Evidence provides reasons to believe. Unfortunately, people believe anything, including bad evidence. A decision made from believed bad evidence doesn't make a person bad. It happens a lot. Usually, people learn from such mistakes. If someone forces himself to believe only in bad evidence, even though they know good evidence to be true, and instructs others, then there are problems.
For instance, on abortion and when life begins: Different beliefs about when life begins are shaped by good and bad evidence.
One belief is that human life begins at conception because DNA exists in a separate living organism apart from the mother. All the chromosomes needed are there in the developing, unborn child to determine the sex and the color of hair, eyes, and skin. In most cases, this child will continue to develop after conception as a newborn, toddler, adolescent, teen, and, eventually, an adult. Good evidence indeed.
Another belief is that a human embryo is just tissue and nothing more. A decision to have an abortion based only on this evidence is unfortunate. This does happen. Sometimes people learn the truth and heal with support and love. Others continue to be victims.
Finally, there is the forced belief of the bad evidence while knowing all along of the good evidence. Knowing this, and instructing pregnant women with the bad evidence only, is deceiving and can lead women to choose abortion rather than life. The result of this choice is problematic because not only does an unborn child die, women become victims of deceit. This deception is part of what Saint Pope John Paul II called the culture of death.
ADVERTISEMENT
This can change if society is taught the truth. Our society can start to grow in love if we value life equally from conception to natural death.
Timothy Helwig
Duluth
