Abortion is extremely contentious, and for more than 45 years now, there has been considerable “warfare” between “pro-choice” and “pro-life” people. Is there any way to de-escalate such negative polarization?
The
Abortion Wars
James
Davison Hunter is a “Distinguished Professor” at the University of Virginia and
author of the seminal book Culture Wars (1991).
“The
Issue of Abortion” is a major subsection of the ninth chapter of my book Fed
up with Fundamentalism, and as I mention there, Hunter (b. 1955) has suggested
that abortion could well be the catalyst for America’s next civil war.
That
kind of talk didn’t end in the 1990s, though. In May of last year, the
conservative Christian Post featured an
online article titled “The coming civil war over abortion.” That same
month, The
Guardian posted “Christian
rightwingers warn abortion fight could spark US civil war.”
Among
Christians, abortion was primarily only a Catholic issue until Francis Schaeffer
convinced Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell in 1979 to use it to gain political
power—and the abortion wars have now raged for four decades among Christians as well as in society at large.
In this election
year, abortion is at the heart of the political “wars” between the Republicans
and Democrats. Vice President Pence said in his acceptance speech last week,
President Trump has stood without apology for the sanctity of human life every day of this administration. Joe Biden, he supports taxpayer funding of abortion, right up to the moment of birth.
(It has often been said that truth is the first
casualty in war, and Pence’s last statement is misleading and untrue.)
De-escalation
Efforts
In
spite of the rhetoric being used by the Trump administration and its staunch
conservative evangelical followers, there are both Catholics and evangelical Christians
who are seeking to de-escalate the abortion wars by broadening their ethical
concerns.
In
1972 a group of Catholic sisters organized for social justice as the Network.
They became widely known because of their first Nuns on the Bus tour in 2012.
(In 2014 I wrote about them and their leader, Sister Simone Campbell, here.)
Long
known as just NETWORK, their website is NetworkLobby.org
and they are promoting PopeFrancisVoters.org
in their campaign against the current President. Even though they are
Catholics, they say little about abortion and much about a broad gamut of
social justice issues.
Ron
Sider, the founder of Evangelicals for Social Action, is an example of a
Protestant evangelical who has through the years been strongly against abortion.
But long ago he began to emphasize the importance of being “completely pro-life,”
publishing a book by that name in 1987.
In
de-escalating the abortion wars, Sider was the editor of a book published earlier
this year under the title The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30
Evangelical Christians on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity.
A
Spark of Light
Jodi Picoult is a superlative novelist, and I was greatly
impressed with her 2018 novel A Spark of Light. In fact, I decided to
write this blog article mainly because of reading it.
The novel is about just one day—a very fateful day when
there was a shooting in an abortion clinic.
Picoult skillfully narrates the deep thoughts and
convictions of all the people involved in that tragic day: the shooter, the
policeman seeking to get the shooter’s hostages released, the protesters
outside the clinic, the women inside the clinic, and the doctors and nurses providing
the abortion services.
 |
| Dr. Willie Parker (b. 1962) |
Even though it will be quite perplexing to some, Parker believes that performing abortions and “speaking out on behalf of the
women who want abortions” is his Christian calling and his “life’s work” (p. 16).
For all of you who wonder how a Christian can justify
abortion, I highly recommend reading Picoult’s novel and/or Parker’s book.
Doing so thoughtfully, I believe, would go far toward de-escalating the
abortion wars.
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I was pleased to receive the following thought comments from local Thinking Friend Sue Wright:
ReplyDelete"Leroy, I’ve read Jodi’s book and found it equally interesting and illuminating. What she describes and what you know is that the presidential race will ultimately be a one issue battle—once again, a women’s right to choose—and especially if Law and Order doesn’t catch on which at present is still making the race a two issue battle.
"Sadly, statistics and logic don’t matter to the die-hards. Their sympathies only extend to the unborn and not to immigrant children, the poor, the unwell, or old folks. Their concept of Jesus is narrow, honed sharp as a knife for cutting real love and Christian empathy out of the picture. No surprise, these same people run to an abortionist when faced with an unplanned or embarrassing pregnancy. How many times have I seen this and among the clergy of the most self-righteous churches!
