Todd Akin and the Will of God

Todd Akin's comment that pregnancies following rape (and for that matter incest, though Todd did not bring that one up) are the will of god (read more here) reminds me of a story by Nobel Prize winner, S. Agnon I am quoting from memory, a pretty old memory at that, so forgive any inaccuracies.

A cart reached a fork in the road. The driver and passenger were not sure which one to take (after all, it was in Poland in the winter, and there were no signs). The driver thought a moment and said: if I head left, this would be the will of god, and he will guide us safely to our destination. On the other hand, if I bear right, this too would be the will of god, who will guide us safely to our destination.

From then on, the decision was left to the horses.

In other words, no matter what happens, if you believe in god, it is his will.

So if the rapist went on to kill the poor woman, so she will not get pregnant, this would also be the will of god. And presumably, Todd would be OK with that, as he would be if the woman took a knife, went Lorena Bobbitt on the guy, and he bled to death.

Would Mr. Akin be fine with someone taking up an automatic rifle and going on a killing spree? After all, those deaths, too, are the will of god.

I think Mr. Akin should drop the will of god from the equation. And while at it, he should re-read Atlas Shrugged and in particular John Galt's speech. He probably won't learn anything, but it would be a worthy punishment.

While we are dispensing advice to creepy politicians, Willard Mitt Romney, who named his son Taggart, should also read Atlas Shrugged, and wonder how Ayn Rand's ideas fit his religion activities.

Epilogue/Correction

I may have conflated Akin and Mourdock. With all the tea party, coffee party, and other crank candidates, it is hard to keep up. After a while, the differences between Akin and Mourdock, Mourdock and Murdoch, Murdoch and Mordor, Mordor and Murder all become one big blur, into a dull gray cloud of miasma.