Politics, Religion

Rewarding The Rapists

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Richard Mourdock, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Indiana, made the following statement during a debate: “but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” Mourdock later explained that he doesn’t believe that God “pre-ordains” rape.

Mourdock’s view of God attempts to deal with the conflicting concepts of the goodness of pregnancy and the evil of rape. His view is incoherent.

The conflicting concepts of evil and an omnipotent God have been noted by Epicurus (circa 300 BC):

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

Mourdock believes the pregnancy is preordained even if the rape was not the intention of God. How does Mourdock account for the rape and still maintain a belief in God’s omnipotence? Today, a Sophisticated Theologian™ would claim that the rape was an expression of the rapist’s free will. While that argument may let God off the hook as far as the preordination of rape, it raises other problems.

The vicim, by her own free will, may decide to take an emergency contraceptive preventing fertilization or implantation. If the rape was not preordained by God due to the free will of the rapist, then the pregnancy could not have been preordained due to free will of the victim.

The Republican Party’s solution to that problem is to remove all forms of contraception so that women have no other choice but to carry to term. When there are no choices, there is no free will.

While many view the passing of genes to their offspring as a gift, it also fulfills a biological imperative to perpetuate their existence. If a rape victim exercises her free will and decides to reward her rapist by passing along his genes to the next generation, that is her choice. However, the state has no business rewarding the rapist with the gift of a child.

H/T: Mike LaBossiere, Jerry Coyne, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Sally Quinn.

107 thoughts on “Rewarding The Rapists”

  1. Elaborating on Mr. Murdock’s statement….. I guess Ghod meant for Mr .murdock to be a piece of SH*T!!!!!!

  3. Tex and I were debating going to the theater to see CA … Nal put an end to the debate … we’re going.

  4. Thanks for the nod on CA, Nal. I was thinking about catching that tomorrow. Great book.

  5. James in LA:

    There is no moderation. For some unknown reason, WordPress doesn’t tell us why, your comment was listed as awaiting moderation. I approved it.

    Just got back from Cloud Atlas. Highly recommended. Visually stunning.

  6. As an atheist I feel I should say something; but … meh. It is truly sad that some people can be so thoroughly deluded that they believe in supporting coercive sex, pregnancy and childbirth; to me it is the equivalent of supporting outright slavery.

    Anything without a brain is not (or is no longer) a person. Not a fertilized egg, and not a brain-dead body.

  7. Pingback: Dan's World

  9. well bruce, a lot of churches have claimed over decades that GOD is a republican, and they wrote many books with it in it.

    the mormons started a news channel.

    the anticrist churches tell women to carry the child to term even if it will destroy the individuals goals for life. THIS INCLUDES TEEN PREGNANCY. the churchasses tell your children to bear children even if the child is deformed. the clerics call deformed children blessed and MY SON satan in their prayers.

    before the last election the churches were saying the republican solution on the news stations doing interviews, and the antichrists various religious radio, and tv shows on all stations.
    so who is leading the congress is the churches, not GOD! GOD tells congress to go home! I don’t need a congress that misinforms your chosen presidents.

    the church wanted a republican congress and got it. the republicans are stepping all over their own d!cks. what did the u.s. get and what do other countries think: how many times have you driven past an antichrist establishment and seen a sign out on a church property that tells you to vote a certain way. did your congressmen get the idea from a church that says THE LIVING GOD does not exist. prophecy says that I will refer to THE HOLY FAMILY in a domineering fashion.

    since there are “men” and wo”men” in congress I say congress”men”, and congressmen will do anything for a vote including kissing the ugliest baby on camera, in a crowd. I like films of them kissing babies and like watching some politicians actually wipe their hands on their clothes before the next hand shake. one quick kiss and urine. but after the election they treat you like the jerk.

    the antichrist is keeping ME a secret so you don’t kill them. the prophecy says that, pensions will be forfeited.

    this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. it gets prrrrretty brrrrrrrrrruly.

    1. OS,

      An apt logo. One of the advantages of our age is that we remember well the “age of coathangers”.

  11. OS,

    John Scalzi’s “Fan Letter” was perhaps one of the most brilliant arguments ever made against people who are opposed to abortion on all grounds. Thank you.

  12. “Additionally, we have created a public dialogue environment where any discussion of a Higher Power related to the personal values that help us form our public opinion is demonized (pun intended) and criticized. So it is not surprising that someone who may want to express their belief in having public policy reflect the value of the Spirit common to all people (by their belief albeit) trips over their tongue in attempting to articulate it well. (Of course, I am not referring to the disingenuous.) This can be such a case.”

    Joseph P.,

    You made a well-written case for your particular point of view and it was for the most part written without hyperbole. However, I must strongly disagree with your statement above. Although many of religious belief feel there is a “War on Christianity and religion” the fact is that is hardly the case. I truth the fundamentalist religious right in this country, an example being the Tea Baggers, have poisoned the dialogue to such a degree that every political candidate must end their speech with “God Bless the United States”. The price of not doing so would be widespread denunciation. If one looks at the media dramas presented on television abortion is never presented as a viable option for any woman.

    As you see in numerous comments made above particularly wellcallmecrazy’s poignant story and OS’s link that dissects the mind of the rapist, this candidate displays and incredible lack of empathy in imposing his religious values on others. From my point of view he is to be ridiculed, derided and most importantly not elected. The problem with the entire abortion issue is its’ hypocrisy, because most of its proponents care nothing for an infant once it is born. The exception being the Roman Catholic Church, which at least believes in caring for the children by society after the birth. The two problems with that at least logically consistent point of view is that the RCC does not have the right to impose their religious beliefs on my children, who are of a religion that believes that life enters the child at its first breath. The second problem with RCC teaching is their opposition to birth control and disseminating birth control information. As surveys show, the lack of knowledge of birth control is the primary cause of unwanted pregnancies and thus the need for abortion.

  15. James in LA:
    There is only the most minimal moderation policy. There are four obscenities that will get a post blocked. Any literate person ought to be able to express an honest opinion without using these four words, but if you must use one of them, substitute a symbol ($, @, etc.) for some of the consonants. Second, WordPress will only allow two links in a single comment. If you have three or more links to share, it is easy enough to break a comment into two or more parts.

    The only thing that will truly bring down the banhammer is if somebody “outs” the real identity of another user who chooses to remain anonymous.

  16. Let’s see if Mr Murdock really likes Rape….. Someone, please, jam a louisville slugger up his butt.

  18. where’s it written that the Republican party solution to the problem is to remove all forms of birth control?

  19. “You will be much better served by anonymously deleting comments that cross the line.”~James in LA
    —————————————–
    wow, that’s creepy…….word rape in fact.

  20. Given the discussion regarding suppression of freedom that regularly greet this blog, I am disappointed to see it now has a moderation policy. Having been a forum moderator of hundreds of forums literally since 1985, I can tell you it’s a waste of time and will only increase your blood pressure. You will be much better served by anonymously deleting comments that cross the line. Also, if you are going to moderate, what are the rules and when were they announced?

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