Funny how an omnipotent god couldn’t simply have the rapist and the victim meet normally like everybody else and fall in love and get married and have the kid consensually. He could still rape other women, leaving his free will intact.
The Jehovah people worship today really lacks problem-solving skills.
For 2016, I’m thinking they can defend imprisonment for non-violent petty crime, and/or slavery. Well, same thing, sort of.
As for rape babies being God’s will, I think Mourdock is making a “God of the gaps” kind of argument. The rape is done by a conscious human actor, so that’s understandable as a crime. But pregnancy is “mysterious” because sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. So rather than saying, “It’s random,” he says, “It’s God’s will.”
In this line of thinking, directly killing an unborn baby would be a sin. But engaging in acts that increase the probability of miscarriage is giving God a chance to change his mind. So a D&C would be murder, but something that only promotes the likelihood of abortion is probably OK.
I find it weird, but then, I believe in randomness, disaster, and free will, in a way apparently alien to Calvinists.
Is it possible that this is part of a long-term strategy to get the support of previously uncourted voting blocs? Sure, we may laugh about Mourdock’s comments now, but in eighteen years today’s rape babies will be eligible to vote, and Mourdock wants them to vote Republican.
We are getting somewhat similar things in Iowa, although not to the extent of using the same locations for the ads. Last night there were two ads (back to back, no less!) for Republicans running for the statehouse that used almost exactly the same template, the same graphics, and the same scary buzzwords about their opponents (“She supports Obamacare! And $716 billion in Medicare cuts our seniors need!” As if Iowa’s legislature really has a big impact on either of those, even if it were true).
Anyway, the fact these spots aired back to back only emphasized the fact they were templates with the GOP candidates dropped in. Even better, though, the main color scheme for these GOP ads?
Blue. Deep, rich blue.
I’ve actually noticed this with several recent ads around here. I realize neither party owns a color, but since 2000 the Republicans are generally identified with red and Democrats with blue. I find it interesting that a lot of Republicans around here are using blue, rather than red. Misdirection? Or am I overthinking?
Har. D’ya suppose “Oops, Doc, I fell vagina-first onto this coat hanger” would fly? Seems to be the way this country’s going.
Funny how the pregnancy is god’s will, but the rape that cause the pregnancy? Not god’s will, and how entirely offensive that you would suggest such a thing. Really? It’s not like you would have had the one without the other, in this case.
I think that’s it. He really does think that unless the magic switch is flipped there will be no baby. Humans alone can’t reproduce.
If you read the old testament a lot, you’ll read many stories about women praying for children and God granting them when nothing their husbands were doing was working. In the case of Sarah, it worked even though she was too old to have children.
That’s got to stick in the back of the mind. It’s never explicitly stated in the bible, but a person could conclude that men can provide the seed but only God can make it grow. (An alternate conclusion is that most pregnancies happen the regular way, but that God can intercede.)
And sometimes God uses competent medical personnel to achieve his ends!
That would be great - just approach some protestors at a women’s health center and tell them that the doctors are performing God’s will inside. “Nothing for you to do here. God’s will being performed here. I said GOD’S WILL people! Do you want to stand out here protesting against GOD’S WILL? I though not. Move along.”