Who advocates for the unborn babies?
Published:Monday | July 22, 2019 | 12:09 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
On Thursday July 18, 2019, The Gleaner published a story titled “Pro-abortion activists turn up heat on Church”.
In the story, human rights advocate Mrs Yvonne McCalla Sobers objected to the anti-abortion stance of the Church. McCalla Sobers issued a warning to the State about the political influence of the Church.
I have assumed that she was quoted correctly when she said: “The Church has a right to its views and moral principles, but [it] has no right to impose those on the rest of us citizens, who may not be members of any church.”
Church shouldn’t force conformity
I actually agree with Mrs McCalla Sobers. The Church should not force persons to conform to moral principles.
However, the State can compel persons to conduct themselves in a manner that is morally upright. That is precisely why several of our laws are rooted in moral principles. What would be interesting to know is what moral principles guide McCalla Sobers when she is advocating for human rights. Certainly, these rights do not exist in a vacuum and must be underpinned by moral principles.
Finally, it would be remiss of me to not mention the extreme irony of a human rights advocate gunning for the decriminalisation of abortion.
This change in the law will undoubtedly affect the rights of vulnerable human beings, i.e., babies in the womb. Is it that the human right to life for those in the womb can be so easily discarded, and worse yet, by an advocate for human rights?
Kwame Gordon