Asleep in Heaven's Nursery

Hello Tommy:

You have done a wonderful job of articulating truth on a subject matter which, sadly, is likely to draw much fire from opponents.

Blessings to you for your brave stand.

James

Nicely written after looking over the first chapter I am giving you five stars. Thanks for backing Maddy Hatfield. I'm hoping these stars will help boost your rating! Good luck!


Ashley

Maria, thank you so much for your comments. They are much appreciated. I believe that your questions will be answered in the rest of the book. The book is available in stores and online, but I have only uploaded a portion of it here. I do believe that souls stay in the lake of fire for eternity, and that there is no redemption after death. I am currently working on a book called Where Did Jesus Go? that answers these questions.

I am curious how you think I porrayed God as being unforgiving. God is totally forgiving according to 1 John 1:9, which I mention in the book. He is also just, and He must punish sin. We must repent before we die; once we stand before God on judgment day it will be too late.

I know that I have never said we can go to heaven if we read our Bibles 7 days a week. May I ask where you got that? We do not go to heaven based on our works but on the finished work of Jesus at Calvary.

Thank you for your backing, and God bless.

Dear Tommy,
I read four chapters of "Asleep in Heaven's Nursery" and i loved your description of the development of life in the womb. I take that very seriously and believe as you do, that life begins at conception. Your opinions are concise and clear, but they brought about some questions.
Heaven and Hell:
Do souls really stay in the Lake of Fire for eternity?
Is there redemption after death?
IF God tenderly creates and acknowledges you in the womb, does He abandon you in death?
Does a mother condemn her son because he sinned?
In chapter four you portray God as unforgiving but later, you say that if you study the Bible seven days a week, you gain Jesus intercession and you may get to Heaven.
If you read Dark of the Moon you know I'm a Christian, that i thank the Lord for all my blessings every day of my life. And that's why your book left so many doubts in my mind; not about my faith, but about some of the content in this book. If indeed you sin once and immediately you are separated from God and sent to Hell, then this race is doomed.
I found a lot of credence in your prose; it's well written, with a concise and clear conviction of belief and faith, and so i have starred it highly on that strength.
God bless,
Maria :)

Dear Tommy,
I read four chapters of "Asleep in Heaven's Nursery" and i loved your description of the development of life in the womb. I take that very seriously and believe as you do, that life begins at conception. Your opinions are concise and clear, but they brought about some questions.
Heaven and Hell:
Do souls really stay in the Lake of Fire for eternity?
Is there redemption after death?
IF God tenderly creates and acknowledges you in the womb, does He abandon you in death?
Does a mother condemn her son because he sinned?
In chapter four you portray God as unforgiving but later, you say that if you study the Bible seven days a week, you gain Jesus intercession and you may get to Heaven.
If you read Dark of the Moon you know I'm a Christian, that i thank the Lord for all my blessings every day of my life. And that's why your book left so many doubts in my mind; not about my faith, but about some of the content in this book. If indeed you sin once and immediately you are separated from God and sent to Hell, then this race is doomed.
I found a lot of credence in your prose; it's well written, with a concise and clear conviction of belief and faith, and so i have starred it highly on that strength.
God bless,
Maria :)

Written with great clarity and conviction. This reads firstly as a leaflet for those seeking information on a difficult topic and will also be a source of comfort and reassurance for many women and couples who face these moments of devastation. Three cheers for Tommy Mann for putting this together.

Tommy,

really great to read a book of someone who has sound doctrine. Really good to see the balance of truth and compassion coming thorugh the text. I hope your book gives hope to so many people.

One thing you might want to add. When you are using the Bible to prove that a child in the womb is a full child you could quote Elizabeth who, when she meets Mary, calls Mary "the mother of my Lord." Jesus is only a few days old in Mary's womb but Elizabeth, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him her Lord. This shows that the child who is a few days old is already a person and just that but one who has Lordship over Elizabeth.

Given you 6 stars and have added you to my watchlist. Will add you to my bookshelf when I have room.

Thanks for backing my book earlier.

