In going through the Town Hall columns today, I read a fellow who I've only read a time or two before. He is Burt Prelutsky, an author, arts critic and successful writer for television. I haven't cared for his stuff and so he has been one of several there that I skip over without remorse. However, the title of his column today ("The Religious Left") attracted me and I'm glad I read his piece if only to pass along a warning; namely, one has to be careful to scrutinize even those opinions coming from seemingly conservative sources. In this case, the reader who appreciates the strong pro-life convictions of Town Hall columnists like Ann Coulter, Chuck Colson, Brent Bozell, Star Parker, Herman Cain, Marvin Olasky, Jennifer Roback Morse, Cal Thomas, Michelle Malkin, et al must endure the ridiculously naive creed of Mr. Prelutsky. He writes:
...The fact is, I have nothing against Christian fundamentalists. Mainly, I disagree with them on the issue of abortion. But I don’t think that those in the Pro-Life movement are evil, whereas I think those on the other side, those who promote 13 and 14-year-olds having abortions without parental consent, are.
I dislike abortions as a method of birth control, but I think they’re a necessary evil. I’ve heard that upwards of 50 million have taken place since the Roe v. Wade decision. If there’s an upside to that sad statistic, it’s that 50 million unwanted babies weren’t born. That’s an awful lot of kids, most of whom would never be loved, never be adopted -- 50 million kids, a good number of whom would grow up to fill America’s future quota of rapists, pedophiles, and serial killers...
Very bad logic. Very bad philosophy. And a very bad advertisement for Town Hall whose e-mail pitches for financial support are aimed (primarily) at folks who find abortion morally repugnant.
Town Hall should begin to exercise better judgment in this area. For instance, remember my pointing out the other day Kathleen Parker's acceptance of abortions -- when they are "early" enough? She too, as you know, is a Town Hall columnist. And, though I greatly appreciate many of the other national columnists they feature, it is their "big umbrella" philosophy that will keep me from ever answering their calls for financial assistance.
But if Town Hall should be wary, so most definitely should you and I be too. For the "conservative movement" is always in danger of being co-opted by those who care more for their money purses than they do their moral principles. For goodness sakes, how many times do we have to be led down the primrose path before we get hip to how we are being exploited? How many politicians, honored guests at our pro-life banquets and recipients of our enthusiastic endorsements in voter's guides, will continue to give us the weakest, most compromising efforts when they are actually in Washington?
No, you can never let your guard down. And, even when reading a generally conservative source such as Town Hall columns, diligence in discernment is ever the order of the day.
