Santorum brought their dead baby back home for the kids to meet

[PurityOfEssence]

39. Yes, it's freaky, but also weirdly honorable and consistent

Full disclosure here: I loathe religion, considering it a shortcut and a mindset of the fearful and indicative of a need for door-slamming certainty and a convenient method to subjugate the poor, weak and needy.

I am an agnostic with the presumption of atheism, but since there's no proof that I can see either way, I must ethically remain on the fence, even as I dispute the concepts of an afterlife and a supreme being. Raised by scientists and engineers, I am comfortable with the concept of "current theory" and consider "faith" and the acceptance of things without proof to be dangerous to us all.

He is part of a weird death-cult, and one that blurs the lines between life and death in the process. To him and his wife, their little baby had a soul and personality and the little moment of almost-life was a precious thing they wanted to share before letting go. It is consistent and sweet in a truly bizarre sort of way, but it seems to stand the test of ethical review.

Christianity is a wacky death-cult, and the other major religions have similar bents.

To completely contextualize this, my mate and I had planned for two children, which we had a bit later on than most who choose to breed. Ten years after, we had a surprise. Many relatives and friends counseled us to abort, but I and my mate could never do such a thing, and it's not for us to judge those who would, nor for them to get a free pass for rolling their eyes at our decision. One should have the legal right to do so, and I don't judge them for doing so when done very early in term, but it's just not for us.

Freakiness is the province of hard-and-fast religion, and much as I loathe Rick Santorum and his totalitarian religious certainty, this fits with the precepts, and I think a pass should be granted for the emotional moment.

As a footnote, too: pronouncements about child-rearing and especially mishaps along the way should be restricted to those who have or have had children. Nothing so touches on the marrow as such moments.

Beyond that, I think it is counterproductive to ridicule deep and heartfelt moments, especially when they're larded with religion.