"What irks me most is the Pro-lifers acting as though we pro-choice voters are gung-ho for abortion, see it as just another form of birth control. For me, nothing could be farther from the truth. As a social worker, I understand the pain wrought by any decision regarding this subject. I placed a caseload of babies for adoption; I talked through one set of alternatives after another with my clients.
"Hey, life is complicated. There is no one-size-fits-all solutions. That’s why women should have the right to choose what’s right for them and their families. Also the right to have free access to birth control.
"But I ramble. Let’s just say, I doubt those using abortion as a prop for voting in their political candidate will be changing their minds. They are too invested in it. It’s up to the rest of us who are willing to see all sides of this thorny debate to make a difference. That difference, our vote. A vote heavy with ALL the important issues we should be considering when we cast it."
Thanks, so much for your comments, Sue. I was happy to hear that you, too, had read Jodi Picoult's brilliant book. I was impressed that for a long time, I was not able to tell which "side" she was on. She seemed to be understanding and accepting of the various points of view. Of course, by the end it was apparent that she was clearly pro-choice.
DeleteWhat you wrote in your third paragraph was clearly one important point made in "A Spark of Life." The women (girls) seeking abortion in the besieged clinic were conflicted with the decision they had made. And I was impressed with the empathy of the doctor in the book--and by the Christian empathy of the real-life abortionist, Dr. Willie Parker. Again, I highly recommend his book, and there are copies of it available in the Mid-Continent Public Library system.
Yes, it is probably not possible to change the opinion of the die-hards. But surely there are many pro-life people who are capable of developing a broader view about abortion and a more extensive view of the moral issues that need to be addressed. That is why I think that people like Sister Simone and Ron Sider are de-fusing the abortion wars by not allowing it to be the only ethical issue under consideration.
Then just a couple of minutes later, I received these helpful comments from Thinking Friend Eric Dollard in Chicago:
ReplyDelete"Thanks, Leroy, for your comments about abortion.
Although abortion is certainly a contentious issue, it does not appear to be the top political issue at the moment. The tragedy is that it is a political issue at all--an issue which has poisoned American politics.
I once asked a friend, a retired doctor who is politically conservative, what he thought about abortion. He said it should be between a doctor and his patient. I agree; legislators have no business interfering in what is a difficult, and very personal, decision.
"Most people will agree that abortion that is a personal tragedy, but simply outlawing it is not the answer to reducing its incidence. The best strategy is to reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancies through education and birth control. If an unwanted pregnancy occurs, then as a society, we should be willing to provide the psychological and financial help a new mother and her child will need, yet many of those opposed to abortion also oppose programs to help the poor.
"The number of abortions in the U S has declined considerably during the last 30 years, partly because of laws perhaps, but more significantly because of a reduction in the incidence of teenage pregnancies and unwanted pregnancies."
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this morning's blog post, Eric.
DeleteWhile it may be true that overall abortion is not the top political issue at the moment, but it still seems to be the main issue for a large percentage of white evangelical Christians who are Trump supporters. That is why I found the position of Dr. Willie Parker so intriguing. Even though he is not white, he grew up as a conservative evangelical and was opposed to abortion. But he gradually changed into a compassionate supporter of the right of women to choose what to do about an unwanted pregnancy and a doctor who provides abortion services because of his Christian faith.
Here are pertinent comments from Thinking Friend Glenn Hinson in Kentucky:
ReplyDelete"A really complex question, Leroy. I don’t favor abortion because it costs a human life; yet I realize that certain circumstances leave some with no other option. Moreover, I don’t think politicians are the people who should make decisions about it. A woman and her doctor have the heaviest investment in the issue; they should make the decision. It’s too bad the fundamentalists and politicians like Trump use the issue as a political cudgel."
