Brendan O’ReganOne thing that makes me proud of Ireland is our largely pro-life culture, but sadly this ethos is under constant threat.
Last Friday’s interview with Ann Furedi of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) on Newstalk Drive was disturbing listening. She was particularly frank in seeing abortion as a fall back option when contraception failed. In advocating for abortion she suggested women “can be trusted” – of course women are usually the fiercest advocates for their children, in or out of the womb, but surely the whole nature of law is that it limits our choices because humans don’t always do the humane thing.
That was the argument behind the children’s rights referendum of a few years ago, and there have been too many high profile cases that prove the point.
Interviewer Sarah McInerney put it to her that abortion was “taking the life of another human being”, to which she replied: “I have to accept that abortion does involve taking a life of sorts” – what? Isn’t that similar to the line of argument used by racists to defend slavery?
She accepted that abortion stops a beating heart, that there’s “something very wonderful about life from its very conception” but didn’t believe that life (“of sorts”) was equivalent to a woman – it doesn’t know it’s alive and doesn’t have self-awareness, which could easily be an argument for infanticide of newborns.
She would countenance no term limits. McInerney put it to her that as the pregnancy progressed the baby would have fingers and toes and could feel, but Furedi was not for turning. McInerney referred to Furedi’s position on abortion as allowing the killing of the baby (“or whatever language you want to use”).
According to Furedi, it was about “the amount of value placed on that particular life” (again reminiscent of racist argument), but McInerney pointed out that our Constitution regarded the lives of equal value.
Absolutist
I wasn’t expecting Furedi to be absolutist, but on the Irish situation she said it was “absolutely wrong” for people in the UK to say we had to change our law (she was in Dublin to address a ‘Repeal the Eighth’ meeting’!) but then McInerney reminded her of an ad that BPAS ran in Ireland in 2013 – “we’ll care for your women until your Government does”. Touché.
Later McInerney reported that there had been a strong text reaction to the item – overwhelmingly negative towards Furedi’s position. Now there’s a sign of hope.
Another thing that makes me proud to be Irish is the wonderful work our missionaries and voluntary workers do abroad. Last Sunday night’s Would You Believe (RTÉ 1) took an inspiring and heart-breaking look back at the role our missionaries played in the ‘60’s famine in Biafra, the first televised famine thanks to the Radharc team, one that prompted a “phenomenal” generosity from the Irish people.
The missionaries, interviewed today, were still emotional about what happened back then, and it was truly moving to see them gathered together at the end of the programme.
We learned of starvation being used as a weapon of war, of hospitals being bombed, children ‘sacrificed at the altar of oil’, reporters in tears, lives risked and lost – over 30 pilots and crew killed flying in food aid despite a blockade. Novelist Frederick Forsythe, then a reporter, said we were inured to all this now, but weren’t back then.
Fr Tony Byrne, who organised the food airlifts, had one striking quote that should echo insistently today – “Stop this scandal and save the children”.
Meanwhile, in the Cloud, the latest episode of Designated Survivor was released on Netflix, Thursday of last week. This drama tells the story of a cabinet member catapulted to the US presidency when most members of the existing government are blown up in a terrorist attack.
President Kirkman (a restrained Kiefer Southerland) has to cope with a variety of crises and conspiracies as he struggles with self-doubt and family matters. It holds the attention and recent political events in USA give it an extra resonance, but it is rather corny and clichéd at times.
At least it’s not cynical – Kirkman is conscientious, isn’t afraid to say “God Bless America’”and does his best in the face of contradictory advice from the hawks and doves around him. After eight episodes my interest is wilting, but I’ll probably stick with it for now.
Pick of the week
Surviving The Holocaust: Freddie Knoller’s War
RTÉ 2, Saturday, December 10, 7pm
Holocaust survivor Freddie Knoller talks about being a young Jewish man during WWII.
CATHOLIC VIEW FOR WOMEN
EWTN Monday, December 12, 8am; Tuesday, 10.30pm; Wednesday, 2.30pm
The CVW Hosts and Deacon Patrick W. Lappert, MD discuss how the mainstream media presents transgender rights.
Project Children: Defusing the Troubles
BBC 4, Thursday, December 15, 10pm
Liam Neeson narrates the untold story of how an NYPD bomb-disposal expert brought vulnerable children to America for a summer of peace.