Letters

Slepian

Nobody has ever suggested Jack the Ripper was a member of one of the many anti-prostitution leagues that barracked the government of the day for strict prostitution laws.

All the suspects are maniacs ripping a certain group of women.

Everybody assumes that the shooter of five abortion doctors in the past four years along the U.S.-Canada border is pro-life.

I think the shooter is a maniac sniping a certain group of men.

Maniacs tend to commit crimes for reasons that make perfect sense to them, and none whatsoever to anybody else. One strangles blonds because his wicked stepmother was blond. Another just knows that a mole on the nose is Satan's sign: they must die.

In fact, the distinguishing mark of the normal criminal is that we do not agree with what he does, but we can understand the reasons why.

During 17 years as a policeman in two countries, I arrested hundreds of people for most crimes on the books. I heard or read with professional interest about thousands of others, and sat through thousands of hours of court testimony.

A village idiot could have solved most of them; in fact, where I was the arresting officer, a village idiot had. Only one or two were unfathomable maniacs, and often they were never found.

Police are hopeless at apprehending maniacs. They cannot get a fingerhold in the smooth vertical face of the crime. They know the culprit is up at the top there, but they cannot start their climb.

Typically, they form inter-agency task forces, as in the shooter case. Part of it is to spread the blame around for failure to arrest. Part of it is a strange belief that if one agency stands on the shoulders of another agency, then another stands on their shoulders and so on, eventually there will be a policeman near the top who might see something.

Inevitably, each agency wants to be that top man. Nobody wants to have a pair of muddy boots on his shoulders. So they squabble and politic behind the scenes and nothing gets done.

I should imagine the amount of in-fighting right now amongst the various law enforcement agencies is like putting James Carville in a sack with Jerry Falwell.

Will the shooter be caught? I sincerely hope so. Is he pro-life? I sincerely hope not.

David Packer
Welland, Ont.

Once again this year, as is quite fitting, Nov. 11 was marked by parades, laying of wreaths, and speeches by political luminaries. I say "quite fitting," in so far as it honours the memory of men and women who gave their lives for what they considered a decent, civilized way of life. They believed, they fought, they died. May they rest in peace. We owe them much.

Having written the above in sincerity, I now dip my pen in bitterness. I say "bitterness," because the ideals they cherished and died for, the life values and life standards they defended with their own lives, are being violated, scorned and trampled into the mud by the official edicts of our government.

A harsh statement and almost traitorous? Look at it this way: I submit that on no given day between 1939 and 1945, could Churchill, Hitler, Stalin, Hirohito, Mussolini, Roosevelt or any other world figure tell you each morning how many would die that day. They couldn't and they weren't expected to. However, any day of 1998, if they were sufficiently interested, Jean Chrétien, Mike Harris, and any other leader could consult the disposal facilities of coast-to-coast abortuaries and pinpoint the precise number of innocent, harmless, helpless Canadian citizens who would be scalded, vivisected, or otherwise destroyed in that one, 24-hour period.

They lament publicly the murder of an abortionist. So do I, because all life is sacred. While their tears flow, they ignore the hundreds of sacred lives brutally sacrificed each day on the altar of convenience and cash. Poor Canada - a magnificent country, led by stuffed shirts and sob sisters. They zero in on the most vulnerable - the unborn, and my gang, the over 80s. Frankly I don't trust them. Do you?

J.J. Delaney
Cobden, Ont.

Morgentaler

"I've contributed to a change in public opinion in Canada. I've achieved something in my life." Henry Morgentaler once again at his self-glorifying best. This time, he is taking full credit for reducing the national crime rate. In his recent foray through Fredericton, he linked the right to abortion to a reduction in crime. He said unwanted babies are often abused babies who grow up unloved, filled with rage, and become the juvenile delinquents, and eventually the criminals, who take out vengeance against society.

