Infanticide: The New Liberal Frontier

Last updated on: March 2, 2012 at 1:21 am by Michael F. Bird

Infanticide: The New Liberal Frontier 2012-03-02T01:21:17-04:00 Michael F. Bird

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Hi. I’m a shouty man, and I’m here to tell you about the latest in left wing health care. The philosophical left likes to be radical, but in case you haven’t noticed, when your radical views become mainstream, it gets harder every decade to find ways to be more radical. So, if you’re not getting your radical jollies off on gay marriage, portable euthanasia clinics, and partial-birth abortions, there is a whole new vista of radicalism opening up for you now. Infanticide! Yes, that’s right, killing little babies. You too can be among the intelligentsia, you too can join the ranks of chardonnay swilling intellectual elites, and you too can look down on superstitious and sentimental saps who refuse to kill their babies. Of course, we don’t call it “Infanticide,” that sounds nasty, we call it “Post-Birth Abortions.” It’s not even new. World renowned ethicist Peter Singer has been advocating this stuff for years, and he must be alright, because he helped write the manifesto for the Australian Greens and he’s a one time Green’s Senate Candidate. So if you’re tired of crying babies or babies with disabilities, we can eradicate them for you at the bargain basement price of $19.95 (govt. subsidies are available once Greens come to power, casket and cremation extra; warning, may constitute violation of human rights, and will definitely damn your soul for all eternity).

Okay, sarcasm aside, academics in Oz are really advocating this stuff. See articles about it here and here. What is most mind blowing of all, is that the main headline being reported is that these academics are receiving threats and abuse (as if that is the main thing we should worry about). They are supposedly the victims of a hate campaign by radical right wing bigots offended by their philosophical justification for infanticide. I should note, that this is not new. Peter Singer, controversial ethicist, has argued that infants and especially infants with disabilities are not really “persons,” and therefore can have their lives rightfully terminated pretty much at the whim of the mother.

Okay here’s my (unrestrained) response. First, I’m not surprised, as I think this is the logical consequent of the “anytime” abortion stance. After all, why does travelling six inches down a birth canal make a difference as to when and where a baby can be killed? Infanticide is logically consistent with the pro-abortion philosophy of the indiscriminate right to kill. Second, it goes to show that the depths and depravity of the human mind know no limits. The two academics arguing this position are not dummies. They are smart people. In fact, there are some forms of evil, that in order to justify them, you have to be absolutely brilliant. It takes a lot of philosophical word play and heaps of imaginative argumentation to over power your most basic moral senses to the effect that infants do not have the right to live. Goes to show that some of the cleverest people are, when you get down to basics, nothing more than brutal and bastardly barbarians with a Ph.D.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 1, 2012

F.F. Bruce on the Vocation of a Biblical Scholar

Next Post

March 2, 2012 Top Biographies on NT Scholars

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which sea did God part for the Israelites to escape Egypt?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Sea of Galilee Dead Sea Jordan River Red Sea

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »