On Jan. 6, faith and  reproductive rights

From Jessica Erlandson,

formerly of Lowry

The deaths of those that participated in the January 6th insurrection simply would not have happened if they had not trespassed on federal property and not participated in the violent mob that stormed the capital. I doubt many insurrection sympathizers would have the same defense of participants if they had suffered injuries or fatalities as part of a Black Lives Matter demonstration, it would have simply been the consequences of their actions.

I also am at a loss to comprehend how Brian Sicknick could be considered “a hero for both sides” given that is own family refused to shake hands with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy at a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring the fallen last December. His brother Ken, a lifelong Republican, also stated Republicans leaders “have no idea what integrity is” and pointed to Rep. Louis Gohmert, Republican of Texas, “who presented an American flag that was flown over the Capitol to a Jan. 6 rioter and told them they were a patriot. It’s disgusting. Takes away everything my brother’s done. Takes away the heroism my brother showed.” For Republicans, he said, “it’s party first.”

I do, in fact, recall lessons taught in Sunday School all too well. On reflection of my religious upbringing within the Exclusive Brethren sect, a quote from Garrison Keilor’s Lake Woebegon Days sums it up nicely, “In a town where everyone was either Lutheran or Catholic,” we were neither one. We were Sanctified Brethren, a sect so tiny that nobody but us and God knew about it, so when kids asked what I was, I just said Protestant. It was too much to explain, like having six toes. You would rather keep your shoes on. So, I kept my shoes on and my head down, studying theological topics with the same vigor I applied to all subjects I encountered. Suffice to say the road to atheism is littered with well read Bibles. For far too many children that did attend Sunday School over time, they may only remember the abuse suffered at the hands of those in powerful and predatory positions instead of ancient parables from an illiterate patriarchal society in Iron Age Canaan.

As to the question of who is the creator referenced by the founding fathers, does the Abrahamic monotheistic deity have exclusive rights to that title? What about the Hindu Creation deity Brahma (a topic even Hindus with a faith as least as ancient if not older than Judaism cannot agree if Vishnu or Brahma correctly deserved credit)? Would a person of Hindu faith infer from that phrase that their rights are endowed exclusively according to their faith tradition and assigned creator?

In a letter to Johns Adams, Thomas Jefferson states “the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.”  We are all atheists with regards to most of the deities worshipped throughout human history, some of us simply add one more to the list.

With regards to reproductive rights, is an underage child or a victim of rape either old enough or willfully engaged in activities that could result in a pregnancy able to be considered responsible for the “consequences of their actions”? Since the fall of Roe headlines have been littered with stories of women, many previously “pro-life”, facing complicated situations arising from restricted access to abortion even in states that proclaim they protect in cases when the mother’s life is at risk. The legislation enacted was often purposely ambiguous and doesn’t allow medical providers the protection from litigation to protect the life of the mother before irreversible complications could arise that are often hard to pinpoint. In most situations the women were in a grey area where their life was not in danger at that moment but allowing the gestational age to increase was gambling with their own life.

To clarify, Savita Halappanavar did not die from a mere failure to treat a UTI and it is grossly misleading to portray it as such. A summary of the facts from the tragic case by Dr. Shyan Goh published in the British Medical Journal concludes, “To suggest the matter is essentially a delayed diagnosis of sepsis causing Savita Halappanavar’s death is misleading and mispresents the fundamental issue whereby any discussion of termination of pregnancy (when obvious that to proceed and persevere with the pregnancy is futile), is rejected outright on the basis of a fetal heart beat without regard for maternal mental and physical wellbeing.

It might be alright for clinicians unwilling to address the moral dilemma of termination of pregnancy to hide behind the law and passively “await events;” in this case a young woman’s life is lost through this medical misadventure dictated by misdirected ideas. I would not want anyone to take that lesson away from her death through misrepresentation of facts. We “await events” no more on this matter.

My question to my generation, and those forthcoming:  who among us will be the next Savita?

Needs to know ‘the rest of the story…’

From Inga Mae B. Urke

Starbuck

To comment on a recent response to my letter in which the writer stated:  “I know what I saw live on January 6th.”   I never stated that it was all lies but she never saw the whole story on her channels.

If anyone is old enough to remember Paul Harvey’s great radio show many years ago which he ended with every time:  “Now you know the rest of the story – good day!”  She needs to overcome her hatred of Tucker Carlson and be willing to  watch “the rest of the story” which has been kept hidden until he, thank God, exposed it.  I never knew that I had the talent to make her and many others rolling on the floor laughing!  Maybe that at my age of 86 I could start a second career as a comedian because in this day and age, we KNOW we need something to laugh about when our beloved country is going “down the tubes” very fast towards Socialism!  I do not claim  that Trump is the only honest person but I do believe that he is being very truthful in this matter.  How can she claim she has never gotten proof that the last election was rigged when Mike Lindell has proved and made it clear that he has informed the whole world about the election fraud?

Her closing remark of “quote all the Bible verses you want but truth is truth and that will all become clear when our time comes to meet our maker.”  She is “right on” about that – however, I think she might be a little surprised to learn what the truth actually is!  I am confused as to why she would end with “May God bless you” if I am so dead wrong in all my beliefs and political views and I certainly did not feel blessed by her accusations.  However, we know that God is in control of everything in this world and if she can tolerate just one more Bible verse, I quote from my King James version Revelation 21:8:  “But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.”

That is pretty frightening stuff that ought to make anyone think twice before lying!