Tim
The Water Works of Clear Wash City

Hi, wow you know your book is the only book my computer has been allowed to back ? Must have been meant to be:) Hopefully this means the book backing glitch has passed:)

Hi Tommy,

Whil;e not everyone will agree with your comments, you make some good arguments and present them in a wel, easy-to read, format.

There are a few small eroors such as 'then which should be than, but a good editting session will sort those out.

Good luck with this projec t.

Ron

Dear Tom,
Good for you for writing such an important book. I have never lost a child, but sadly I have a lot of girlfriends and a sister-in-law that have. No matter what the circumstances were, they still mourn those children.
You have done a wonderful job of biblically explaining the Christian stance that All life is prescious and it does not take delivery to be considered alive.
You explain this with grace, compassion and fact. All things that serve to make a very compelling argument.
Best of luck to you,
Sharon Van Orman
Eve, an Eden's Exiles novel
P.S. Women of Faith is holding a writing contest. Have you entered it? You should.

dear tom, w-hat a comforting book for those who have lost an little one. it is book that needed to be written. GOd bless you for doing it, backed, could you perhaps look at my book "You Turn? thanks, Lynne

Thank you for handling this tender subject while upholding the truth of the gospel!--gracie a perfect life

This work is excellent so far. I look forward to reading the rest. You do such a wonderful job of poignantly addressing both sides of some issues that can be difficult for even believers to wrap their heads around. Thank you for writing this. I know many will benefit from reading it. I'm shelving it.

This is a very well-written and thought-provoking explanation for believers that works best when it comforts rather than when it argues, though the arguments are not strident. I hope this does well and provides comfort for many.

Some interesting arguments made about life and death and the death of a child. This is a very sensitive subject so naturally you have tried to 'season your words with salt'. Or, like 'apples of gold in a silver carving' you have undoubtedly sought to use the right word in what would be a painful time. I wish you every success, Sana

Oh, and Lucado is one of my faves...will have to add him to my list. I like "He Still Moves Stones" and "The Second Coming" and "Come Thirsty"!
Carrie

I have experienced a miscarriage (my first pregnancy). I was "only" 6 weeks but I believe whole-heartedly that the sweetheart will be there waiting for me someday. This is a fantastic read for those suffering/with questions and worth backing on so many different levels. Thank you for backing my book- it made me sneak a peek at yours and I was very moved by the first chapter...I will keep it around to read more!
Carrie
The Darkwood Tales: Demouri's Defeat

Hi Tommy

I read this with some trepidation because I was afraid it was going to be an extremist right-wing anti-abortion rant and was relieved to find that it was not so. Personally having had 3 children, I do think that I would find it very difficult to have an abortion myself, but I am glad that you have made the Christian position clear that the child does not suffer for the sins of its parents. Backed.

Nicole
Chosen

Hi Tommy ...

This does answer a lot of questions and in some cases raises others. Although not being religious I can see that this book could be of comfort and be of great help to people who have lost children through various causes. This book needs publication and therefore am giving my backing. Regards ... Duncan.

Hi Tommy,

I won't go into my own personal matters, but your story hits home at so many levels. I too believe that all babies should have a chance at life. I wish you continued joy in studying the bible -- I wish I had that kind of discipline. It's always nice when an author takes the time to quote it, as you have done here, in order to give voice to the unborn children.
Shelved.

Cynthia
Sharing Short Stories

An erudite piece of writing, well written and researched. For those who are interested it explains things well. Cheers, B. Cameron Lee (Diary of a Serial Killer)

I would have relished this book when we lost our firstborn at 20 weeks. Tiny fingernails, like flakes of mother of pearl, delicately closed lids, neve to see the light of life, slender limbs and cuddlesome warm body as he cooled from my womb, will forever be in my memory. I know he lived and lives still. He completes our family. His brothers and sister have grown to love him through our stories of what he meant to us. We are content in our full and loving family now, but back then it was hard. your book would have helped.
God bless.

This is a story, trying to explain. However, we all have different ways of accepting or denying.

