Becomes that much more clear after this horrible story about LifeWay breaking their commitment to fight breast cancer after they find that the Susan G Komen fund is connnected to Planned Parenthood.
I understand opposition to abortion. I really do. As I have told many conservative evangelicals, it is the one stance from the conservative church that really does make sense. But that opposition has taken an awful twist from principled stance to political rigidity. And, with so many of their stances, is based purely in theory and has little to no reflection of reality. All fine and good to oppose abortion, but when that opposition stops you from embracing legitimate concerns like the life of the mother or incest and rape, then you have lost touch. Nor when you support the right wing's extreme attacks on women's health. Redefine "rape?" Are you kidding me?
Most of the conservative evangelicals I speak to have this view of most policy. It should work, so that is enough. That applies to everything from capital punishment to abstinence only to tax cuts in the face of mounting debt.
I also think that it is increasingly clear that most conservatives don't realize how far to the right their reps have gone. That uninformed electorate is perfect for the Rove/Fox News set, as they can push for the most extreme legislation and trust that their base will assume that anything Republicans do is more moral than the Democrats.
I have had a few conservatives admit as much. Not that it will change anything, and not sure why they still think I should respect their moral sense. If it isn't openly supporting evil practices like torture, it is chosen ignorance about those practices. Which is worse?
5 comments:
"All fine and good to oppose abortion, but when that opposition stops you from embracing legitimate concerns like the life of the mother or incest and rape, then you have lost touch."
I disagree, but for reasons you might not expect.
If you believe life begins at conception (I don't) then all life should be protected regardless of the circumstances of conception. Further, the evangelical anti-abortion folks disregard the life of the mother or are so cut-off from the real world, that they cannot envision a world where your life is so messed up that continuing a pregnancy would dangerous or impossible.
I put anti-abortion people into two groups. There is the mostly Catholic side that believes life begins at conception. Then there is the evangelical side, who wants abortion banned so women will be punished for their sexual sins by carry the burden to term and raising the child. There is a reason they don’t give a shit about the kid after they are born.
so women will be punished for their sexual sins by carry the burden to term and raising the child
That is some powerful shit. It is a step even darker than, but based in, the myth that Original Sin meant, among other things, painful child birth. The next logical place for that myth to go is that carrying to term and giving birth in and of itself is some sort of cleansing punishment; a type of atonement. Child bearing...as punishment. And your wrap-up, based on that sentiment, is spot-on: they don't give a shit about you once you're born. In fact, the sins of the parent transfer to you, the child, because now in their eyes, you're poor and it's surely your fault.
Man, people do some really screwed-up stuff in the name of the vision of the god they create that suits them best. Selfish people go to a selfish church that has created a version of god that's selfish and preaches that it's OK to be so.
Bob, from what I have been told, most evangelicals wouldn't expect the mother to die and think that she should give up the baby for adoption, as opposed to being forced to raise it. Can you point me to some mainstream evangelical source that talks about banning abortion as a model for punishment?
While I consider myself to be moderately pro-choice, I think the whole issue is more complicated than the two camps you put anti-abortion folks into.
"…mainstream evangelical source that talks about banning abortion as a model for punishment?"
Heck no. This is just an observation of the evangelicals I grew up with who have had kids that got pregnant early, as well as my observation of anti-abortion groups as they relate to adoption and adoption agencies.
I understand that evangelicals are a diverse group, so I should generalize less or qualify my statements better.
Bob, I agree that there are plenty of crackpots out there, but I would like to believe they are the exception.
Post a Comment