I don't know where Dr. Morgentaler gets his facts, but according to figures from the U.S. National Centre of Child Abuse and Neglect, child abuse has dramatically increased since abortion was legalized in the U.S. In 1973, the year the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion, the agency reported 167,000 cases of child abuse. In 1983, it reported 929,000 cases. By 1991, the number of cases had soared to 2.5 million, and the numbers are still going up today. Of course, these figures don't include the 36 million children killed by abortion - which is itself the ultimate form of child abuse.

Today, after some 25 years of legal abortion in North America, and well over 30 million children killed, every single social problem we faced when we began this grisly business is considerably worse. We have more teenage pregnancies, more hunger, more welfare, more divorces, more women and children living in poverty, more child abuse, more spousal abuse, more deadbeat dads, more gangs, more drugs, more sexually transmitted diseases, more high school dropouts, more homelessness, and a generally more fractured and violent society.

In short, abortion supporters are asking us to ignore the fact that these problems got worse when abortion was made legal, and to accept blindly the notion that they'll get worse if abortion is made illegal. It is utterly preposterous.

Perhaps it's time we acknowledged that killing people is a bad way to solve social problems. It's morally indefensible, and apparently it doesn't work.

Thaddee Renault
Fredericton

Contraception

Re: Tim Bloedow's series on contraception. I must make a slight criticism of the series, in as much as a reader who would want to compare his argument with Scripture would have very few Scripture texts to refer to from his articles. But the Bible does have much to say about birth control.

One of the first commands that God gave humankind is contained in Genesis 1:28, "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it." This command has never been abrogated (see Mt 5:17). While ceremonial laws from the Old Testament have been fulfilled in Christ's death and resurrection, it is generally agreed upon by conservative evangelical commentators that the moral law is still binding. Obviously, Israel's religious cult was not developed yet, so this Creation mandate cannot be relegated to a ceremonial law and must be viewed as a moral imperative.

Some will argue that the earth is already filled, and therefore the command, "be fruitful and multiply," no longer applies. For those who hold to this Malthusian delusion, I would encourage them to read Handbook on Population by Robert Sassone.

The one example we see of birth control found in the Bible lies with the sin of Onan (Gen. 38:9-10). Here, Onan refused to inseminate his wife, "He spilled his seed on the ground to keep from producing offspring."

Roman Catholic and Lutheran theologians have traditionally found a principle in these passages, that it is sinful to spill seed purely for gratification with the express purpose of thwarting God's design of procreation. Two common examples of "Onanism" being promoted as normal today are condom usage and masturbation. God found this sin to be so repugnant, He took Onan's life.

While many in the church today scoff at the idea that procreation should even be mentioned as part of the equation, God's Word continues to call believers to fulfill their holy obligation to have and raise godly offspring.

"Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are His. And why one? Because He was seeking godly offspring" (Mal. 2:15) This moral command has also never been abrogated in Holy Scripture. While the New Testament does not directly deal with the issue of birth control (or incest and bestiality for that matter), one does find it is normative for believers to have children in marriage (see 1 Cor. 7:14, Mt 18:25, Acts 2:39, etc.). Jesus is certainly pro-child (Mk 10:13-16).

Mr. Bloedow rightly points out that the Old Testament considered barrenness a curse (see Gen. 25:21, 30:1, and Lev. 20:20) Conversely, children were considered a great blessing - and the more the merrier! (See Deut. 7:13, Job 1:2, 18-20, 42:13-15, Ps. 127:3-5, etc.) These passages are by no means an exhaustive exposition on the curse of barrenness and the blessing of children.

Of course, if couples obey God and are open to fertility but have no children, they need not despair. It is God Who opens and closes the womb (see Gen. 29:31, 1 Sam. 1:5-6, 19-20). It may be that God is calling them to a ministry that would be hindered by children.

Bill Whatcott
Toronto

Pharmacy

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Interim writer Tony Gosgnach for his excellent research, reporting, and expose of "The Changing Face of Pharmaceutical Ethics" (October).

