91 Broadcasting an Abortion

I pick up and deliver the mail for our church on Thursday morning. I have to 1) remember to do it, and 2) remember to do the return run so I end up where I start. It's not rocket science, but mail delivery is not my spiritual gift (see # 89, 90).

However, that is the one morning a week I listen to Glenn Beck, a rather loud, opinionated talk show host on Clear Channel Radio (I think he lives in Florida, is a divorced Catholic, and a convert to Mormonism). Last week I learned that he and his wife have given up on all the special techniques for creating a baby and have put their names in for an adoption. Tomorrow he is going to broadcast an abortion.

Although abortion is a legal procedure, just removing fetal tissue, or a parasite in a woman's body (depending on whom you talk to), the FCC and local affiliates are getting a lot of calls. Apparently, broadcasting an abortion (I'm not sure how this comes across on radio) is more offensive to some, than taking the life of an unborn child. Some of his 6,000,000 listeners say they will no longer be listeners, some say he's doing it for publicity, some are calling Clear Channel, and some are applauding him--like a woman who had an abortion 15 years ago, and has never had a day's peace, and another who counsels post abortion women about forgiveness.

Mr. Beck needs to be careful about the objectors. He's offending both the Pro-Choice and the Pro-Life lobbies (Pro-Life consider it a witness to a murder, therefore object to the broadcast). Dr. Laura used to be in his time slot, and she has virtually disappeared from all Clear Channel stations. What was her controversial topic? She objected to gays and lesbians adopting infants.