Blogs4Life has proposed a virtual symposium that will generate significant interest, and perhaps a few (constructive) sparks, within the pro-life blogging community. This is your chance to promote your ideas, be read by thousands (one can hope) and network with other online writers.
Those of us who reject the culture of death hail from a variety of backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life. We often approach the pro-life issues from different perspectives rooted in our beliefs and priorities. Although united in defense of life, we often have differences of opinions that can affect how we communicate our message and pursue our objectives.
For the next few weeks we'll be hosting an online symposium to explore these issues. The online symposium will culminate in a capstone seminar at the upcoming Blogs for Life Conference. The three symposium topics are:
Defining our Movement: Redefining Pro-Life for the 21st CenturyOver the past thirty years the term pro-life has often been almost completely associated with the issue of abortion. How can we use weblog technology to argue for a more robust definition that includes opposition in such areas as euthanasia, assisted suicide, and embryo destructive research? Also, where do we draw the between essential, nonnegotiable elements (e.g., opposition to abortion) and matters on which disagreements and differences of opinion should be respected allowed (for example, IVF or capital punishment)?
Defining our Approach: Choosing between Absolutism and Incrementalism
Should we approach pro-life issues on an incremental basis, gradually achieving our goals by compromise and exceptions? Or, should we settle for nothing less than full legal recognition of the sanctity for life? What are the merits for these positions? What are the drawbacks?
Defining our Future: Making Life, Taking Life, Faking Life
The pro-life cause can be divided into three broad areas of concern: Making Life (genetic engineering, embryonic stem cell research, cloning); Taking Life (abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia); and Faking Life (transhumanism, eugenics). What areas are we making the most progress? What areas will be of most concern over the next decade? How can bloggers have an impact in defending human dignity in these areas?
To include your post in the symposium, send us the following information:
- Name
- Name and URL of blog or website
- Title and URL of post
- Brief summary
Links to the symposium entries will be posted on Blogs for Life. The questions, concerns, and issues raised in these entries will be discussed during capstone panel session. All entries should be sent to jpc@frc.org.
Linked: StoptheACLU
