David, really...

"I anticipate 'rice musicians' calling themselves 'Christian' to gain a slice of that spiritual money cake just like some Chinese became 'christians' when some misguided missionaries started to give people rice in the course of their evangelism."

What on earth are 'rice musicians'? Do I detect a note of the "R" word here? What does this have to do with the price of fish (or women's rights to have abortions), anyway?

Curious indeed.

Morgan

Respecting womens voices and choices

David_BOAZ – “I'm beginning to understand WHY Singapore takes such a dim view of 'wrong thinking'.
They realize just where it will lead to. “

Do you suggest we should install “thought” police to arrest and punish the “deviant thinkers” ?

Does this explain how you can readily disregard the rights of the individual and support the subordination of freedom of thought to some monolithic authority body –

be it a despotic state, a draconian religious inquisition or a rigid social order in which is the "Lords" simply crush dissent against their “class” underfoot ?

I wonder what your response to my “wrong thinking” might be – but I will continue not only "think" to but "express" too – my moral relativism is simple – I am secure in my views to accept challenge from any quarter and thus - I promote and support values which include -
freedom of thought,
freedom of association,
freedom of speech and
freedom of an individual woman to choose how her body will be used

I find “nobility” in promoting freedoms and none in kowtowing to the “nobility”.
Remember "freedom of choice" and "choice in thought" marks the difference between "living" and "existing".
I will never accept mere existence as a substitute for life.

Timkins – “feminism” – it has nothing to do with “feminism” – I am male – quietly known for being a anti-any-ism (feminism included).
One either acknowledges individuals, presumes them to be equals and respects their right to self determination, particularly in over matters of their own body –
or one does not – of the “isms”the “nots” clearly conforms to a form of "fascism".

I am “pro respect the individual” and "individual right of choice” – therefore I am anti-fascism.

I will further remind you, in Germany, Hitler made abortion illegal for Aryan woman – because “the state” needed their children. What the woman wanted be damned – you can see where this is going and where Pro-Life “fits”, relative to Hitler (just another bunch of fascists)

Col,

I too respect the rights of the individual very much. So much in fact, that I do not like to see brainwashing and indoctrination.

I doubt very much whether this article is primarily about abortion. If it is, then it only looks at a very few aspects of abortion. It is more to do with brainwashing, and it has all the characteristics of feminist literature. There are only 350 words to explain this but the article 1/ vilifies and maligns males, 2/ tries to infer that males are the cause of the problem (ie points the finger at males), 3/ calls for more government spending.

These characteristics can be found in almost all feminist literature, regardless of the topic.

The topic can be abortion, family issues, work issues etc. It don't really matter, it is the same style and characteristics used over and over. You can check this by reading volumes of feminist literature (ie you can, but I would not recommend it).

So the article is stock standard feminism. Where such articles lead to is a “Dependency Diva” state of mind, where government must spend, spend and spend to satisfy feminists. But no spending is ever enough, as many problems cannot be solved by government spending. (see http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1081852/posts)

So spending heaps of money will not necessarily bring down the abortion rate, as it can just put people into a welfare cycle, and create many more problems. Personally I think more research is necessary into abortion. Many abortions are carried out, but not much information as to why. Once adequate research is done, then there can be solutions found to reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancy. Possible solutions (such as better contraception) may not necessarily impinge on anyone’s rights.

Worse case scenario is that this research does not take place, and no problems can be solved.

As far as people and society go, worse case scenario is that feminist brainwashing propaganda continues unabated, as I believe feminism has done no real good for women, men or children. It has done much more harm than good overall.

Col, dont panic too much about my 'wrong thinking' bit, I was attempting to show to Kenny 'where' his kind of thinking can lead, and how serious some governments regard 'some' thinking because they see it as a political threat. Most thinking per-se doesn't amount to much, and the freedom to think this way or that is precious indeed, but the action taken against those journalists was due to their profession most likely and how that government perceived their influence over masses.
Individual freedoms are wonderful. But in reality there is no such animal, because the moment our individual freedom conflicts with anothers we either have to kowtow to their freedom, or they to ours, am I right here ? I think the 'fascism' jibe was a tad over the top mate. So, in the end, we live by rules, not always ours.

Morgan, my allusion to the 'rice musicians' is just a way of indicating that we godbotherers are being taken more seriously by increasingly bigger slices of the community, and thus our views on the social application of Biblical principle will count for more, giving me consolation that our role of Salt and Light is being fulfilled. But sadly, there will be those who can only see the 'profit' angle rather than the prophetic.
Finally, to tug at some 50s nostalgia "our FATHER in heaven KNOWS BEST" :)

Yes, David - but I still don't know what 'rice musicians' are. Please elucidate.

Morgan

It frankly amazes me when I hear some people describing pregnancy as '9 months of discomfort' or contraception (from the female perspective) as 'cheap and easy'. Both are incorrect.

There is an enormous number of pill preparations using slight variations of the hormones and inactive ingredients. It has a number of side effects which are -not- pleasant and which are very common. Migraines, weight gain/loss, sleeping problems, fluid retention, libido changes, mood changes, skin problems, increased allergic reactions, depression risk, cancer risk - yep, that's just some of what can be in store for a woman on the pill. Cheap? Easy? No way. Implants carry the same hormonal risks. The rest are unreliable or not recommended if you haven’t finished your family.

Then we come to pregnancy. This process is the most amazing thing our bodies are capable of, IMHO. In 9 months, we grow an entire support system for an infant, provide everything that infant needs to develop. In 9 months. Wow. On top of that, extreme hormonal changes occur, all designed to make sure that when that baby is born, we -want- to take care of it, are primed to adore it and become it's slave for the next few years. This is not 9 months of discomfort. This is 9 months of our bodies being literally taken over to provide for the potential child. And at the end of that 9 months, to give up that child is totally against every instinct nature has built into the new mother. It’s not love for the child; it’s a primal survival drive.

Personally, I hate the idea of having an abortion. I would rearrange my life to the nth degree to avoid it. But I can understand why others wouldn’t want to go through with a pregnancy – so I support *choice*.

On the subject of men and their choices, there is no easy answer. Except, perhaps, that in having sex, they took a risk – as did their partner. Can’t live with the consequences? Don’t take the risk.