I learned, first hand, about a fellow in my past parish who had no
qualms whatsoever about eating intensive factory reared meat, fowl and
eggs. He had no qualms about eating frogs legs or lobster. Not
unnaturally, he enjoyed hare coursing, greyhound racing and – whenever
in Spain – bullfighting. Indeed, you couldn’t blame him for the priests
whom he revered out of conditioning were avid participants of such
things.
He was a loyal adherent of his church. Hence – much against medical
advice – he had a large family as birth control - apart from a so-called
rhythm period, was out! Well, before long, his dear wife, who was well
and truly worn out for her age, was again expecting. And this time the
outcome was put to him by deeply disturbed medics. “We cannot save both
of them this time. Is it to be your wife – the mother of your young
family – or the unborn foetus she carries?” Well, the man did the worst
thing imaginable – though he thought it was the best! – He asked his
parish priest. You can imagine the outcome. Another child was born; to
be reared motherless with the others.
The man was never the same again. All sparkle went out of his life;
and two years later, mounting his motorbike, he went out on a spin; and
then, nearing a bridge he accelerated and took himself over the edge of
the same. Yes, according to his sister – a convert to my Scottish
Episcopal church – he simply could not live with his conscience.
Thankfully, his sister became not only a regular communicant but also an
avid supporter of ones animal activist endeavours throughout the parish.
Well, whereas the demand for abortion ‘as a woman’s right’ may well
and truly have gone well over the top, there are occasional grounds when
it is surely the lesser of two evils. We have the examples of rape, or
of that of a retarded girl taken advantage of. Not to mention factors
such as incest; and the abnormality of a future birth! Indeed, to forbid
a termination in situations like these is, in my mind, not only evil but
diabolic.
The strangest of contradictions appears to confront that branch of
Christendom which – while it states, categorically, that an unbaptised
life can never enter Heaven but is destined for Limbo – it equally
fights for the rights of the unborn! Yes, putting such a pre.birth
existence before the precious life of the one who carries it. Well, I
sense that Jesuitical casuistry will seek to rationalise it; but how
justifiably so is another matter!
Animal Padre's
