We look at the reactions of various anti-abortion groups to the assassination on May 31st of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas. Wikipedia has a good summary of the fast-changing developments in the case, including statements from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Family Research Council, the National Right to Life Committee and Operation Rescue. Less measured were responses from the Eye of Sauron (who called Dr. Tiller a “serial killer”), former Operation Rescue head Randall Terry (who called Tiller a “mass murderer,” then seconds later invited reporters to join him for Guinness and chicken wings), and–believe it or not–PETA, who has decided that now is a good time to buy complementary “Pro Life” and “Pro Choice” billboards in Wichita. Finally, reformed right-winger Frank Schaeffer openly apologizes for creating “the climate that made this murder likely to happen.”
Meanwhile, bioethicist Jacob M. Appel has written an insightful essay that looks at the rhetoric versus the actions of 99.9% of anti-abortionists.
And in this outing of Holey Scripture we look at what the Bible says (or doesn’t say) about abortion, murder and the punishments thereof.
Plus, updates on people and things we’ve talked about in previous episodes:
- From Episode #2: Randy Olson (writer/director/narrator of the documentary Flock of Dodos) has a book coming out–Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style, to be published in trade paperback in September by Island Press. You can pre-order it now and/or check out the associated Facebook page.
- From episode #25: The Georgia Guidestones (a public curiosity outside Elberton, Georgia) is the subject of a lengthy article at Wired. The Guidestones have been vandalized twice, but have been cleaned up almost as good as new. The local sheriff is keeping a eye on things.
- From episodes #30 and #41: Father Reginald Foster, the Vatican’s Latinist who appeared in the documentary Religulous, and famously scoffed at such “old Catholic” teachings as the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, has been moved from Rome to his native Wisconsin. Father Foster has been gravely ill for over a year (and nearly died), but it now looks like he has a fair chance at recovery. Well-wishers may send get-well cards (preferrably in grammatically correct Latin) to:
- From episode #31: Reversal of Fortune! Dentist and rabid creationist Don McLeroy is out as chair of the Texas Board of Education; meanwhile, Dr. Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education (whom we interviewed about the situation in Texas) has been awarded the first annual Stephen Jay Gould Prize from the Society for the Study of Evolution.
- From episode #54: New Hampshire joins Maine and four other states in legalizing same-sex marriage!
Finally, more great listener feedback!
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David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation. AtheistAlliance.org/podcast.
Interested in science fiction? Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com.
Theme music by Body Found.
Recorded June 9, 2009. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.
Tags: abortion, george tiller, scott roeder
Hey guys, I forgot to mention on my last post that I just started listening to your podcast a couple of weeks ago. I love it, keep up the good work!
I liked your conversation about abortion.
Speaking of Christians not always believing what they say, I always thought the Evangelical take on abortion is inconsistent with their theology. They believe that children younger the “age of reason” go to heaven if they die. The same goes for aborted fetuses. They also believe if adults are not “saved” they will go to hell. Inmates on death row could be considered the very worst people in society and one would assume they would be the least likely to go to heaven. On which group do you suppose they spend the most time and energy? The group that automatically goes to heaven or the group that is right up to the very edge of hell and about to fall in? As a matter of fact I think many Evangelicals even support the death penalty. If you take this argument even further, if you allow a loop hole for children and fetuses, wouldn’t it be much better for humanity if all fetuses were aborted? That way an entire generation would go directly to heaven. And since no one would be born, you’d even be “saving” the countless trillions who would’ve been born in the future!
I grew up in a fundamentalist church. Once when I was 16 there was a special youth group meeting billed as an “Open Minded” forum on abortion. In reality it was a series of people standing up on a stage telling us how abortion ruined their lives and how they were lost without Jesus. When the time came for a discussion, I stood up and asked them about if they thought fetuses went to heaven. Some people said yes, so I asked them why they would bother to try to end abortion. Wow. Hell hath no fury like abortion fanatics confronted on their home ground! Everyone stood up and started arguing and yelling and then the whole crowd pushed me up on the stage and surrounded me. The youth group leader came out and started screaming at me, calling me an anarchist and a Satanist. So much for open minded!
I suspect the real reason the “pro-life/anti-choice” movement is so zealous about this issue is because they want to tell the “non-Christians” that their way of life is so flawed that they callously “kill” children.
Later,
Satyr