Mr. Brown’s three favourite things: abortion, euthanasia, gay clergy

In The Sydney Morning Herod’s Saturday Good Weekend magazine each week, there is a profile of someone as reflected in his or her ‘three favourite things’. Last Saturday’s profile was of “Art collector and retired [Anglican pseudo-] priest” Ian Brown. The three listed ‘favourite things’ were a drawing, the Eiffel Tower and possibly the most hideous chasuble every to pollute my vision. This monstrosity was in what I suppose one would call the ‘Gothic Style’; its bottom half was emerald green and its top half was orange, with tacky little pictures of things like the Opera House and ballet dancers. How did Mr. Brown acquire this thing? In the course of explaining how, he makes a revealing little remark about his three other favourite things:

Ten years ago, Brown spent six months in New Jersey, working in the progressive parish of Bishop Shelby Spong. “He was a strong advocate for abortion, euthanasia, gay clergy, all those things I think we should have. I found it totally liberating.” The congregation gave Brown these embroidered mass vestments as a goodbye present.
(my emphasis)

I note this because it belies the assertions of those who protest that no-one is pro-abortion, just pro-choice. Well, here’s one who’s unreservedly pro-abortion. Perhaps this will assuage the confected outrage of those like the commenter Véronique at the extreme secularist MgS’s blog:

A person who is pro-choice, however, is not in favour of abortion. No one is in favour of abortion, at least no one I know.
(http://crystalgaze2.blogspot.com/2008/11/churches-states-and-politics.html)

or the commenter Stephen Morgan at The Australian’s letter blog:

Nobody is pro-abortion, and for anybody to label another person as such is not only inaccurate it is base and callous insult and nothing more.
(http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/letters/index.php/theaustralian/comments/health_groups_aims)

Reginaldvs Cantvar
15.XII.2008 A.D.