Abortion is a ... blessing????!

The Episcopal Church in the United States is in serious trouble. The appointment of Rev. Katherine Ragsdale as President and Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is another nail in the coffin.

Back in 2007, she declared:

These are the two things I want you, please, to remember – abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Let me hear you say it: abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.

Abortion is a blessing? And later, abortionists are saints?

Only in a twisted Orwellian 1984 world where War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength.

This is the woman who will be training future Episcopal priests?

Apparently she used to post the full talk on her site - but took it down recently. Bad PR? Doing the Episcopal chicken dance?

Ah, but the full text is still posted on a NARAL site - unless they take it down also.

Here's a few excerpts.

If we were to find that, while we were here, Congress had acted to insure that abortion would always be legal, that would be a very good thing; but our work would not be done.

If we were suddenly to find a host of trained providers, insuring access in every city, town, village, and military base throughout the world, that would be a very good thing; but our work would not be done.

[The Obama administration objective?]

How will we know when our work is done? I suspect we’ll know it when we see it. But let me give you some sure indicators that it isn’t done yet:

- When doctors and pharmacists try to opt out of providing medical care, claiming it’s an act of conscience, our work is not done.

[Sound familiar?]

This isn’t particularly complicated. If your conscience forbids you to carry arms, don’t join the military or become a police officer. If you have qualms about animal experimentation, think hard before choosing to go into medical research. And, if you’re not prepared to provide the full range of reproductive health care (or prescriptions) to any woman who needs it then don’t go into obstetrics and gynecology, or internal or emergency medicine, or pharmacology. Choose another field! We’ll respect your consciences when you begin to take responsibility for them.

[Choose another field if you don't go along with our beliefs? Must their version of freedom of choice - but only our choice. We'll respect your consciences only when they force us to examine out own?]

And when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion – there is not a tragedy in sight -- only blessing. The ability to enjoy God’s good gift of sexuality without compromising one’s education, life’s work, or ability to put to use God’s gifts and call is simply blessing.

[God forbid that something inconvenient like a child interfere with a job, a promotion, or that ski trip to Vail, right?]

I want to thank all of you who protect this blessing – who do this work every day: the health care providers, doctors, nurses, technicians, receptionists, who put your lives on the line to care for others (you are heroes -- in my eyes, you are saints); the escorts and the activists; the lobbyists and the clinic defenders; all of you. You’re engaged in holy work.

Talk about Slavery and Ignorance. 1984 indeed.