| IncarnateBodies.com |
|
by Georgie Márquez-André October 17, 2004
TOLERANCE, n. The power or capacity of enduring, or the act of enduring. ENDURE, v.t. To bear, to suffer without resistance, or without yielding.
Indeed we have become a divided nation.
It all has come down to issues of ethics and morality. Embryonic stem cell research, abortion, and homosexual marriages. So... how do we compromise on foundational issues of belief?
When, in 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade, basing their decision on the right to privacy of American women, no one could have imagined the proliferation of abortion clinics, the abuse of abortion as a means of birth control, or the horrors of partial birth abortions.
Back in 2001, President Bush thought he could compromise on stem cell by allowing research on existing embryonic strands... and funding additional research on all other stem cell studies that do not involve the creation of human life, or the destruction of existing fertilized eggs. The result? It wasn't enough... the critics want more... in the search for "the perfect cure" we are willing to play God. The "other side" insists that only embryonic research... the allowing of what in essence will be the cloning of human embryos will produce the hoped for magical results.
As to same-sex marriage... here we are, in 2004, trying to legislate that marriage is the union of "one man and one woman." We find ourselves trying to prevent not only the re-definition of the meaning of marriage, but its boundaries... if not just a man and a woman, why not two men and a woman? Or, as some are already debating... why "just" one woman and one man? We continue to "grow" the limitations. Why not challenge all those age restrictions? Who decides what is the "age of consent"?
So, no wonder we are divided. The debates are literally life and death debates. And both sides feel not only strongly, but sure that they are right, and the opposition is barbaric and ignorant. Can we compromise? How can we? How do you find middle ground on these issues? We have tried, and each time, what we have achieved is a wider opening of doors some believe should remain closed. It goes beyond humility. If in your heart you believe that a viable fetus is a child, how do you compromise on late term abortion? If you believe that life begins at conception... how do you compromise on the creation of such life, in a lab, for the sole purpose of experimentation? If you believe that the union of one man and one woman, opposites uniting to create a special unit we call family, is foundational to society... how do you compromise on re-defining it? How do you reassure the many concerned individuals that the redefining will indeed end with just two adults?
Difficult times indeed. But, thankfully, clearly defined sides. Maybe, rather than fearing the division, we should be glad that finally, we are coming down to what really matters. And all involved will have to choose, setting aside historical affiliations and culture. This is the familiar call faced by the children of Israel as they faced the unknown before crossing into the Promised Land. They knew there would be temptations, and challenges, the confrontation of foreign cultures and alien religions. And again and again the call was to choose. The time to be neutral is over... either hot or cold. There is no place for lukewarmness in this economy.
It may be scary, it may be uncomfortable, but, hey... enough with the trying to be nice and tolerant... TAKE A STAND... please!
Have a blessed week! All definitions taken from Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary. Sign up now for Georgie Márquez André's Motivation of the Week e-zine. Receive inspirational thoughts, Bible studies, fitness tips and just general motivation to grow in body, mind, and spirit in your email box weekly. Yours FREE!! Here is a sample of the motivational messages you'll receive:
Complete the Form Below to Subscribe IncarnateBodies has a zero spam tolerance policy. We will never sell or rent your contact information to any third party, for any reason. |