introducing complications

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Aug 22, 2008

At the Saddleback Forum, Senator Obama stumbled badly over the question of when human life begins. Speaking to a Virginia television audience on August 20, he tried again, with downright laughable results:

I don't think this issue has to be resolved in terms of when life begins.

It is resolved, actually. Life begins at conception. It would be more convenient for a pro-abortion candidate if the issue were considered unresolved. Less convenient for the unborn child, though.

That is a theological question or scientific question.

Please, Senator, which is it: theological or scientific? Can we at least put the question in the right category? If it's theological, maybe you can squirm out of it. But if it's scientific, it can be answered definitively. 

I as a Christian have a belief that the potential for life is sacred at the moment of conception,...

The potential for life is sacred? Does that mean every egg, every sperm cell is sacred-- the absurd position that coarse critics attribute to the Catholic Church? Or does the "potential" become sacred at the moment of conception? If so, why? Does something happen at conception? What? Or is that a theological question, too-- as implied by the fact that Obama cites his "belief" as a Christian on this issue. 

... but I also believe that it is not decisive in determining who makes the decision that difficult in questions like abortion.

Then what does the word "sacred" mean? Can something that is "sacred" weigh absolutely nothing in the balance when someone makes a decision? 

If you can unpack Obama's logic-- and good luck with that-- he seems to be saying that the abortion issue is far too complicated to allow for political resolution. (Remember: at Saddleback he said that the question was "above my pay grade.") It may be theological, and he's not a theologian. It may be scientific, and he's not a scientist. And-- check that last quoted phrase again-- it's always a "difficult" decision.

When we began, Obama was saying that it isn't necessary to answer the question of when human life begins, because... because...