My wife and I lost our first child - a still born daughter. We blamed no-one but it was a harrowing time in our lives.
We have two beautiful daughter, and a very good life with them.
I'm backing your book from the pitch alone. I hope those who read your book find what they may be looking for.

This is a story, trying to explain. However, we all have different ways of accepting or denying.

My wife and I lost our first child - a still born daughter. We blamed no-one but it was a harrowing time in our lives.
We have two beautiful daughter, and a very good life with them.
I'm backing your book from the pitch alone. I hope those who read your book find what they may be looking for.

Sorry it took so long to get a comment up after backing. Well written and lovely. It should bring comfort to those who have lost a child, and maybe change a few minds about getting an abortion.

What a beautiful book. Thank you for writing it. As a father who's lost a child, I really enjoyed this thoughtful piece. I'll have my wife look at it as well. I was glad I came across it. It isn't like other books I've seen on here, and I'm grateful to have come across it.

A very interesting subject matter. Although you make your own view clear, you give a balance to it, with the alternative arguement, which is refreshing.
It seems well researched and lucidly written. The subject is controversial amongst many, each with their own strong view points. Aside from that I think the information has been set out in a logical and linear fashion, making it easy to follow and understand.

Chase

thanks for backing the calamity girl.. i have six other novels and a screenplay all different genres.. great touching story .. im sure millions will relate to your book.. backed :)

You raise some good points here. It does set one thinking. I have my own feelings about this, which I will not get into here. I would rather keep this as a writing critique than a comparative religion discussion.

That said, this is superb writing. I do not have to agree or disagree with what you believe, but I can surely say that this is a book that will challenge beliefs, whatever they may be. And that is the purpose of non-fiction. To make us think.

Hope this makes it to the ED!

Great work.
Mike

This is a critical narrative that needs to be read by those who are experincing or questioning why. C W

What a necessary book! This will be helpful for many people and it is clearly written. Best of luck with this. Jayne

I was very intrigued by this, and can tell how much hard work went into your research. Great job. I wish you the best of luck getting published. bambers;)

Thank you for the backing. I have backed you as well because your book touches my heart on a topic i have struggled with for a long time, having miscarried several times before GOD blessed me with the children i have now. I am looking forward to reading this, and gaining a better understanding of something that has secretly plagued me for many years. Your support of my book is also very appreciated. Good luck with this, as i am certain many more families have struggled with the same worries over time. Possibly, this will allow others to find a way to deal with the hidden pains, and struggles, regarding these issues. It's not something many of us like to talk about, but if it helps one single person, then it has served its purpose; in my opinion. Thank you so much for the support!
Karen

Hi Tommy, A very legit argument and to an extent based on the Bible. It has certainly made me to consider some things I hadnot considered before. I back your book and wishyou well. Harold Alvin(ICON)Wesley

well written, Tommy. You put forward some interesting views.
I backed your book
Laurel
www.authosden.com/laurellamperd

We backed each other's books a short time ago before I removed Abigail's Cries and replaced it with Scorned. So I already know Asleep in Heavens Nursary is worth backing...and again!
Good luck,
BD Nelson (Scorned)
author of: Abigail's Cries & The Autobiography: An Eternal Rite of Passage

Thank you very much for backing my book and good luck !

dear Reverend,

I actually found again, the simple clear terse writing, which has been , at its best, a hallmark of Clerical writing since god knew what, Virgil...? who, THEN AQUINAS, OH I HAVE READ THEM ALL. I am glad you wrote what you wrote, not that i agree with it, or even much care about abortion as a subject, as don't have to being a man, -Thank you Mr. God!- but I wish you luck with your religious writing's, and being from a different faith , you know the Real One, heheh, i think anyone in a free society has the right to say anything that they well, God damn please, and should, before the Masters and the Brits give us Sheria because , like Constantine, they think its good for bullishness. And if they cant, then its all just a elitist farce. all my best.

