Anne Lamott: Abortion a “Moral Necessity”

I like Anne Lamott. I really do. I even put up with her wacky universalism. But it’s comments like these in a pro-abortion op-ed piece in the L.A. Times that I can’t handle:

It is a moral necessity that we not be forced to bring children into the world for whom we cannot be responsible and adoring and present. We must not inflict life on children who will be resented; we must not inflict unwanted children on society.

Forced? Since when was having sex forced (obviously it happens in rare instances like rape and incest, but that’s not the main discussion here)? Usually it’s a choice to drop your pants and jump in bed. If we must not “inflict life on children who will be resented” than the solution isn’t abortion, it’s abstinence.

I like sex as much as the next guy, but sex has consequences. Wonderful, beautiful consequences. And if you can’t handle those consequences, if you’re not responsible enough, then keep your pants on. If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.

Sex is not an unalienable right. It’s a responsibility. Maybe that’s a stodgy viewpoint, but it seems pretty basic to me. Ignoring the biological purpose of sex for the benefit of our own pleasure is a bit messed up. I’m all for the pleasure—have fun. But with it comes responsibility. The two can’t be separated. (link via CT’s Weblog)

2 thoughts on “Anne Lamott: Abortion a “Moral Necessity””

  1. Well said, good sir.

    Jessica and I actually did a marathon pre-marriage counseling today, and the pastor had noted that we weren’t planning on having kids. His question then, after hearing the why of that, was whether we would be okay with it if it did accidentally happen (whoopsy!). Our answer was yes, for pretty much the same reasons you just listed. Sex is fun and all, but the whole “children” thing is something that you should have to expect when you do it.

    If you “cannot be responsible and adoring and present,” don’t do it, as you said. That would be the usual modern “I don’t want to be respsonible for myself and my own actions,” bit, and I am more than a bit disappointed to hear her say that. *sighs* Not that far too many would agree with her anyways, but oh well.

  2. “If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.”

    Yep, even you equate having children with a horrible thing – getting “burned”. Every chuild a wanted child. That is all those of us who are pro-choice have ever asked.

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