Tag Archives: abortion

Why Americans Are Annyoing

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I could have named it Part I, but that would be harsh. As you might know, I love the American culture and their  people. Some things I can’t get over with. Outside of the US, we mainly see the loudest people. You know, the crazy opinions that make no sense whatsoever. A lot of times, I correct the image, saying that almost everyone I meet is more nuanced than the image would suggest. I tell how you can have perfectly normal conversations about politics, culture, philosophy and many more in a respectful manner. And then there’s these people:

I thought about it a long, long time.

Why would you do that? How do you know this? Something tells me you didn’t do an awful lot of research* on abortions in Nazi Germany, nor is it likely you were there. This probably indicates you want this to be true, rather than it actually being true. Leaving the truth debate for now, what are you going for with this? Where in the Bible does it say ‘Behold, if the tips and tricks provided through this book do not seem sufficient, why not turn to manipulation?’ It may be a personal view, but I feel this is not a christian attitude. At least not an outreaching one.

What overstated opinion gets you ticking?

Was it this blog post?

For my earlier post on abortion views in the US, click here.

* I did do some research. There is a Newsweek article that pretty much seems to be the basis for this (Hitler’s children by Joshua Hammer, not  available with references). Furthermore, I have found some more scientific articles, stating basically the same thing. An article by John Hunt, Perfecting humankind: a comparison of progressive and nazi views on eugenics, steralization, and abortion puts that same outcome in a historical perspective. An 1988 article by David, Fleischhacker and Hoehn seems to add a different light to the debate, but I couldn’t read it with my university clearance. You are more than welcome  to help me search and suggest articles along the same line. However, the statement doesn’t seem as untrue as I thought it was. For a more thorough understanding on the topic, read the comments below.

Dear Americans, Let Me Tell You About Politics

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Don’t worry, the title was mostly just to catch your attention (because politics is so sexy). With the current Republican debates, caucuses and I know what, I believe it is time for me to tell you how American politics are viewed outside of the US. First of all, we’re all watching. People I know (granted, all in college) can name at least the two most important runners for the Republican nomination and most of them can voice well-founded opinions about them. I don’t know why, but American politics may be the sexiest in the world. First of all, they might be the most important in today’s world. Also, they’re being well-covered. But most importantly: it’s fantastic entertainment. The slip ups are ever-present and the two-party system seems to force people into fighting over lies such as Dutch people being killed in nursing homes.

'In Holland, they even euthanize aborted babies. True story.'

So, all these things together make for great fun following the American political news. It’s better than the Dutch news, which is either boring or annoying. Wait, maybe that’s not true. Maybe it’s the impact American politics have, paired with more interesting people. Whatever it is, I cannot wait for October and November when Mitt Romney will somehow have to combine Newt Gingrich’s charisma, Ron Paul’s elderly wisdom and Santorum’s conservative views with his own unique style. Yes, I’m looking forward to it. So much.

Abortion: As If Life And Choices Are That Far Apart

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In a time where blogging seems to be all about Halloween, fear not: I’ll just focus on daily life. Nothing spooky here. Although, I will touch a topic that might roar up some feelings: abortion. As a christian, people sometimes ask me what I think of it. I don’t know, really. I’m no supporter of abortion by any means, but the world is more wicked than I can account for in my life. There can be very valid reasons to decide on having an abortion and anyone who chooses abstinence as a lifestyle would never just need one. Again, if it would be this simple, the problem would not exist. I tend to get mad at some stories I hear about abortions as well as at screaming, judging people who have no idea what the real world looks like. When you’re preaching to the choir, abstinence is the way to go. When you’re preaching to the world, screaming will never get you anywhere.

In Missouri, one of the things that struck me was the amount of energy spend on the topic. Billboards that were hitting me in my guilt spot, asking me if I defended the born-to-be-babies in this world. Radio commercials that would tell people to get to their clinic while the company sorted out the paperwork. In an environment like that, it seemed impossible not to take an extreme stance. Every now and then, the discussion pops up in The Netherlands, but in Missouri, it seemed an endless debate. It truly is some sort of war, with two sides fighting over any ground they can get. Opting for pro-life or pro-choice seems not based on your own beliefs and preferences, keeping in mind every story is about people, but both are being made to a benchmark on one’s steadfastness. Giving in to the other side is made equal to lying to yourself and betraying the world.

It’s not all this bad. As always, the people that shout the hardest, get the most attention and could well be far off the main public. While I was still in shock about the intensity of the debate, I saw a flyer from the church I was visiting. Every week, women were being invited to a post-abortion support group and bible study. ‘Offsite for confidentiality.’ Hallelujah.

PS. I googled ‘abortion’ to find a picture, got sick and will spare you both the details and the picture.