Some context for international readers.
This decision has been highly controversial in Poland and started largest public protests this country has seen in decades, with more than a hundred thousand people protesting every day for more than a week now.
Also, many people criticize the timing of the decision - the midst of the global pandemic, when people are filled with enough anxiety and fear, proved to be an unfortunate time for such controversial matters.
Worth noting are also nationalist thugs who attack the peaceful protesters on the streets with punches, pepper spray and batons, claiming to do so in the name of God.
I hope that the state would initiate a citizens’ assembly to discuss abortion law. I know that for many Catholics it is a matter of protecting life and it feels like there’s nothing to discuss further. But I’ve heard views and stories that show many more dimensions to the topic and I believe that having a polite conversation that let all the sides be heard in a civilized manner could only bring good things, even if it doesn’t change the court’s decision. In my very own way, I pray for such conversation to happen.
– kuba-orlik 2020-11-02 08:55 UTC
Some more context.
1. AFAIK, the decision about the timing was made a few weeks or months earlier. Though I agree that this decision should have been made years ago.
2. As for “thugs” and “peaceful protesters” - well, this is clearly a joke. These “peaceful protesters” interrupted Masses and vandalized churches, among other things. This is actually worse than physical assault on people. Frankly, I am astonished - and proud of what you call “nationalist thugs” who abstained from physical violence a lot more than I would expect - that the protesters didn’t get beaten up much more often.
3. I agree that a conversation would be good. Unfortunately, the protesters seem not interested in it at all. Instead, they seem to have been working very hard to convince the other side that they are basically varelse. In fact, this worries me a bit. Not too much, since these protests will come and go faster than people think (this already happens), but still. Anyway, I also pray for my country.
– mbork 2020-11-09 21:18 UTC
The Christian church remains one of the greatest forces of evil in the world.
From the start it has chosen the same option against its enemies: violence. Usually accompanied by book-burning (and author-burning, of course), show-trials, and “pious lies” to deceive the simple.
The current stance about abortion sits oddly with the history of early “martyrs” who were perplexed to find that the Romans refused to execute them if they were pregnant on the grounds that the unborn child was an innocent - not a concern the Christians spent much time agonising over in their campaign of intolerance to other views.
And, of course, attacking a church is “worse than physical assault on people” (obviously, only if it’s a Christian church - attacking other churches and temples is absolutely celebrated). People are expendable in the Christian view. The Church, on the other hand, is the Dictator of Dictators; Big Brother’s Mother. All Hail! Never mind that the whole story of Jesus falls apart as soon as you look at it; you’re not supposed to look at it! Just swallow the lies and say “thank you; here’s 10% of my income to buy some more gold candlesticks”.
Despicable wretches following a morally bankrupt sham.
– Anonymous 2021-02-01 10:36 UTC
1. I considered deleting the comment above, but after short consideration decided against it, since I decided it may be better to reply to it instead, and leave it as a kind of warning sign.
2. While I do understand that someone might not agree with me, or with the Church, I do expect a minimal level of civility, and a minimal level of keeping to the facts. The above comment breaks both these rules. So, if anyone wants to get his/her comment deleted in the future, the one above may serve as a pretty accurate yardstick of what to do.
– mbork 2021-02-06 18:36 UTC