Abortion debate

John Azzopardi is shocked (October 2) because he assumed the local abortion debate was finally over and apparently it isn’t – it even recently caused some embarrassment at one of our institutions, which would have been expected to better uphold liberal and tolerant democratic mindsets.

A pro-life protest in Valletta. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Azzopardi categorically claims that aborting a foetus in its early development, when it’s entirely dependent on the mother’s circulation (like one of her kidneys), is “murder of a human being”. Perhaps he should test his belief at a European court and accuse some European parliaments of legislating “murder”.

He needs to be reminded that a foetus becomes a person when born alive and registered with the state as a new citizen. The state does not recognise still-births as persons, neither does the Church baptise still-births.

Abortion is a very serious matter, certainly for the mother who’s contemplating it. We have to accept that our society’s attitudes and beliefs have evolved rapidly these last 50 years – masturbation, sex outside marriage, adultery and homosexuality were “mortal sins” and some of them criminal offences. In some countries, adultery is still punishable with a death sentence.

Pro-choice protesters. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Christianity is supposed to teach tolerance and to desist from judging others too harshly. In modern parlance this would equate with young women telling others (particularly elderly men) to mind their own business.

ALBERT CILIA-VINCENTI – Attard

Gambling addiction

In 1872, George Eliot visited Hamburg “to take the waters” and enjoy the baths as a medical aid for her ailments. At the gambling tables of the casino, she noticed Lord Byron’s 26-year-old niece “in the grasp of this mean, money-raking demon. It made me cry to see her young fresh face among the hags and brutally stupid men around her”.

In a letter to a female friend, Eliot wrote: “I am not fond of denouncing my fellow sinners, but gambling being a vice I have no mind to, it stirs my disgust even more than my pity. The sight of the dull faces banding around the gambling tables, the raking up of the money, and the flinging of the coins towards the winners by the hard-faced croupiers – all this seems to me the most abject presentation of mortals grasping after something called good that can be seen on the face of this little earth. Burglary is heroic compared to it.”

John Guillaumier – St Julian’s

Peace agreement

The US presidential election is on November 5. The inauguration of whoever is elected is on January 20, 2025. During this period, President Joe Biden can take whatever action he wants without it affecting the outcome of the presidential election.

A possible quick solution to the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East is for Biden to order, during this period, a halt to all arms sales, especially all bombs, to Israel. It should help concentrate minds admirably.

This two-month period should be long enough for a permanent peace agreement with a return of all hostages to be worked out.

Stephen Vassallo – Xewkija