Competently written, with few errors. If I were you, I would not try and have your story compete in a mainstream market, as it is far more sermon than story. It is very likely that a specialist Christian publisher will be happy to handle it. Good luck, Marj.

ASLEEP IN HEAVEN'S NURSERY by Tommy Mann.

Tommy - I would not have checked out your book voluntarilly but thank you for pitching it at me. Having regard to what I perceive as the true principles of Authonomy, and purely on its merits of being well written, and based on careful biblical research, combined with sincere intention to counsel those who experience spontaneous miscarriage, I Back your book. Additionally, because of you and your wife's direct experience of the trauma of miscarriage, you prompt my empathy towards you both. As a parent also, I share in the joy of the eventual safe deliverance of your daughter. I believe your book, containing all that you have garnered from your own experience, will be of consolation to parents (of your faith) experiencing the loss of a child that fails to come to term. On the moral issue, I take an eclectic stance as, in my professional life, I worked with women pregnant through violation by rape and drug addicted women who had no recollection of the circumstances of their baby's conception. In England, the law creates provision for therapuetic abortion: I found the best way to help my women clients was to take a detached view independent of my own Roman Catholic instruction on moral ethics. The Roman Catholic Church's dogma on Abortion is intrinsically repellent, particularly in Africa where women who have HIV Positive husbands/partners are denied the use of contraception by Vatican dictat. As for the United States of America, different extreme views dominate from State to State, but I have no hesitation in supporting those medical practioners there - who despite being murdered for providing abortion services to women, bravely continue through peer colleagues to provide appropriate help through clinical intervention. The contributor, Judy Adams, offers carefully considered views (below) on your book and I recommend them as being a valuable contribution to a debate.

Tony Brady - SCENES FROM AN EXAMINED LIFE - Books 1,2 & 3.

A very complicated subject handled very easily. I am interested in your work and the way you have written this.

backed

Shah

You are obviously dealing with a hot topic. I spot read some of your answers knowing that we would probably have slight theological differences, and I was curious what you believed. I appreciate that you tried very hard to justify your answers with scriptures (I’m assuming that you found great comfort in them when you had to deal with your own trials.) and were clear about what was your own opinion and how you formed it.
A quick suggestion for your timeline on when life begins…
I would shorten it because if you add too many details, some of the more meaningful details of the development get lost. If you are going to include it, then I would want it to be related to a reason why people might say life begins here, or at this point, or….For example: Fertilization-the unique human DNA code is created and the body starts to grow and develop. Brain waves-it is thinking. The heart beats/baby moving-it is beginning to function as an autonomous being, x weeks along- it could potentially survive outside the womb, etc.

When I looked to see who you were -- I always have a look at who backs my books -- I was very surprised to find that on your book shelf, in addition to my book, you had three other books that I currently have on my shelf! Coincidence?

While we can track each person's comments, (and sometimes see that someone commented on 30 books in one day, which can let us know that no matter how heartfelt the comments appear to be, that author probably isn't reading much before gushing about our book), we can't track their backings, as far as I know. So I have no idea if you back a book, then click on every other book that author has on their shelf and back it, and then click each book on all of those shelves, etc., moving your way through the system. I'd like to know, though. Why are most of the books on my shelf also on your shelf? From your book, I can't imagine that we have much in common.

I'm not a fan of drive-by backings. I spend time with people's books and I don't care to be backed by someone who is just trying to get me to their book with the least amount of effort, presumably for a backing - or in your case, possibly a backing and a sermon. I don't know if you just backed my book in passing or not, since you didn't leave a comment.

I looked at your pitch, and from your pitch I got the impression that your book really doesn't have so much to do with infants in heaven as it does with a woman's choice to terminate a pregnancy.

Having read your first chapter, I'd say that your book is a sermon preaching against abortion. While I am sorry that you and your wife lost three children to miscarriages, I'm still pretty wed to the idea that your book is actually a demand that people wake up and agree with your assessment regarding the sanctity of life, when it begins, and that the life and rights of the fetus should override the life and rights of the woman carrying that fetus.

