What follows is the email I attempted to send to "Mike" in response to his communication to me. This email was bounced back, marked that the user was unknown:
Why is it folks like you always think you have the answers? In the scenario I posted, there was no mention of a fire extinguisher; therefore, your coming up with one substantially changed the situation. You did not solve the problem I presented; you solved a different problem that made possible your solution. Life doesn't work that way.
I get the impression you are Catholic. Am I to believe that you know everything there is to know about your religion, at least as concerns its stand on abortion and respect for human life? After all, would anyone who was not up to snuff on a serious matter such as the Roman Catholic Church's position concerning abortion, just sit down in a self-righteous huff and dash off a snotty email to tell someone he "knows so little."
Let's look at that ectopic pregnancy scenario for a moment. Without surgical intervention, both mother and unborn child will surely die. I don't know whether you have any personal experience with a systemic infection, or septicemia; but I have. I was hospitalized and very near death in the Spring of 1996 with a systemic infection that was slowly destroying every organ and system in my body. Trust me, it was no fun. It would be even worse for a woman denied surgical intervention to end an ectopic pregnancy. Her suffering would be indescribable, and she would most certainly die, as would a tiny child trapped within her fallopian tube. That surely would please God, I suppose. After all, why sacrifice only one when it is possible to place two lifeless bodies on the altar?
Have you, as an expert on God's will and Canon Law, done any research at all to discover the 'official' position of the Roman Catholic Church in such a situation? Probably not. It has been my experience that few Catholic critics trouble to inform themselves of the facts before firing off a vitriolic email while at the peak of a fit of outraged self-righteous piety.
Canon Law applies here. You HAVE heard of the Code of Canon Law, haven't you? It is the church law that is used to indict, try and convict/acquit those accused of violating Roman Catholic rules. To gain an insight into how Canon Law is interpreted in cases such as described in my original post, just click here.
Clicking on this link will take you to a Catholic information page where you might read an informative and theologically correct explanation of the Principle of Double Effect. This link will take you to a page dedicated to examining and interpreting Canon Law related to abortion. If reading an entire page is too much, I urge you to at least read the comments for Canon 2350, §1.
Hmmm. Do you think it just could be possible that I, a former Catholic, might know more about the religious system that I left than do self-righteous but ill-informed people such as yourself who are still wearing Romish blinders?
My advice to you, Sir: Do a little research before you charge others with being uninformed.
I have nothing more to say to you, nor do I care to read any more of your highly-opinionated but poorly-informed emails.
Though I made clear to "Mike" that I was not interested in further interaction with him—and though the email address I used caused the above response to bounce back—Mike did write me again. His second, and final email, follows on this thread.
