From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@ocean.com.au)
Date: Thu Jan 09 2003 - 01:54:31 MST
Lee Corbin wrote:
> Even in values, it is unwise
> to say "Blah, blah blah, and blah. This is what I BELIEVE!",
> e.g., "It is horrible and obscene and cruel and therefore
> WRONG for a woman to cut the arms off her daughter, and THIS
> IS WHAT I BELIEVE", completely shutting oneself down to further
> critical inquiry and pursuit of consistency.
An example comes to mind:
---------
"I BELIEVE that "human life" begins at conception, therefore,
"therapeutic cloning" should not be permitted *even* if it could
be shown that the lives of many sick people would be saved by it".
---------
This example doubles up two of the unwholesome trinity of bad
meme-words "believe" and "human life".
Some actual example of "human-life" as a word being abused in
this way by Australian politicians in the stem cell debate was
provided in my post of the 30 December. Subject -
Re: When Should Cloning be Permitted? - Warning long.
*If* the stakes were not so high, it would almost be comic that the,
"true believers" defence of "human life" leads to an increase in
the chances of actual persons (sick people) dying earlier and harder
than they otherwise might have.
But then the "true believers" don't really believe the dead are "dead"
and they are often quite willing to act on that "belief" and implement
policy consistent with it if they can. And policy that becomes law
applies to everyone.
[This was my last post for today - as I am officially over quota.]
Brett
[the gasbag]
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