When does life begin? It began once, here on earth, billions of years ago. Not since. Life does not spontaneously begin. If it did, we couldn't safely can our fruit, because life might spontaneously appear and destroy our preserves. A sperm is already alive, and an egg is already alive. When they are joined they create a new being, but not a new life. The life was already there. In my opinion.

So every fetus is definitely alive. In my opinion.

I can't fathom why, however, a man can come up with the idea that the life of a fetus carries greater value than the life of a person who is already out in the world. I can't believe that a compassionate god would insist that a woman or a pregnant child should be forced to function as an incubator to that woman or child's detriment.

One could even say, if one was presuming to know God's mind, that even God does not believe in the sanctity of life. If He did, there wouldn't be more spontaneous abortions - miscarriages - than viable births. More pregnancies miscarry than come to term, and if the Hand of God is behind everything, than God isn't giving a lot of those little sperm/egg combinations the opportunity to become children.

Roe v Wade was passed when I was in high school. We had a discussion about it in our civics class. I was violently opposed to abortion! I have never waivered on my belief that a child is a child from the moment of conception. But at that time, I didn't see the other side of the issue. I only saw that that child was either going to be allowed to have a chance at life or it was going to be terminated.

Then my best friend, also very much against abortion -- and she for religious reasons, which was not the case with regard to my views -- came to me and told me she was pregnant!

She told me a lot of things she had never told anyone before. Her father, a state trooper, had made her pregnant. He had been having intercourse with her since she was eleven, and had been molesting her since she was three. He also molested and raped her two brothers. He beat her mother and all of the children. He urinated on one of her brothers. He brought pets home and after a couple of weeks, he slaughtered the pets in front of the children. Everyone in the family was terrified of him and because he was a cop, there wasn't anywhere they had to turn to. They all suffered from battered wife syndrome. And their church supported his right to rule the home, regardless of how he behaved. He did a lot of other horrible things, but I'll skip all of that.

My friend believed her father might kill her if he found out she was pregnant. He might beat her mother. If the baby lived, she was sure her father would molest the baby.

She thought of killing herself but she was too frightened. In the end, I drove her to get an abortion. It made both of us sick, but neither of us saw any other solution.

Since then, this man divorced his wife, found a drug addicted 22 year old woman with a seven year old son, married her, impregnated her, had another son, then divorced her and got custody of both sons because she was a drug addict. He molested both boys. When his oldest son, now an adult, was charged with molesting his own four children, that son moved back to his home state, in with his father and he shared in molesting these two boys. My friend's other brother has been in prison since he was fifteen, when he opened fire on a group of police officers. Every time he's been released he has tortured animals, and then committed some crime that got him back into prison. Although there is no proof, my friend and I believe her brother probably murdered one of his girlfriends with rat poison. It was listed as a suicide, but we believe otherwise. That brother is going to be in prison for quite a while at this point. He is insane. He has started his own prison missionary work. He believes God speaks through him and he believes that only he understands God's true purpose and plan.

How could anyone make my friend carry that baby to term? What kind of life would that child have had -- if it had survived the beating my friend surely would have suffered.

That was the first time I thought abortion was the lesser evil. Since then I believe abortion is the lesser evil in many, many, many cases. For instance, there are women in many parts of the world - South Africa comes to mind, but there are many other places, too, where it is so likely that she will be raped or repeatedly raped, that she uses birth control if she can obtain it - just to avoid getting pregnant after being raped. Imagine what life must be like for a woman, knowing that she might be raped at any time, day or night, no matter where she is, and that there will be no justice, the men will just keep on raping - and they will rape her, and her daughters, her mother and sisters. Many times the women already have many children and not enough resources to provide for those children. A new mouth to feed takes food out of the mouths of the other children. Abortion is the lesser evil. If a mother has AIDS, having a child with AIDS is cruel. In my opinion, abortion is the lesser evil.

There are so many instances when abortion is the lesser evil, and I, for one, do not believe that it is my right to tell another woman that she must carry a child to term regardless of her circumstances. I personally don't think it's your right, either.

