Let the Voice of Reason Be Heard

From the desk of Joan Pella:

The following letter was published today
in the Intelligencer, Belleville, Ontario.


Re "Honouring Morgentaler a disgrace" (September 25), I wonder how Louise Donahue would feel if someone close to her were experiencing an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. Human compassion alone means that the option to terminate a pregnancy must be available to those who want it.

Ms. Donahue and others who believe as she does might be interested to know that one of the first abortions performed by Dr. Morgentaler was on the daughter of a prominent anti-abortionist. The girl was terrified to tell her father she was pregnant.

Dr. Morgentaler put his freedom and his career on the line for what he believed. The fact that he eventually won means that he must have had a lot of moral right on his side. Perhaps Ms. Donahue and company would do well to remember the words of the bible she professes so much to believe in, the part about looking to the beam in her own eye before she worries too much about the motes in the eyes of others.
I and many other Canadians are proud that this country has at last honoured Dr. Morgentaler with the Order of Canada. He has done so much to protect the lives and health of Canadian women. One has to wonder just what people like Louise Donahue, who write such intolerant letters, are thinking.

Bill Broderick, Chair
Quinte Humanist Association

This is the type of letter which can make our voices heard as rational Humanists. I do not think that anyone can change the mind of a person who accepts a religion's dicta as absolute, but there must be some people out there who are thinking. By taking part in this sort of activity in numbers, we are also letting people who may feel excluded from the large, loud and visible "Faith society" that there are others;they are not alone. In addition, numbers are important to religious leaders and the appearance of many non-religious arguments based on reason and from human compassion may challenge them eventually) -or, as I have seen for myself when I witnessed a Pentecostal argumental performance on the existence of God (their God), retreat even further in the irrational acceptance of their holy book as "proof".-which certainly may be further than some of their faithful would like to go. Didn't our opposition parties influence the humane changes to our access to medical treatment and old-age and other mutual support ? And what is a powerful religious institution but a political force?

Joan P.