PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Abstinence, Abortion, God And Truth

— Sexual abstinence programs do not prevent pregnancy.

Sexual abstinence does, without fail.

In a recent commentary, “America’s obsession with abortion” (June 6), Art Hobson’s equivocation implied a program not working is equivalent to abstinence not working.

(Contraception, which is subject to failure, was said to work.) This is tantamount to saying, if a physics program doesn’t work out, the laws of physics don’t work. You don’t dispense with the teaching of truth because some reject it.

On the topic of personhood, it was stated, “The feature that distinguishes humans from other animals … is human thought.” This idea itself had to originate as a “thought,” thus we beginwith what we want to conclude.

We are further led to believe the materialistic view, that thought (mind) and brain activity are one and the same. A strong correlation between the two doesn’t constitute their sameness. But if you hold to evolution or atheism, you’re left with few options. If I am to believe all thoughts are the result of electrochemical processes, why should I accept the processes in another’s head and exempt mine? As one clever person illustrated, the theist and atheist could be compared to two cans of soda that have been well shaken. You pop the tops on both, and whichever one fizzes the longest wins.

Mr. Hobson indicated doubt regarding the existence of God: “If God exists, he is the world’smost prolific abortionist.” From other statements: “Christian Bible,” “Judaism,” etc., it is clear he is referring to the Judeo-Christian God.

By referring to God as “the world’s most prolific abortionist,” he in other words is saying God is cruel or evil, while the thrust of his commentary was favorable toward abortion.

If God is evil or the grand abortionist, he must be judged against good.

You cannot speak of evil without a knowledge of good. Good must exist to talk of evil. And good must exist apart from man, and be transcendent. Its source has to be in one greater than man, or it loses its legitimacy, and is spurious.

(The atheist billboard asking “Are you good without God?” gives rise to the question, can you have good without God)? If Godis evil, the source of the good to judge him must be found in GOD!

The point is, whether you write God or GOD, it’s still God. The Judeo-Christian God has said, “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” (Isaiah 43:10). “I am the first and I am the last, and beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6). God is the furthest thing back, and has revealed himself in space and time in Jesus the Christ.

Ephesians 1:4 says of Christians, “He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” That would mean before our conception and development in the womb.

We are not products of blind chance subject to chemical dictates.

BENNY E. BEALS / Springdale

Opinion, Pages 9 on 07/25/2010

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