Last night, before reading this on Ohio legislators passing a draconian anti-abortion law, I was mulling over whether I had a topic to write about here (I try for something relevant and somewhat original every day)…. I thought about the reductio ad absurdum argument taking the pro-life argument to the logical end.
While relevant, this wasn’t original so I fell asleep with no ideas on what I might write about.
Then I began to write a comment to the Kos-icle by lizbirge, and it took on a life of it’s own, so to speak.
The reductio ad absurdum argument, in brief, is that pro-lifers believe human life has something to do with when the soul enters the not yet born baby. The whereabouts of the soul prior to conception is never discussed in detail, but presumably this has something to do with the divine.
It is only a theological debate whether God put the soul into the fertilized egg, or ovum, at the instant of conception. Scientists know that at the moment of conception the genetic makeup of the baby, including its sex, is determined. Biology determines that in that instant no other sperm can fertilize that egg.
However, the most extreme right-to-lifers believe this this is all God’s plan. This is why they want to ban any form of contraception or morning after pill which allows the fertilized egg to be killed.
It just as easy, and just as logical if you are a believer, to argue that God put part of the soul, the soul to be, in every egg. Since with the one exception of Jesus, since the beginning of life on earth, it always has taken two to make a baby (that is a sperm and egg).
If we can agree that God puts part of the soul into each to the 40+ million sperm in every ejaculation. Scientists say it is chance (possibly with which sperm is the strongest swimmer), not divine intervention which particular which sperm wins the gold.
If you believe God is all powerful, thus has designed every sperm with a pre-soul or partial soul, sperm is sacred.
Obviously every egg is sacred.
They are integral to the making of human life, and if fact, are human life.
Reductio ad absurdum:
Therefore, any deliberate human activity that destroys potential human life must be illegal. The hell with Roe v. Wade. That is human law, not God’s law.
Of course, the following argument isn’t new — doctrinaire Catholics have argued it, and the Bible certainly had an obsession with it.
- After God killed Er, Judah tells Onan to "go in unto thy brother's wife." But "Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and ... when he went in unto his brother's wife ... he spilled it on the ground.... And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; wherefore he slew him also." This lovely Bible story is seldom read in Sunday School, but it is the basis of many Christian doctrines, including the condemnation of both masturbation and birth control. 38:8-10
And especially the sex obsessed and often quoted by homophobes Leviticus:
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Leviticus
- "Or if he touch the uncleanness of man ... he shall be guilty."
If you touch "the uncleanness of man" (?!) you'll be guilty. 5:3
- Long, tiresome, and disgusting instructions regarding the treatment of men who have a "running issue" out of their "flesh." Very enlightening. "And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean...." 15:1-15
- "Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean." 15:4
- "And whosoever toucheth his bed shall ... be unclean until the even." 15:5
- "And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat ... shall ... be unclean until the even." 15:6
- "And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall ... be unclean until the even." 15:7
- "And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall ... be unclean until the even." 15:8
- "And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean." 15:9
- "And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even." 15:10
- "And whomsoever he toucheth ... shall ... be unclean until the even." 15:11
- "And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth ... shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water." 15:12
- "He that hath an issue ... shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing ... and shall be clean." 15:13 all from www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/...
- "If any man's seed of copulation go out from him...." (God's law for wet dreams)
This passage tells you what to do if you get your "seed of copulation" on yourself, your clothes, or your partner. Thank God this is in the Bible. 15:16-18, 32
- "If any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall ... be unclean until the even." 15:16
- "And every garment ... whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be ... unclean until the even." 15:17
- "The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even." 15:18
This clearly means male masturbation is verboten.
It also means that the only accepted reason to have intercourse is for procreation.
Even intercourse using contraception, such as condoms, which stops conception, is unacceptable.
Women have the best deal.
Oddly, women who are past menopause, have the only out as far as solitary or shared sexual expression. Since they aren’t producing partially soul endowed eggs, they can masturbate. Even odder, lesbian sex between women of any age is perfectly acceptable.
Hmmm… is this an original enough piece to put on Kos? Just have to find a picture, and that should be easy… too late… here goes...