Thanks for your comments, Dr. Hinson. It seems, though, that your first sentence can probably be contradicted by both pro-life and pro-choice advocates. The former would say there is always another option, that is, to give birth to the child regardless of the circumstances. Many pro-life people see nothing that could justify an abortion, which they see is the same as murder.
DeleteBut on the other hand, many pro-choice people would disagree that in the first trimester the fetus is "human life." Certainly, it is potential human life--as are healthy human eggs and sperms. But as Dr. Willie Parker writes in his book, "Before twenty-two weeks, a fetus is not in any way equal to 'a baby' or 'a child'" (p. 12).
I have finished the book you recommended, Just Mercy. The hypocrisy strikes me that some abortion fighters are so fixed on life before birth but are willing to kill if that life can no longer be considered innocent, even though many are as described in the book. No consideration to what that life has been nor willing to support that life post birth, as Sue and you have said.
ReplyDeleteDennis, I was happy to hear that you finished reading "Just Mercy." I would like to hear other reflections you might like to share about it.
DeleteIt just occurred to me that Bryan Stevenson and Dr. Willie Parker perhaps know each other as they both live in Alabama and are involved in justice activities, albeit in widely different arenas.
I happened to find the following paragraphs in a much longer blog article written by the famous Black writer Alice Walker. She mentions both Parker and Stevenson:
"As soon as I recovered from the suicidal state into which penniless and unwanted pregnancy placed me, while I was a student holding down two jobs, I wrote what it felt like to find myself poor, alone, and trapped by my own body, about which I had been taught almost nothing. I could not even imagine that one day a black Southern gentleman of enormous empathy and courage would stand up with folks like me and help us attain the abortions we need. "Life’s Work: A Moral Argument For Choice" by Dr. Willie Parker is one of the most necessary books ever written because it proves that there are men, as well as women, who are compassionate enough to understand the woman who simply cannot endure bringing another being into this world of meanness, scarcity, cruelty and stupidity. With no one to help, but only to criticize and blame.
"What I most love about this book is that Dr. Parker is a Southerner and a Christian. It is from these roots that his compassion has grown. He has seen countless young girls like the girl I once was: scared, alone, without two dollars to pay anyone to do anything. Not knowing anyone to ask, in any case, abortion being illegal at the time. Suicide the only hope. And he has stood up, with us. When this sinks in, if you are a man or woman reading this book, you will feel I think, as I do, that men like this, books like this, and another one with a similar brave and steady heart, "A Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson, prove that our striving to remain human in a world of inhuman oppression, has not been in vain."
"The victory is plain."
I am still awaiting a meaningful conversation between politically justice-minded (sometimes called "liberal") folks (which I consider myself to be) and those who believe that abortion is morally problematic (which I also consider myself to be). A Catholic coworker and friend, who like me opposes the Republican/Trump mentality, was very disappointed when the current Democratic platform/candidates developed seemingly without any discussion with those like-minded supporters who have a problem with abortion. He (and I) will still be voting for Democrats this fall.
ReplyDeleteI fully concur with the notion that the "Pro-Lifers" are only "Pro-Unborn-Lifers." Before the 2008 election, I wrote an opinion on Facebook titled, "Obama, the Pro-Life Candidate."
Thanks for your important comments, Dave. There are certainly extremists on both sides of this difficult issue--and that is why there are abortion "wars."
ReplyDeleteThe opinions of people like Ron Sider who are "complete pro-life," which seems to include you and your Catholic friend, need to be heard and their position taken seriously. The abortion wars are de-escalated, though, when people like Sider and the evangelicals who wrote for his recent book as well as Sister Simone and the Catholic sisters of NETWORK see that there are many other important ethical issues to consider in addition to abortion.
Again I would recommend you reading at least some of Dr. Willie Parker's book that I introduced in the blog post. He grew up in Birmingham and I think his primary residence now is in Alabama, although he also works some in the only abortion clinic remaining in Mississippi. It seems to me that his position as a Christian is consistent with what is in this year's Democratic platform. Here is part of what they include about abortion-related matters:
"Democrats are committed to protecting and advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice. We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. We will repeal the Title X domestic gag rule and restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides vital preventive and reproductive health care for millions of people, especially low-income people, and people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, including in underserved areas.