I still believe that a fetus is a child. But I can't understand why so many people think it's more important to protect that fetus than to protect the children who are already here. While so-called pro-lifers were supporting the agenda of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, they were not worried about all the pregnant women that were being blown up in Iraq and Afghanistan. They were not worried about the chemicals used in Iraq which have now brought about a huge number of children being born with holes in their hearts. They were not worried about the children in Iraq who lost arms, legs, eyes, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, homes, schools, towns.

This makes me think that "pro-lifers" actually have a different agenda and it is not a sanctity of life issue. It's about controlling women's reproductive freedom.

If it were not about controlling women's reproductive freedom, then we would see "pro-lifers" marching against Washington, demanding that we stop making war on civilians in other countries! They'd also be making sure that birth control information and dissemination was a number one priority in the schools. Because they would acknowledge that regardless of how many prom promises have been made, no matter how many chastity rings have been worn, teen pregnancies have been on the rise since the Bush Administration stopped telling kids the truth about birth control and about sexual intimacy and intercourse.

But, back to your book. In it you say that a woman who has an abortion has sinned, but can be forgiven for that sin. You then site the story of the adulteress brought before Jesus, who responds by suggesting to the wrathful crowd that they go ahead and stone her to death, but with the caveat that the first person to throw a stone should be one who is without sin. Those of us who have studied the new testament will be familiar with that story. But you have added something that is not part of Jesus' teachings, and I am very concerned when people take the bible and twist it to fulfill their personal agenda. You said:

"It is important to point out that Jesus is not soft on sin; in fact, He hates it. I am sure that there was still some form of punishment that came this woman's way, just not in the form that the crowd expected."

Sure, are you? That's YOUR opinion, not scripture. It seems to me that you use scripture when it suits you, and ignore it when it doesn't.

Since you are so willing to use scripture to further your personal agenda, I have a few questions for you.

Leviticus 19:27 reads “You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard.”
Your photo is posted on Authonomy, and it looks like you blew this one.

Leviticus 11:8, which is discussing pigs, reads “You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.”
So I guess you and your family don't eat ham, sausage, bacon, pulled pork barbeque??? Toss a little football? Enter a greased pig catching contest?

I hope that if you go out for a meal at a Chinese restaurant, you don't open those fortune cookies.
Leviticus 19:31 reads “Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.”
Because if you are opening those fortune cookies, watch out! Leviticus 20:6: “As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”

I would not wish any cancer on anyone, but should you ever find you have testicular cancer, you won't be allowed to go to church anymore - not according to Deuteronomy 23:1 “A man whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off may never join the assembly of the Lord.”

I assume your wife doesn't wear jewelry, since Timothy doesn't like that: 1 Timothy 2:9 “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments.”

Back to Deuteronomy 25:11-12.

“If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity.”

What would you do? I guess you'd go ahead and cut your wife's hand off, even though she socked the guy so he would loosen his grip on your throat.

My point is that if you use the bible to tell women that God does not want them to choose abortion (when really, I suspect it is YOU who wish to tell women not to choose abortion) than you're being pretty hypocritical if you only follow the parts of the bible that fit your agenda.

I would love to see a world where every child conceived was a wanted child. I would love to see a world were abortion was never necessary. I would equally love to see a world where people got along with one another and didn't blow each other into little bits, or torture them, or sell children into sexual slavery. I would love to see a world where people gave their thanks to God by being grateful for the abundance He has provided in the way of fresh organic produce, clean water, sunshine, and simple living.

I'm sorry, but I can't, in good conscience, endorse your book. I do, however, wish you and your wife all the best life has to offer.

Sincerely,
Judy

Hi Tommy

I fully appreciate your work and efforts.

I have a particular approach to these serious moral dilemas. First, I do not see there is ever a high moral ground, although each side would argue there is and they have it. I see all moral dilemas as a forced choice between issues all of which are destructive and evil. The question of abortion is a perfect example.

It is wrong to ever destroy life, and it is unquestioned that way, way before birth there is life (I have a PhD in chemistry, some of it in life chemistry).

