(no subject)

[theweaselking]

So there's a Japanese Catholic hospital.

They don't like abortion, predictably, but they have a relatively sensible take on it for Catholics: rather than just working to ban it, they try to actually address the causes of abortion and came up with a novel solution they hoped would reduce both the number of people who want abortions *and* the number of babies who die from being abandoned.

Their solution: "The Stork's Cradle", a place where unwanted newborns could be dropped off anonymously - allowing parents to have their child adopted, and hopefully reducing the number of abandoned babies left in dangerous places, or where they would not be found in time.

It opened last Thursday.

On the first day of operation, they also had their first drop-off: A toddler, approximately three years old, who was only able to tell the police that he'd come there with "daddy", that he'd taken the train with his daddy to the city and that he really didn't know where home was, or what his daddy's name is.

Comments

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

'Abandon' implies 'leaving without concern,' which clearly isn't the case in any situation where the child is being left in care. According to your argument, any adoption process is abandonment.

Catholics DO think having sex before marriage is wrong. Super wrong. They ARE reprimanded harshly for having sex before marriage. The thing is that people DO fail, and do immoral things. Some Catholics do use birth control. Some have abortions. Some have sex before marriage. What we're discussing here is what happens when the latter is the problem.

Or, y'know, when married couples are just having sex (perfectly permissible) and can't take care of children. Or when the birth control fails. Or in the case of rape, or incest or a thousand other concerns.

You seemed to be saying it was irresponsible (i.e, not right and not rational) to have a child when you cannot take care of it. My point is that it's not always as simple as abortion: []Yes or []No.

[chaosrah.livejournal.com]

I guess I wasn't very clear. I definitely understand that there are circumstances where such things can't be avoided. As you said, in the case of rape, birth control fails, etc. I guess I'm just angry that people don't take more responsibility for their actions than they currently do. I'm talking about the people in which these special circumstances do not apply to. And I know it happens a lot more than many would like to admit.

You can't really be reprimanded, however, if you drop off anon. I understand that's the point, people would just stick their kids on the streets if they were to be reprimanded, and of course, people don't like to be punished. And, indeed, this happens all the time, to avoid the shame. I got it, I understand. I still don't think it's right. Blah.

And yes, I know it's not as simple as abortion. While I am pro-choice, I know I would have a very difficult time of deciding whether or not to abort my own baby if the situation ever arrose. That's why I'll do my best to not have to make that decision.

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

That's fine. I'm sure the Church would agree with that position. But railing against foolishness doesn't help the unwilling victims of that foolishness. Like I said elsewhere, treat the symptoms and then move on to treating the problem.

You can't be publically humiliated or be in danger of your job, life, whatever, if you drop them off anonymously, no. But if you confide to your priest as a devout Catholic, I'm sure he would proscribe some kind of suitable penance. Besides, the guilt and torment those poor mothers would go through is probably more than enough punishment. If there is a problem of abandonment (which there is), then this is the correct solution to the problem. A safe, healthy, anonymous way of ensuring your unwanted babies are kept safe. Like I said above: even if only one person uses it, that's one less baby left in a cardboard box somewhere. That is to be commended.

Ja. Pro choice is making sure there are choices. This service grants another one.

[chaosrah.livejournal.com]

True.

I never said this service was a bad thing, mind you. And you are right, you do have to do something about the "symptoms"...

Indeed, the mothers' probably do go through quite a bit of torment.. Except for the occasional nutjob that feels no remorse. (I have heard of mothers that do not feel anything for ridding themselves of their child, I find this appalling. A friend of mind had to answer to social services about one of these such "mothers"..)

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

Even so, better to take the child away from a mother than cares not if said child lives or dies. Better than THAT is to have an anonymous option for said parent to give the child up for adoption.

[chaosrah.livejournal.com]

I'm not disagreeing.

As I said before, I'm just against this feeling that people can do what they want and to hell with the consequences. (Yes, I know this does not apply to everyone, but it does apply to some, and that bugs me.)

Damn humans.

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

Now there is an admirable sentiment.

Damn humans indeed.

[chaosrah.livejournal.com]

And yes. Humans fail. To err is human, eh?