"Democrats oppose and will fight to overturn federal and state laws that create barriers to reproductive health and rights. We will repeal the Hyde Amendment, and protect and codify the right to reproductive freedom. We condemn acts of violence, harassment, and intimidation of reproductive health providers, patients, and staff. We will address the discrimination and barriers that inhibit meaningful access to reproductive health care services, including those based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, income, disability, geography, and other factors. Democrats oppose restrictions on medication abortion care that are inconsistent with the most recent medical and scientific evidence and that do not protect public health."
I don't remember seeing your 2008 Facebook post about Obama being the Pro-Life Candidate, but hope you can support Biden as the pro-life candidate in 2020.
Thanks! The book sounds very interesting.
DeleteHere is my "Obama: The Pro-Life Candidate" message. (I was wrong, it was during the 2012 campaign, not the 2008 one, that I wrote it.) My feelings remain the same concerning the 2020 campaign.
"Obama: The Pro-Life Candidate
"With the presidential election campaigning reaching a fever pitch, I've noticed a recent local narrowing of the issue to a single, litmus-paper test issue: the candidates' stance on abortion.
"At the outset, let me say that I am staunchly Pro-Life--but not in the way this term is usually narrowly defined to mean anti-abortion (ignoring all other human life). As a geneticist, I DO believe that there is no event in human development so decisive as fertilization, although fertilization itself is a process. When this process is completed, there is a new genetic organism. I cannot buy the idea that human life begins with viability. Viability is a point in time that has varied greatly with medical and technological developments. Viability in the 19th century is quite different from viability today (or tomorrow). Even a newborn is not viable without the almost constant attention of a carer. Does this make me anti-abortion? Well--maybe more yes than no. Do I believe there are exceptional cases where abortion is permissible? Yes. Do I believe abortion should be criminalized? No. Are there logical inconsistencies in my position? Probably so. But, that is true of nearly any stance on this issue.
"About now, I'm starting to hear a few amens from any right-wing readers. (Only a few, because most would say I'm too wishy washy.) But read on.
"Am I Pro-Life? Absolutely. Who am I going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election? Obama. I believe he is much more Pro-Life than Romney. Here are just a few examples.
"The Environment: Which candidate has taken a stronger stand on preserving the environment of the earth (over which we are stewards)? Although I wish he had been able to do more, it is Obama who has made attempts to limit our emission of greenhouse gases and instituted other measures to protect the environment. It is probably too late to reverse the effects of global warming over the next years (or decades), but it shows a complete disregard for the value of human life to not start doing all we can to reduce it in subsequent years. The first catastrophic effects of climate change may be seen in third world countries, which only further removes the urgency from us. In future years, we'll console ourselves by saying, "Well, no one can prove that the 100,000 people who died in that recent typhoon in Bangladesh died due to human-caused global warming." It may take 50-100 years of data collection beyond that point to do so. If I give you that abortion is murder, then you must give me that not doing all we can to reduced greenhouse gas emissions is mass murder.
"Health Care: Which candidate is more Pro-Life on questions of health care? Obama. He has taken a stand to at least begin to make good health care available to all Americans. Support for Obama-Care is Pro-Life. Romney's opposition to Obama-Care (on the days he is actually opposed it) shows a complete disregard for the value and dignity of human life.
"Social Programs: Which candidate has taken a stronger stand in assisting those who cannot afford to feed and clothe their families, put a roof over their heads, and educate them? Obama. Standing for social justice is the right thing, the Biblical thing, and the Pro-life thing to do.
"Diplomacy vs. War: Which candidate is more likely to try diplomacy over war to resolve global problems? Obama. The Pro-Lifer.
"Who will I vote for? Barack Obama. The Pro-Life candidate.
"daj"
Thanks for sharing this, Dave -- and I wondered about it being 2008. Thanks for clearing that up.