It is becoming clear that the public must become actively involved by inquiring of pharmacists and their professional bodies about the use of pharmaceuticals for unhealthy and improper purposes.

An example that is quite urgent at this time is the drug Preven. The U.S. manufacturer Gynetics has recently applied to the Health Protection Branch of Health and Welfare Canada to have this drug approved for use as an "emergency contraceptive pill" (also known as "the morning-after pill," or a "post-coital interceptive").

The intended use of this drug is to interrupt a pregnancy if conception has occurred or to prevent ovulation so that pregnancy does not occur. It is dangerous to the health of the woman (it is given in four times the normal dose of the pill in 12 hours), and is deadly to the newly created child, if conception has occurred.

If Preven were approved for this use by the HPB, it could significantly alter the image of pharmacy as a healthcare profession. Pharmacies would be under increasing pressure to stock it, and pharmacists who do not dispense it would be accused of refusing provide someone with a legal product. (Note: Tobacco is a legal product, yet its sale in Ontario pharmacies is banned.)

We need to start encouraging the public to make inquiries about these products to their local pharmacies. Also the colleges of pharmacy (licensing bodies in each province) need to be questioned about regulations they have regarding pharmacies that dispense products which have a high potential to end a human life. The college in Ontario has mentioned that their mandate is to "regulate the profession of pharmacy in the public interest, and by doing so, ensure that pharmacists provide the public with quality pharmaceutical service and care." Dispensing drugs intended to end the life of a human being does not seem to fulfill these mandates.

I urge members of the public to write to the pharmacy licensing body in your province to inform them of your concerns. Ask your pharmacist for the address. At the same time, tell them why you are writing.

For more information, contact: Pharmacists for Life International (Canada) Box 43508, 180 James St. S. Hamilton, Ont., L8P 4V0 (905) 528-4828 fax (905) 528-5593, or e-mail to hrtl@hwcn.org.

Michael Izzotti
Hamilton, Ont.

Family Coalition

I admire Don Pennell and Giuseppe Gori for sharing their thoughts on how to bring "a solution to the abortion holocaust" (November). They say, "Old-line-parties offer no hope."

But as I see it, we should vote for the man and not the party. We do have some very good men in the existing parties, but not enough of them, and they need our support, more than we need another party.

It is significant that the gay lobby sees Ontario's Tory government as its enemy, because the government has gone to court to defend the traditional definition of spouse, and because the government has cut programs the gays are committed to.

If you really want to know "what are the limits of legislation in preserving order in society," you would do well to follow the line of thought of MP Garry Breitkreuz, who is sacrificing his time trying to do good. This Reform Party member offered his services to his constituents, won their confidence, got elected, and speaks out for his high principles. He is an exemplary Christian.

Instead of taking time, effort, and money to try to form the Family Coalition Party of Ontario, why not give support to good Christians (no matter what party they are in), pray for the success of their efforts, and send them messages of encouragement?

Rita Curley
Ottawa

Domestic violence

RE: "EXPERTS question ideas about domestic violence" (October). I think that the experts quoted are taking their examples from rather limited sources and have not considered people living in different cultures.

In many countries, particularly eastern ones, women in general accept their position as inferior and remain secluded in their homes. It is very likely that most feel not only loved but secure and protected and have no desire to participate in violence of any sort. They are following the customs of centuries. Although some are mistreated and have no shelters to go to, they may accept it as their lot in life.

I have a friend from the Far East who tells me that women are just "throwaways" where he comes from, and the last thing they would do is provoke a fight with their spouses.

As far as our civilized culture is concerned, women are just beginning to assert themselves. It was not too long ago that by law a man could beat his wife with a stick, provided that it was no thicker than his thumb. (Remember the verse, "The more you beat them the better they be"?)

With our enormous immigration, where will women stand in the future? Even now, in a violent situation, it is the woman who must leave the family home and start her life anew, while the man simply goes on.

Lyn Sutherland
Don Mills, Ont.