me about all this was the raw, naked fear in her words. The term 'fetus' is used to distance and dehumanize, and to her, the fetus is competition. If the fetus is declared a person, then somehow she is being denied her own personhood. As though personhood was a cake with a finite number of slices, and giving some to this person means she won't get any.

Then comes the animosity towards the "intruder" (ahem, baby) who has the nerve to show up "unwanted", like a telemarketer on the phone. Or rather, like a sneaky, conniving little creep that picked this woman out of a crowd and crawled up her leg and into her uterus to make himself at home and steal everything she's got. (Aack! A monster's eating me alive!!) Good grief! We're talking about your child here!!

Wantedness is irrelevant to humanness. Wantedness does not make a person, and unwantedness cannot deny a person. Wantedness speaks volumes, alright, but not about the child. It speaks volumes about women and men, about our society, about our present value system, and about our disintegrating moral core.

As is typical of pro-abortionists, she tries to disconnect the woman from any responsibility in the "intruder's" existence and presence in her uterus. Once again, sex has nothing to do with babies, at least in this mythical world where women can generate life from a mere "clump of cells" as well as make life evaporate with only the desire of her heart.

The problem for the pro-abortionists is this: Science and modern technology has made the chamber of the womb visible to us all, and now no one can deny the miracle that takes place there and the LIFE that dwells there.

The pro-abortionists cannot conquer science and bend it to their will, so now they must fabricate a new "truth" that depends not on science and reality but purely on emotion and self-interest. Now they proclaim that only the woman can make the unborn child a child, and if she chooses not to do so, then the child becomes a "thing" that can never attain personhood. Now the woman has the power of deity; the power of life to grant according to her will, or the mandate of death to be carried out as she requires.

By this current philosophy, women now have the power to grant or refuse the individuality, the humanness, of another human being. The will of women is now elevated to the highest, most untouchable of heights -- whatever she wants, is. Whatever she rejects, ceases to be.

Wow. That's ...

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Thomas
4 months ago
This article to me speaks of how desperate, and narcissistic these killers of the " child in the womb" have gotten. They know they have been exposed and are losing the fight for logic. All women must see this for what it is, and all men must take responsibility for there carnal lust. I've just read Thomas Kempler's "Imitation of Jesus". He speaks to how we all must learn to carry our Crosses, as Jesus did. We cannot run, we cannot hid, we must be what we are, only human's, not God. This is the most seious kind of blasphemy. Great article Jennifer, you say it so well.
DLL
4 months ago
Abortion is political correctness? I have come to HATE that term. When sex was no longer sacred a baby in the womb became a thing. Women used to be respected as Mothers. As abortion and sex for fun became popular,women lost dignity and the baby in the womb became a thing? Life itself lost respect. This letter is typical of our times and the current point of view. Even in the workforce a person stopped being an employee and now they are a human resource,which to me is the same as admitting that people come and go,so what,they are is as nothing themselves,no better than excrement. I am glad I am Catholic,that way I know that I am only correct in Christ. Of my own free will I am a sinner,quite incorrect. In Christ all have value especially the child in the womb. In a secular society that denies Christ,no one is any better than excrement. Social political correctness determines wether one is worthy of life or death. Disagree with this political correctness and you are a hateful person? RIGHT! Political correctness is hateful and totally disrespectful of all human life. That is the truth. The culture of death is dependent upon people becoming indoctrinated to politically correct ways of thinking and acting.
Andrew M. Greenwell
4 months ago
Wonderful article, Jennifer. The only "wantedness" that is relevant to the measure of human personhood is God's "wanting" of every human being, a "wanting" which infinitely exceeds our "wanting" which can become self-centered. There is no exception to that dignity or to that personhood, since it comes from God, a God who does not measure personhood by convenience or by what might be gained or by what might be felt, but by unselfish, unswerving, absolute Love. God desires every human life, so wantedness is part of our being, at all stages, whether we can respond, or whether others want us. No one has a right to unwant what God wants. That is what makes us persons, gives us our dignity, and makes each beloved by God. That is the main thrust of the Gospel of Life, which is a subsidiary but essential part of the Gospel as a whole, and what the culture of death wants to squelch. You've hit the nail on the head!
Sam W
4 months ago
Beautiful point well made regarding the TRUTH of this matter! Speaks directly to how diabolically co-opted the the divinity of feminism has become.
Emma
4 months ago
I have no response to this woman's sadistic narcissism! How much in love with ourselves have we become? What I would like to do is spread some news of an upcoming event. On Monday, Jan. 7th @9pm EST, Students For Life will be hosting a webcast to introduce its book "Courageous ". To any young person who would like to become involved in the fight to protect the unborn or who would like to start a chapter on their high school or college campus, resources, training, materials and peer support are all provided free of charge. Contact studentsforlife.org for more info. Our generation could be the one to put an end to this barbarism and restore faith and strong families in our country, but we need to act. We can change this! We need to walk out boldly, in faith to speak the truth. We can save the next generation! The time is now! Every day that we wait, more die. To those who are courageous enough to speak out, but don't know how or where to begin, please visit studentsforlife.org. There are so many ways that you can help. We can show you how.
federoff11
4 months ago
Lovely, Jennifer! I would just add that this argument will easily be used at the other end of life... when the elderly are considered non-persons because they are "unwanted" thus giving us license to do away with those pesky, time-consuming hoary hindrances to our time, energy, and effort.
If you think about it, its a good reason for murder of ANYONE "Hey, I didn't want him, so I offed him."
Goodbye logic and natural law, hello barbarism.

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