Was the Catholicism question out of line?

[milhouse24]

Its interesting that white Catholics seem to take the abortion issue far more seriously than Hispanic Catholics.

Hispanic voters, either Democrat or Republican, realize that the only way to increase their political clout in America is to increase the number of Hispanic-American voters.  The most important way to succeed and surpass the white-majority voting population is to have more Hispanic-American births and children.  In order for the next president to be Hispanic, Hispanic Americans must ignore the abortion issue.  

[milhouse24]

One thing I've noticed is that white (non-Hispanic) Catholics seem to prioritize the abortion issue more than other Catholics in the United States.

Makes sense at some level, I guess; white Catholics are more affluent than non-whites, on average. When you're not dealing  with discrimination or struggling to pay the bills, you can afford to prioritize sexual issues.

Its mostly a white people problem.  More specifically its a white woman's issue and a feminist issue.  Some Black women are also pro-abortion, but the Black community usually frowns on abortion, and there are a lot of Black Populists that want to increase Black political clout by increasing the African American population, especially since Black men have shorter average life spans.

[milhouse24]

I saw an article in Newsweek about one doctor's experience with the afterlife when he was in a coma. 

I've also had some random "floating-above-the-body dreamlike" experiences due to health problems. 

I don't know whether its the human brain creating "Dreams" to cope with death and oxygen deprivation.  Sort of like a natural morphine to take away the shock of death. 

But I think its possible to believe that the "Human Soul" can exist somewhere after death, instead of dissolving into the soil. 

I wonder if the "Belief in the Afterlife" can affect whether a person supports abortion.  If you think that Heaven exists, then the idea of killing a life no matter how small, may change someone's opinion on abortion. 

[milhouse24]

I wonder if the "Belief in the Afterlife" can affect whether a person supports abortion.  

possibly.  I've never been pregnant, and will never become pregnant, but I have had similar musings along these lines.  For example, if a person doesn't want a baby to suffer, either because she hasn't the means to support it or doesn't think she is ready, then maybe she considers terminating the pregnancy.  A belief that the baby has a soul that transcends its mortal coil, it seems to me, might ease the burden of guilt.  The soul, being immortal, is unaffected by such transient, fleeting instances as might occur during curettage of the uterine lining.  If, on the other hand, the pregnant individual is unconvinced of immortality, then aborting the baby becomes more difficult.  In that case, abortion of the fetus may be viewed as a hard death sentence, and one that the pregnant individual has a hard time pronouncing.

Such philosophical discussions obviously don't make for good soundbites and and really do not belong to the world of policymaking anyway, so they don't make their way into candidates' debates, but it can be delicious food for thought for those predisposed to ponder such questions.  

I was also thinking that "if Heaven exists, and you are judged" then voluntarily killing a baby's soul would be seen as a bad thing.  Of course, some religions believe that you automatically enter Heaven no matter what things you do on earth.  But the feeling of guilt in killing a life unnecessarily may somehow affect your "afterlife experience."