But, it is equally wrong to ever destroy the living quality of a life.

Forcing anyone to have a baby they really, really do not want is an moral crime. There are psychological and social consequences of bringing unwanted children into this world, that is as henious as destroying life in the first instance.

This leads to circumstances of realistic compromise where there are no winners and no losers, merely a dreadful conundrum for anyone caught in this trap, albeit of their own making.

I hope that any God would find in themselves the grace and compassion to forgive anyone so trapped. Although many do support a lesser God, seeing themselves as its mouth piece, hence the issues become political. I think the USA supreme court has to date adjudicated with balanced reason in these areas seen to often as moral conflict, which I see a forced choice between two evils.

Kind wishes,

graylit

hullo Tommy. an intriging book with the questions that many of us have faced in our lifetimes and your answers to those same questions. Very good.Already shelved and backed.
Please take a look at my book if you have not and thanks for that.
Linda Lou Long
Southern dis-Comfort
http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=11421
.

hello tommy.
a very absorbing and deep read, mind boggling.
in my book Stephen was in danger if dying before baptism of going to limbo
sorry to hear that there is no holding place between heaven and hell in your book' and that there is no opportunity for a child to exist as an angel in heaven, stephen spends time in heaven as an anges, somewhere in the middle of my book 'From Hugs to Kisses '
aside from all that this is and interesting read and well research from information from the bible'
your doing a good job on earth and dont liet any break your spirit
regards tom

This is a best a difficult subject. I have a very dear friend who's baby, Jack, was stillborn. I applaud your effort to bring some clarity to parents trying to cope in these difficult situations while also addressing a larger moral topic.

I am a Christian and probably have beliefs the same or close to your own in regards to the bible and life. I caution you to be careful about labeling, broad generalizations, and stereotyping people with certain political view points. Words like liberal and conservative are basically meaningless unless you are talking about a liberal viewpoint on a very specific issue. I suggest sticking with the issue answering questions about life from a biblical point of view and let the political implications speak for themselves.

Best of luck with this book. You have my backing.

El
Reckless Scarlett

ASLEEP IN HEAVEN'S NURSERY 6/18/2010

Chapter 1 reads smoothly, presenting good information without talking down to the reader. But, as for the doctor who performed surgery on a fetus, no one can know if he changed, except him. It becomes very clear how you feel about the subject of life. However, I think you confuse the issue by politicizing it with the reference to liberals and the notion that they consider fetuses a dime a dozen. I think it's a bit overstated and an unnecessary slam to some very good people. I know several staunch conservatives who have indifferent attitudes toward the beginning of life.

And, I must take issue that everything the Bible says about history and science is accurate. There are too many inconsistencies and too much scientific evidence to the contrary. And, no, these studies have not been in vain. It is merely that those of religion choose to believe either in God, or to believe in the belief in God, not science.

As for the earth being round, round implies merely a circle, not necessarily a sphere. Of the three passages you reference, only one refers to the earth as a circle. That doesn't mean it couldn't have been a flat circle, or disk.

Other chapters follow the same technique and use the same flawed logic. I don't mean to put down the book. What I mean is that logic is one thing, faith is quite another. To fully take stock in this book, the read must have faith, not necessarily logic.

Your writing style in comfortable and direct. The pitch indicates the book provides answers to specific questions. And it really doesn't promise an unbiased view of the subject. So, in that respect, your book remains true to its purpose. But, the pitch is a bit misleading. Instead of presenting answers, the book merely presents biased references to scriptures that support the Christian faith. And, by the way, what about all of the other religions out there? Many of them do not support the same philosophies as the Bible referenced by your book. Do they not have some validity in the world of religion?

I applaud your for the gallant effort at writing about a subject that must be near and dear to your heart. However, it comes across as a sermon, of sort, that could alienate many readers. As for myself, what I read certainly isn't what I inferred from the pitch. And, perhaps the most important question of all, is what about this beginning of life thing? It is purely a personal conviction to beliefs, whatever they might be. And I don't think anyone is qualified to say that they are right and everyone else is wrong on that count. After all, that is one of the main reasons the United States of America exists today: freedom of religion, or, you could also insist that it means freedom FROM religion, as well. We must tolerate both if we are to remain a free society.

