This page was last updated on February 27, 2012.
Questions for Geneva; Kathryn Lee; Beaver County Times; February 26, 2012.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“I am dismayed by the lawsuit filed by Geneva College. My grandfather, Charles Lee, was president of Geneva, and my father, Stewart Lee, was on the faculty for 41 years and was professor emeritus of economics when he died in 2007.”
[RWC] Without doing so explicitly, the letter implies the Messrs. Lee would agree with Ms. Lee. Otherwise, the Lees’ relationship with Geneva would be irrelevant. My father was a Presbyterian as were my paternal grandparents and great-grandparents.
You can find the subject lawsuit here.
“I have several questions for those who made the decision to file this lawsuit.
“1). Has the Reformed Presbyterian Church taken an official position on contraceptives such as Plan B and the IUD?”
[RWC] Read the “The Constitution of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)” (Chapter 24: Of Marriage and Divorce, Testimony 19, pages A-81 & A-82) and the answer appears to be “yes.” You’ll see what I mean below.
“2). Do the so-called ‘abortion-inducing drugs’ include Plan B and IUD? I assume that the college’s greatest concern is with those contraceptives that inhibit the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall.”
[RWC] Here is what RPCNA Constitution says about when life begins and abortion: “Unborn children are living creatures in the image of God. From the moment of conception to birth they are objects of God’s providence as they are being prepared by Him for the responsibilities and privileges of postnatal life. Unborn children are to be treated as human persons in all decisions and actions involving them. Deliberately induced abortion, except possibly to save the mother’s life, is murder.”
As I understand “morning-after pills” and IUDs, they can prevent pregnancy by either inhibiting fertilization or inhibiting implantation of an embryo in the uterus. Since preventing implantation occurs after conception, the “Deliberately induced abortion, except possibly to save the mother’s life, is murder” testimony in the RPCNA Constitution appears to oppose use of “so-called ‘abortion-inducing drugs’ includ[ing] Plan B and IUD[s].”
Supporters, like Planned Parenthood, of morning-after drugs claim these drugs don’t induce abortion despite the fact these groups also say these drugs “[i]n theory … could prevent pregnancy by keeping a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.” These apparently-contradictory assertions are based on the strict definitions of abortion and pregnancy. Abortion terminates pregnancy but pregnancy technically doesn’t begin until embryo implantation. Therefore, killing the embryo before implantation technically isn’t abortion because the woman technically isn’t pregnant. In either case, however, the result is the same; the unborn child is dead.
“3). Can a woman teach at Geneva who uses these contraceptives? Must she disclose to the college that she is using them? This seems a logical next step in the policy the college is affirming. Can a husband whose wife is taking said contraceptives teach at Geneva?”
[RWC] This is where Ms. Lee leaves the tracks and starts grasping at straws.
“4). On what other justice issues has the college taken stuch [sic] a public stand? Inequality of incomes? Racism in the criminal justice system?”
[RWC] Here’s a question for Ms. Lee. Has the government tried to force Geneva to do something against the RPCNA Constitution regarding “[i]nequality of incomes” and “[r]acism in the criminal justice system?”
“I wonder what room there is for debate now at Geneva on controversial issues.”
[RWC] What does this have to do with “debate … at Geneva on controversial issues?”
Did you note what was missing? At no point did Ms. Lee indicate she would support the lawsuit if it dealt with killing an embryo only after implantation. Perhaps I’m reading too much into this omission, but it could lead some readers to believe Ms. Lee supports abortion – in violation of the RPCNA Constitution – and also supports our government forcing religious groups to do the same by forcing those groups to fund abortion.
© 2004-2012 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.