Hi all. So I have a question about a possible moral dilemma I;m facing. Or maybe it's just OCD.
I found out a couple of years ago that the birth control pill can sometimes act as an abortifacient-- that is, it doesn't always prevent conception, but sometimes, if a baby is conceived, it prevents the blastocyst from implanting, thus causing it to die.
I told friends about this, and emailed my church's email list, and that was pretty much it-- I fretted about it occasionally, but it didn't occur to me that I had any further role with the information.
Then, just before Christmas, after I had been off Zoloft for two weeks (just lazy-- didn't get a refill-- back on now, and have been for more than a month) I got a bee in my bonnet that I had a moral obligation to email all the women at my work to tell them this info about the Pill, and that if I didn't, God would hold me responsible for all the babies who died because of their mother's avoidable ignorance-- avoidable because I could have emailed them about it.
I work in a secular organization, and it would be totally bizarre of me to send this email. Since I began to have this idea-- over a month now, it's been-- I've probably given the information to more than 500 people, on various newsgroups and via facebook and the women in my gmail address book...but it feels like none of that counts, that if I don't send this email to the women at work (maybe 150-200 at my home office, and 60 at satellite offices-- the women at the satellite offices I've never met; the only way I even know they exist is the email list) my relationship with God will be damaged, that I won't be able to move forward knowing that I've done the right thing.
I feel so burdened about this. I sit at work all day with a heavy heart. It FEELS like OCD, it's got that same feeling, but it's also a real moral dilemma-- it's not like sending the email is an arbitrary ritual; it could theoretically save babies lives. How could it be OK not to send it? But sending it might just convince the women who receive it that people who think life begins at conception are crazy spammers... But it might, probably would, save a baby's life...but it might also harden other women against considering arguments for life beginning at conception...but how can I be so cold? Shouldn't I RUN to my computer tomorrow and send the email if there's even a chance that it could save a life? But can't I just concentrate on getting the information out through more appropriate channels?
Welcome to the inside of my head for the past month or so. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is this OCD? Is this OCD and ALSO a moral obligation? Bleeech. Help.
Susannah
I found out a couple of years ago that the birth control pill can sometimes act as an abortifacient-- that is, it doesn't always prevent conception, but sometimes, if a baby is conceived, it prevents the blastocyst from implanting, thus causing it to die.
I told friends about this, and emailed my church's email list, and that was pretty much it-- I fretted about it occasionally, but it didn't occur to me that I had any further role with the information.
Then, just before Christmas, after I had been off Zoloft for two weeks (just lazy-- didn't get a refill-- back on now, and have been for more than a month) I got a bee in my bonnet that I had a moral obligation to email all the women at my work to tell them this info about the Pill, and that if I didn't, God would hold me responsible for all the babies who died because of their mother's avoidable ignorance-- avoidable because I could have emailed them about it.
I work in a secular organization, and it would be totally bizarre of me to send this email. Since I began to have this idea-- over a month now, it's been-- I've probably given the information to more than 500 people, on various newsgroups and via facebook and the women in my gmail address book...but it feels like none of that counts, that if I don't send this email to the women at work (maybe 150-200 at my home office, and 60 at satellite offices-- the women at the satellite offices I've never met; the only way I even know they exist is the email list) my relationship with God will be damaged, that I won't be able to move forward knowing that I've done the right thing.
I feel so burdened about this. I sit at work all day with a heavy heart. It FEELS like OCD, it's got that same feeling, but it's also a real moral dilemma-- it's not like sending the email is an arbitrary ritual; it could theoretically save babies lives. How could it be OK not to send it? But sending it might just convince the women who receive it that people who think life begins at conception are crazy spammers... But it might, probably would, save a baby's life...but it might also harden other women against considering arguments for life beginning at conception...but how can I be so cold? Shouldn't I RUN to my computer tomorrow and send the email if there's even a chance that it could save a life? But can't I just concentrate on getting the information out through more appropriate channels?
Welcome to the inside of my head for the past month or so. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is this OCD? Is this OCD and ALSO a moral obligation? Bleeech. Help.
Susannah
) but some years back I struggled with a little bit of this very same issue. Only I thought I should mail out a letter to all the women in my very large church and apprise them of these facts. (I was at that time very active in the pro-life movement. It is still very much my heart though not really active in it now.)
Yes, I know what you mean. It amazed me when I came to this forum just how common some of this stuff really is. Hopefully, you can understand my points despite my "disclaimers!"