Good luck with your book.

Marc - Where's The Ivy

Tommy, you raise some hard questions and lead the reader through an interesting, if one-sided, discussion of a number of key life issues. For that I will back your book. The problem with any practical decisions based on religion, however, is that they all come down to a matter of faith. If I believe the Bible is right in all that you say and that you are interpreting it correctly, then I agree with you. If not, I don't. Your arguments are based on the fact that humans are special--creatures created by God and imbued, specially, with a soul. Most biologists would argue that they are just animals, so the removal of a fetus is the removal of an immature human, as you say, but not necessarily of a soul. Thus, the decision to abort could justifiably (legally as well as morally) be made at any time while the child is still living a parasitic lifestyle that the mother cannot remove herself from in any other way. As to heaven, it is a comforting thought, but there is no real evidence for such a place. And skeptics would obviously question the idea of a benevolent and reasonable God who would cast humans into hell for abortions but allow for a natural world that produces miscarriages as a matter of course. Hence, I believe religion and politics must be kept in separate spheres and decisions regarding life choices should be made according to some live-and-let-live principle. This still doesn't definitively answer the question of abortion, but at least it preserves individual freedom in other areas.

This seems more like a well developed thesis paper or a term paper essay, more than a book. You site many references to the bible without including the entire scripture. Because "scripture" can be interpreted in many ways, I think it is important to include the entire verse since the context the original words were spoken in can change their entire meaning.

This was more "Pro-Life" biased than I think you indicate in your pitch. You say things like...it's up to you to decide when you think life is present... then you say things like "it's safe to assume life begins at conception." The arguments made are not strong enough to change any of my prior held beliefs about adoption or abortion. There doesn't seem to be enough credibility to your expertise for me to be convinced it is all true fact. (The story of the doctor doing surgery on the fetus with spina bifida--is there any way you could get an interview with the doctor rather than passing along his story as hearsay?)

Rather than trying to convince the other side to share your point of view, I think you should cater this to a market which already holds the belief that life is sacred, then focus on comfort and acceptance of prior choices.

You give a good argument, although it is biased and not one I believe in. I believe that it is the choice of the mother whether she is ready to give birth. I don't believe a genuine mistake should be forced upon a person to give birth, especially when all things are taken into account, such as age, lifestyle, stability etc... That said, I AM Pro-Choice, but I understand the reasons for being Pro-Life. It truly is a debate because there is no right or wrong answer, we have only our opinions and personal experiences to contend with. I believe a life is a life from the moment it is concepted, however I also believe that up until 12 weeks, that baby would feel nothing of pain or suffering should it be aborted. It comes down to the choice of the pregnant individual as to whether their own moral view allows them the peace of mind to abort. It is extremely circumstantial and no black or white answer is given. I do agree that the time frame abortion is allowed in is ridicoulous. You can still abort when your baby is kicking.

Your opinion above sways more to the side that abortion is wrong, although you've tried to hide it by giving a weak argument on Pro-Choice. Of course that is your perogative, however if you choose to come to a public forum, then expect people to be adverse to it. I appreciate it is your opinion, but it would be more likely to sway the kind of people you're hoping to if it was delivered as a story, asking the questions one at a time and introducing the ideas slowly. When a reader has an opinion thrust on them all at once, and one they don't neccessarily believe in, it can have the opposite effect you're trying to achieve.

You've written an interesting subject, and one I am sure you expect debate upon. Your style is flawless, but I can't help but believe it belongs in a religious book of some sort, or as has been suggested, a self-help genre for people who have suffered loss. I think you can do some good and help people through difficult times if your target audience is focused. A book like this aimed at people who have made a decision to abort, will probably upset them more than help them. For people who have lost, suffered etc... this could be a very good thing indeed.

Kind regards,

Jodi.
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