There are also thoughtful Catholics who have just excommunicated themselves by thoughtfully making the decision to become “womenpriestesses”. I think that all of the heretics and schismatics throughout history were thoughtful as well. In fact, didn’t Cain think about killing Abel before he actually did (or are you one of those “Catholics” who thinks that Cain and Abel didn’t really exist… better make sure you didn’t get a Jesuit education before I pose that question, eh?)?

Enough of you.

I understand that perfectly well, but most people who take that position are honest enough to admit that they dissent from Catholic teaching. I’ve never met anyone else who dare suggest that such a position was justified by the Catholic concept of subsidiarity, let alone who then suggested that he (and not others) was the one interested in having a philosophical discussion. Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom — not just the use of philosophical terms in a random and inapt fashion so as to give the veneer of sophistication to partisan beliefs.

“I don’t think anyone who claims that “subsidiarity” justifies the pro-choice position is interested in “serious” — or even intellectually honest — philosophical discussion.”

It very clearly does. The problem is that you don’t understand the pro-choice position. You have created your own cartoon sketch of it and have been beating it over the head without thought or curiosity ever since. If you did that in a courtroom, you’d lose every time!

Perhaps you might consider that there are thoughtful Catholics who disagree with you on this issue and do so along the lines I’ve laid out these many months. None of these individuals have any less commitment to guaranteeing the integrity of the unborn than you. They believe there is a better way to accomplish this end, however. This should peak your interest some.

You will “sense” anything to keep those pom-poms shaking.

Once again, you’re incapable of engaging in a serious philosophical discussion. But I’m very happy to leave things where they are. There’s no benefit to continuing this, or any other, exchange with you.

I sense a bit of projection here, as this is coming from the guy who viciously dismissed the pro-life movement as equivalent to Southern racism.

I have little interest in “engaging” with your pseudo-philosophical musings as long as you’re pretending that they justify your teenage crush on Obama or your pro-choice politics.

I agree with you. Intellectual complexity is not your forte. You’re like the cheerleader at a basketball game. Can’t play the game but can sure shake the pom-poms!

Catholics who discuss matters seriously, and not merely for sport, know the need to reason at the level of abstraction. Many on this site do just that. But some like yourself are not really serious. They look to vilify those with whom they disagree, or even think they disagree. That’s your wont. Not able to engage philosophically, you’re content to hurl insults and sarcasms.

Zippy,

I appreciate the quote. But I wish you were able to take matters further.