Shatner and Gun Control

The pharmacist promised to serve all his customers, not
just the ones who don't believe in abortion.

Where does it say that? Most people go into business to make a profit.

If the couple can be treated in the same clinic, fine. Doctors shouldn't have a right choose who they treat or not.

As I said, all freedoms are being eroded.

"Can we extend that beyond abortion?

First of all, there's the willful termination of the life of an unwanted child--and I don't trust government to make that decision for the mother.

First of all, there's the willful beating of a wife by her husband - I don't trust the government to decide whether or not the woman deserves corporal punishment (just an example)

But there's also this bizarre need to protest the legal rights of women the protesters don't even know, to rail against the sins for which we ourselves are not tempted.

I have not been tempted to spousal violence. Should I then refrain from railing against the abuse toward spouses?"

Fair enough. I live in Texas, about 60 miles from the infamous Crawford. Until 1974, Texas law, carried over from the Spanish colonial period, allowed a husband to kill his wife if he caught her in an act of adultery, although he was not allowed to kill the man or woman she was doing it with. Believe it or not, there was controversy over repealing the law, and similar statutes existed in several other states.

Should you refrain from railing against the abuse against spouses? That's my inclination. Railing for the sake of railing gets you nowhere. Provide shelter, pick up a club and knock the abusing spouse up the side of the head, if appropriate, but don't just rail.

I suppose as your Christian brother I should be willing to listen to you emote, if you really need to emote to get on your track, but I confess that's not my natural inclination. I am much more inclined to donate a day to a clinic for the poor than I am to hold up a protest sign for more health insurance, to extend the example.

The same thing on abortion. I know a Baptist pastor who is very proud of his pro-life stance, so when I reached the limits of my resources to help a colleague at work who was pregnant and considering abortion and didn't have funds, I asked him for help. He said he was disinterested. He had attended several luncheons where the needs of women were discussed, he proudly informed me, and he consistently supported pro-life candidates. He told me in no uncertain terms he saw no reason to shell out a few bucks to help her get prenatal care, much less help with the rent a few months later. His role was to lead other Christians to make the right political decisions.

She eventually got enough cash to see the doctor and take some days off in late pregnancy, and carried the baby to term, with the help of a member of the Unitarian-Universalist church in Austin, of all the totally unexpected sources. I'm no fan of the UU in general, but apparently even they can do the right thing occasionally.

Several years after that event, I visited the UU's when a friend was giving a concert there. Their pastor also spoke, and gave a 30-minute harangue on how her first abortion was a right of passage, but her second abortion was a celebration of her right to choose.

To me, this was really murder, not that she cared one whit for my opinion. A guest in their sanctuary, I was nonetheless inclined to give her a piece of my mind. I finally walked up to the lady and just told her this Baptist was praying for her. She glared. The senior minister gave me a contemptuous look. I left. Next time my friend performs, I'll listen to the tape.

I'll repeat. There's nothing Biblical about feeling superior on account of someone else's sin. There's a lot that's Biblical about acting to help. And I'm glad to read your comments. They add a lot to this blog.

The right to bear arms is in the Constitution. If you are not happy with that or don't believe in in, get the f*** out of the country. I would.