DeleteAs a geneticist, what do you think of Dr. Parker's statement, "Before twenty-two weeks, a fetus is not in any way equal to 'a baby' or 'a child'" (p. 12)? He wrote that having seen many fetuses less than twenty-two weeks old; biologically, is that an accurate or erroneous statement--or is that something that can be determined biologically or medically?
I like your "completely pro-life" statement about Obama, although I might quibble a bit with your first paragraph. I encourage you to replace "Obama" with "Biden" and post the same thing, with maybe minor updates, sometime next month.
Here are thoughtful comments from Thinking Friend Truett Baker in Arizona:
ReplyDelete"Thanks for the recent very thoughtful blog on abortion. In order to support this subject, either way, one needs to deal with the identification of the question of when life begins. I do not believe that an embryo is a person anymore than I believe that an egg is a chicken. In the case of a comatose person, a beating heart does not define a living person and that person is often defined as 'brain-dead.'
"This is such a personal issue with so many various circumstances, that I will not judge a woman's right to choose abortion. There is the matter of rape, incest, birth injury, age, health, and the list could go on.
"Carolyn and I were house parents for Buckner Baptist Benevolences' maternity home in San Antonio in the early 1960s. I also served as the caseworker for the girls and their families during the time I was earning my master's degree in Social Work. On two occasions we admitted girls who were twelve years old. One of the little girls had no idea how she became pregnant. The families had considered abortion. They finally decided upon delivery and adoption. I've asked myself several times during those years what we would do if one or more of our daughters became pregnant at the age of twelve or thirteen. As a father, I would not put my daughter through the ordeal of an unwanted pregnancy at that age if she agreed to the procedure. My wife, who is a Registered Nurse specializing in neonatal nursing, shares my views on this subject and did so before we married.
"I have to confess that while I would support the right of any woman to make that choice for herself, I have little patience with those who believe they are qualified to make that very personal decision for all women regardless of circumstances. I identify this pro-life mentality with fundamentalism because of their certitude and judgmental attitude. I stand amazed at the paradox of the pro-lifers who so vigorously oppose abortion but have no problem with the execution of criminals or war-killings. Again, one of the characteristics of fundamentalism is having no problem with moral paradox.
Thanks, Truett, for taking the time to write such thoughtful and helpful comments.
DeleteThe only thing I would take exception with is your calling the position of many "pro-lifers" paradoxical. As you probably know from what I have mentioned several times, I am a strong supporter of the idea of paradox in theological matters--and in thinking in general. But there are contradictions of various sorts that are not paradoxes. So in my opinion, the example you gave is not a moral paradox but a blatant contradiction.
Let's get back to the beginning. As you state above, Francis Schaeffer and Jerry Falwell worked with Republicans to create a political wedge issue out of abortion. The irony is that abortion is never directly discussed in the Bible, yet somehow conservative Evangelicals flocked to the new wedge issue. Well, Schaeffer's son Frank has disowned the whole process, and Falwell's son just left his job at Liberty University in disgrace. Our current "pro-life" President has famously had his employees ripping infants from their mothers' arms and throwing them into cages to be cared for by slightly older captive children. The moral bankruptcy of the entire wedge issue is appalling, and the damage it has done to America is profound.
ReplyDeleteThe Bible does have some proof texts available, but they paint a much more nuanced picture of the situation than I have ever heard a conservative confess. In the Bible the unborn are treated as valuable property, and are several times clearly not protected as persons. So let me close with my favorite abortion "proof text," from Matthew 18:9, "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."
Thanks, Craig, for your noteworthy comments--and thanks for mentioning Frank Schaeffer, whom I have heard speak two or three times in Kansas City and with whom I have had some very limited email exchanges. It is from him that I learned about the way his father influenced Jerry Falwell, Sr.
DeleteI also appreciate you pointing out one blatant contradiction of the "pro-life" President--and as I wrote above in my response to TF Truett, I don't want to dignify that position by referring to it as a "moral paradox."