Thursday, May 31, 2007

Thursday

BBC NEWS 24...
....telephoned just as I was finishing work on a feature for an American magazine and congratulating myself on having a quiet day to get on with such things.

Apparently Cardinal Keith O'Brien had said some strong things against abortion at a special event in Scotland to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragic 1967 Abortion Act. Would I take part in a TV discussion about this? Yes, definitely - especially when I discovered that they were also having some one from the bogus "Catholics for a Free Choice" organisation.

I expect I did not do as well as I could and should have done in the discussion but the chap from CFFC certainly got all muddled up. He went on about needing more contraception if we genuinely wanted to stop abortions (more??? They teach children about it every school, fund vast advertising and promotional campaigns with taxpayers' money, have contraceptives on sale at every motorway service station and High Street chemist's shop and supermarket, distribute them in youth clubs, promote them at every health centre and doctors' surgery...and the abortion rate has gone steadily UP, especially among teenagers who are now using contraceptivces on a vast scale) and he also said that a politician's job was simply to say what the majority of his electors wanted - which is surely a most ghastly idea that could only suit some one bereft of any moral conscience. Suppose a majority of people wanted to introduce public lynchings of alleged criminals without due trial?

Anyway, I don't know if one can watch the thing on the Internet, so if any readers of this blog are interested, perhaps they would do so and tell me their opinion.

One Anonymous correspondent always writes in, incidentally, whenever I report some media activity or speaking engagement, and tells me I am ghastly and should not bother to do such things - so I know he will favour me with a comment this time too....but I'd value hearing from others too....

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

God bless you & thankyou or your courage! i would dissolve into panic at the thought of taking on the BBC & that horrible organisation.

That was a particularly brilliant explanation of the availability of contraception..i will show it to my older daughters..

What was it the Cardinal said? Was it good?

God bless

(just blank any uncharitable posts)

Anonymous said...

If there's some way of seeing the broadcast online, could some lovely person please leave a link here? I think it'd do us all good to see this ourselves.

Well done for representing real Catholics to the BBC, Mrs Bogle. Here's hoping it helped someone realise the exceptionally ill-informed Furedi was off the mark when she said:

"[At BPAS] We see many couples and women for contraception and abortion treatment who are active Catholics. It is quite clear that not everyone who shares the Catholic faith with the Cardinal agrees with him on this issue."

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, I didn't see you on the BBC yesterday, but I was most impressed recently with your excellent performance on the 'Heaven and Earth' show. You were fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Why O why is it always the Scottish bishops who speak out on abortion?
When we have a Day for Life in England and Wales it turns out to be about respecting the elderly, or better childcare, or looking after refugees or some thing. Very worthy no doubt, but why don't they speak out on the mass murder of abortion?

Anonymous said...

Flabellum - largely because the English and Welsh bishops only speak as a body and the body can't agree on basic issues - other than the waffly (even where worthy) 'justice and peace' issues. We don't have anyone who will speak unequivocally as do some of the Scottish bishops.

The thought of hearing any English/welsh bishop teach publicly that abortion is 'murder' and that Catholic politicians and others who support its availability excommunicate themselves 'latae sentientiae' is an impossibility. Vincent Nicholls was in Lourdes this week, so maybe when he gets back he might see an opportunity to say something eqivocal in support of Cardinal M O'Cs weak intervention. Who knows?

barry said...

Thank you for having the courage to put forward the "alternative" view on this matter. I saw the interview and must say it does you great credit. Our Church is constantly under attack by the media in this country, and it was hearwarming to see you give it your support and to show that there does exist an alternative approach to that of the mass media.

Well done & God bless.

Placid said...

The Archbishop of Cardiff has joined in support of the Cardinal so well done Wales! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6714557.stm