Comments on: Thank you for this life.

By: What is pro-life?

What is pro-life? — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:19:13 +0000

[...] and inconvenience. It causes you to be nearly sick at the sight of human suffering. It means being thankful for all life, valuing it all, never wanting to be the one responsible for ending [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:14:00 +0000

Bender, I see you left a similar comment at Dawn's blog post (the one linking to this one). What do you mean by utilitarian? I don't see where Julie is coming from that view at all, but rather is anything but utilitarian and taking it to a practical, real-life, non-theoretical level that plays out in the lives of the people she writes about here.

If anything, I would suggest that your position is theoretical at best and difficult to put into practice, whereas what Julie is describing is being out in the trenches and trying to understand what being pro-life really means in real life.

I could be misunderstanding you, though. Please clarify.

By: Julie R. Neidlinger

Julie R. Neidlinger — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:54:00 +0000

Not sure I follow you, Bender.

Care to try again?

By: Bender

Bender — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:22:00 +0000

Respectfully, maybe I misunderstand, but it seems as if you are approaching the question from a fairly utilitarian position. And from that position, it is understandable that one might have difficulties with the question, because utilitarianism and being pro-life are wholly inconsistent with each other.

By: Will

Will — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:40:00 +0000

Julie,

I don't know if you ever saw the silly movie "Joe Versus the Volcano" or not, but this post you have written reminds of a scene from that movie (Bear with me here).

Tom Hanks, playing a character named Joe Banks, who is on his way to sacrifice himself in a volcano in order to save an island, is drifting on the sea after the ship he was on has capsized in a storm.

He, and Meg Ryan, who is unconscious, are floating on four huge pieces of luggage, and Banks has all but reached the end of his rope. There is no land in sight, they are out of drinking water, and he is almost delusional. Suddenly a full moon rises, and as Banks watches its ascent, he stands and says, "Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life."

As silly as that movie is, this scene and his words always bring tears to my eyes (I am a sentimental sap at heart).

Your post has done the same.