Pregnancy from Rape is Not "God's Will"

by Robert Wilkinson

Given the public dialog in this morning's front page news, this op-ed piece in the WaPo was too powerful for me not to post. Written from a Christian perspective, it's thoughtful and goes into some profound approaches to the evil of rape.

For those who haven't heard, two different Republican candidates for Senate have made impossibly ignorant and thoughtless remarks about rape over the past few weeks, one just yesterday. This piece addresses some spiritual, theological, and ethical issues about rape.

For your consideration,

Pregnancy from rape is not ‘God’s will’ By Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite

© Copyright 2012 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[chickie farella]

I'm unable to comment on the ignorance of these candidates. However this is what I can say about the STUCKNESS of PATRIARCHY. If a male could conceive and deliver a child, here is a glimpse of a world of more murders that would occur in one day than in a lifetime! Those of you historians and statisticians, by all means do the math.

An abortion clinic would exist on every corner, every nite club, laundry mats, local malls, construction sites perhaps connected to the "portapotties" and last but certainly not least in Catholic Churches. First he will go to confession explaining to his male confessor that he needs to be FORGIVEN for FORGETTING to take his GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED BIRTH CONTROL PILL...he will then be instructed to say an ACT OF CONTRITION and then on to door number three: THE TERMINATOR ROOM.

The End....for I am drowning in the bloodshed of the Patriarchs!

[BritLitChik]

Sadly, I find those that self profess loudest to be right at God's side and able to know that which is meant by God's Will to be the least Christian/religious folks of all. I would bet a large sum that a little digging into both of these individuals' lives would reveal some very shocking details.

It pains me also that these folks are given money and audience to continue spouting off their hateful, ill-conceived poison where genuine followers of faith, love, light, tolerance, acceptance and the spirit really have to struggle sometimes to get their message heard.

I keep hoping that the coming times will unveil the thinly disguised evils that are plaguing the world right now, and people begin to make the changes necessary to live a good and right life without interfering with the rights of others. And I'm not talking about apocalyptic stuff - just good, old fashioned 'lightbulb is now on' kind of stuff.

Thank you for posting the Post piece, Robert.

[Robert]

Hi chickie - As I once heard from a woman of power, "If men could become pregnant birth control would be a sacrament."

Hi BritLitChik - Welcome to the "fog of war" as fear and control based lower egos see the end of the Age of "Believe in what I say and not what I do, or just ignore what I say and let me screw you."

I actually have dreamed for decades of the day when we'd ALL wake up and know what each other were thinking. Not the unnecessary stuff, but where we really could move through the collective field and know what was in each others' hearts and minds. I suspect many would run as fast as they could to be utterly alone with their nasty little thoughts, insecure in their shame and fear, while others would be more than glad to sit down and have a conversation with others not using words.

[Robert]

BTW - In case you want to see the exact clip of him saying it, here's the 41 second disaster:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdnnETAyGmM

[caliban]

I can never understand why people who say this crazy stuff say it's some God entity's thought. It's high time they take responsibility for their own thoughts and beliefs.

[chickie farella]

Hello BritLitChik

Yes it would be a sacrament and that is why these "HOOSIER MOTHER HOOSIER FATHER?"guy would have to go to confession before going thru the TERMINATOR DOOR.

[mike]

While pregnancy is not a concern for men, men are subject to rape, too.

Estimates on the rate of prison rape vary. In 2001, Human Rights Watch released a comprehensive report that estimated between 250,000 to 600,000 prisoners, overwhelmingly male, are raped each year.
http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/prisonrape.html

[chickie farella]

Mike...YES..... that is a fact that men and boys are raped...no doubt...it is an atrocity to say the least...could u imagine the trauma of that experience having a TRIPLE effect of adding pregnancy into such a violent act???? Think about 600,000 Prisoners getting pregnant. Think about this Mourdock guy who is putting this statement about rape into his resume to try to get a "promotion." Think about all ur guy friends in that same boat, pregnant by violence, a child on the way, no job, no home.

WALK IN THE SHOES OF A VIOLATED WOMAN'S BODY.

[cathy]

We already know how crazy,dangerous these peolpe are. I'm not surprised one bit.He showed his truth, but we already know who they are, thats why we vote these people out and stay away.

[Diane]

Scarey fools. I remember the saying from the 70s: if men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.
I'm 61 and I find it hard to believe we're still debating this. 99% of women who have had an abortion have given it a great deal of thought beforehand and it will flit across their minds til the day they die. Pompus asses.

[Iris]

Hi Cathy:
Yes, it would be great to vote these people out. However, Joe Donnelly, Mourdock's opponent in the Senate race, co-sponsored HR3, the "forcible rape" bill, voted to defund PP and voted to make it legal to allow hospitals to refuse to perform emergency abortions even to save the life of the mother.
Not much of a choice there.

[Nancy Robinson]

Hi, glad you shared. Been following myself. Personally, have been date raped, by a coworker within the department of natural resources. Was thrown into jail, and beaten, night of the rape by police officers. And the rapist let go.

Women are also raped in the Holy Matrimony of Marriage.

Rape is not the will of God. God is Love, not Fear.

Light and Love, Nancy

[chickie farella]

Nancy, U were raped by police officers after u were raped by a co worker?? Did I read that right?

[Nancy Robinson]

Yes, chickie, read right. Was some years ago. Followed by a miscarriage in a girls dorm.

Nancy

[chickie farella]

MARY MOTHER OF GOD! Nancy there are no words but thank goodness u have lived to TELL! XOX

[Iris]

Nancy:
chickie is right - there are no words for such a horrendous experience.

Sending you much light and love.

[julie]

Thank you, Robert, for fighting our corner here.

The man should hang his head in shame. If his daughter, or his wife were raped, would he feel the same? Especially as the rapist would have visitation rights to the child? Can he imagine what the rape, then carrying the child against her will, then having to give/not give the baby up with 'father' visitation rights etc and all that that involves, would do to his wife/daughter? Can he imagine anything, with empathy, at all? Does he really want to go back to the Victorian days of back-street abortions?

A whole number of things that bother me - How does he know it's God's will? He cannot possibly know unless he's setting himself up as another Messenger of the Lord. (Is he?). It's not his body - he has no say, so unless he has a womb, shut up. Why are we getting religious nutters in the USA? Church and State should be separate, you know, the Reformation? Witch hunting? The Inquisition? I thought we'd moved on from that.

There is room for reason and justice here, but I can't see it in his stupid, misogynistic comments. Put him in the Taliban and you couldn't tell the difference, but this man has grown up with access to all of the Western education that money can buy. He still sounds like he's grown up in a cave with goats.

So. Once again Robert - thank you.

Nancy - loads of love to you xoxoxxx. You are alive, breathing, writing, loving - that's your sign and symbol of rebellion. No one can take that away from you x

[Crystal]

Julie made an interesting point regarding the Victorian days of back-street abortions. That's what would happen, when it was once provided in sterile surgery rooms, why would we take a step backward?

[Nancy Robinson]

Thanks for the wonderful love and support.

I find the more is openly discussed, leads to others opening up to discussing and healing between one another, as a collective. Many rapes are not reported, due to the stigma and fears involved, and who cares to be sent through the fears all over again, by the very government, political and police state that rapes 24/7.

Nancy