Good for him. Great radio voice, too... 
That's awesome! Martin Sheen is a very devout and liberal Catholic. I've met him at anti-war rallies. He always connected his belief that war is evil and almost never necessary to his Catholic faith. Glad to see him taking a stance in accordance with his faith that the liberal elite may not agree with.
Q: What are your views on abortion?
Sheen: I cannot make a choice for a women, particularly a black or brown or poor pregnant woman. I would not make a judgment in the case. As a father and a grandfather, I have had experience with children who don't always come when they are planned, and I have experienced the great joy of God's presence in my children, so I'm inclined to be against abortion of any life. But I am equally against the death penalty or war-- anywhere people are sacrificed for some end justifying a means. I don't think abortion is a good idea. I personally am opposed to abortion, but I will not judge anybody else's right in that regard because I am not a woman and I could never face the actual reality of it.
Bello:
I'm sure you think that's a damning quote. The thing is, Sheen isn't actually President. He just plays one on TV. It is perfectly appropriate for a Catholic to say he opposes abortion but doesn't judge anybody whose had one. The only place Sheen missteps here (and it may due to the fact he's an actor speaking extemporaneously and not a philosopher or theologian) is when he says "I will not judge anybody else's right". That's rubbish. We judge rights all the time. We have to. And there is no "right" to do something intrinsically immoral. But I'll cut him slack on that imprecision of language. He basically sound like he's trying to say "I'm against abortion, but I don't want to judge anybody." I'm grateful for his help in trying to defeat I-1000.
I think that PSA could have been shortened to only one line and retained much of its impact: "Don't let Charlie decide when I die."
The thing is, Sheen isn't actually President. He just plays one on TV.
And how many years have we all waited for a chance to use that one?
I haven't always agreed with Sheen, but I've always admired his willingness to put his money where his mouth was.
Mark, you took the words right out of my mouth.
Glory to God! This is great news.
I was also heartened to hear that the Washington State Medical Association has opposed I-1000. I believe that part of the reason PAS was legalized here in Oregon is that the OMA issued a wishy-washy "neutral" statement when the initiative battle was going on in 1994-95. They came out against it when the measure was revisited the next year, but by then the public had been swayed and it was too late.
And Victor - ROTFL!!
"I'm sure you think that's a damning quote."
I don't see it as a damning quote either, but as one struggling with what some women may be living with or going through when they have chosen to have an abortion. I think a good number of women feel they are forced to have an abortion (there are many reasons for this) and Martin Sheen is acknowledging this is a sad reality for some women.
I think that PSA could have been shortened to only one line and retained much of its impact: "Don't let Charlie decide when I die."
Sorry - that's absolutely hilarious.
I agree with Mark's assessment of Sheen, pretty much.
The thing is, Sheen isn't actually President. He just plays one on TV.
Although I'm not sure Mr. Sheen and I would agree on everything, I've never seen anything in him to doubt his devotion and sincerity. He seems like a good man trying to be a good Catholic.
That being said, when it comes to the real President and the TV President, were I to lay odds on whose voice influences more hearts and minds, I'd go with the TV President. Lots more people watched THE WEST WING than ever watch the State of the Union.
Colbert proves it!
http://www.colbertnation.com/the...6/the-west-
wing
I think Mr. Sheen's support for the mentally infirmed and fight against physician assisted suicide commendable. I hope his journey to fight for the most vulnerable eventually helps him to see that a woman's "right" to abort her child is not consistant with his other views. On another note the mention of "...particularly a black or brown or poor pregnant woman." makes me flinch a little. I'm quite a bit younger than Mr. Sheen. Can someone tell me if his distinguishing skin color like that because he's older and comes from an era where you do that? I thought that was curious.
"Can someone tell me if his distinguishing skin color like that because he's older and comes from an era where you do that?"
Can't speak for Mr. Sheen, though a disproportinate number of poor in our country and in the world are women of color. Then there is the fact (correct me if I am wrong) here in the US that abortion is disproportinately more prevalent in the African-American community than compared to whites.
Sheen said that Doug Kmiec's latest book on the acceptability for a Catholic to support Obama may be "the most important comprehensive document" for American Catholicism and politics. I do, indeed, have to disagree with Sheen on that point. It is quite obvious that Sheen supports Kmiec's position, and therefore supports Obama.
On this point, though, I am very happy to see him speaking out against euthanasia and I too, am grateful for his help in striking down I-1000.
Wow.
He's wrong on abortion, obviously, and therefore wrong on Obama as well. But I salute his stance on this initiative. Well done.
Good for him. Now if he could only see that his reasoning (that a lack of alternatives and resources makes the 'freedom' to choose death a matter for coercion and thus a danger to the vulnerable) also applies to abortion...methinks Feminists for Life need to pay Mr. Sheen a visit. 'Women deserve better' is a motto that might resonate for this man.
Actually, Mr. Sheen is a Hispanic person of color. "Sheen" is not his real name, which is why one of his sons does not use it.
Of course, I'm a person of the same color, myself. Pale.
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