Hello, Kate. I enjoyed your piece in WaPo this morning.
As an atheist myself – militantly so, lately, because as you say, religion drives too many important social and cultural conversations – I would add one thought to your essay. From the point of view of the believers, who so often say that “God has a plan for everyone,” and “God decides who lives or dies,” couldn’t God have persuaded the woman not to have an abortion? Perhaps he wanted that soul in Heaven with him, and so the abortion is his plan for it.
I have a friend who, when he goes to a family funeral, wants to ask the sobbing mourners at church: “Why are you crying? He’s in Heaven now. Isnt’t that a good thing.”
But of course, “believers” don’t really believe in such nonsense. (N.B. I was raised Jewish, as were you I would guess, so of course, Heaven isn’t an option!)
I doubt I’ll live to see the day when our culture grows up and stops believe in the adult version of Santa Claus. I can only..uh…pray that it will happen.
Cheers,
Harry Kloman
University of Pittsburgh
AUTHOR: Harry Kloman
AUTHOR EMAIL: kloman@pitt.edu
AUTHOR URL:
SUBJECT: [Kate Cohen] Contact
IP: 72.95.230.5
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[4_Comment] => Hello, Kate. I enjoyed your piece in WaPo this morning.
As an atheist myself – militantly so, lately, because as you say, religion drives too many important social and cultural conversations – I would add one thought to your essay. From the point of view of the believers, who so often say that “God has a plan for everyone,” and “God decides who lives or dies,” couldn’t God have persuaded the woman not to have an abortion? Perhaps he wanted that soul in Heaven with him, and so the abortion is his plan for it.
I have a friend who, when he goes to a family funeral, wants to ask the sobbing mourners at church: “Why are you crying? He’s in Heaven now. Isnt’t that a good thing.”
But of course, “believers” don’t really believe in such nonsense. (N.B. I was raised Jewish, as were you I would guess, so of course, Heaven isn’t an option!)
I doubt I’ll live to see the day when our culture grows up and stops believe in the adult version of Santa Claus. I can only..uh…pray that it will happen.
Cheers,
Harry Kloman
University of Pittsburgh
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