First, I'll apologize up front. I know not everyone wants to read about politics on this blog. You'd rather read funny stuff and gentle religious sarcasm and blatant self-promotion about my books and writing. I understand that, so this will probably be the last presidential-themed post I'll do up until the election. But I need to put this one out there so I ask that you indulge me, baby, one more time.
Very few people in Texas, where I live, plan to vote for Obama. At least, very few people I know. Most of my friends and family are pro-McCain and see support for Obama as downright unChristian (though they still love me and probably wouldn't ever say this to me outright). Because Obama is pro-choice, a vote for Obama is often equated with a vote for killing babies.
Just to ease my parents' minds, let me make it clear that I have no interest in killing babies. I'm pro-life, and I have credentials. Once, when I was 16 or 17, I participated in a March for Life, holding an "Abortion Is Murder" sign that someone handed to me on the way out the door. Of course, I'm not sure how effective a 100-person march against abortion is in a city that's overwhelmingly pro-life already, other than making the participants feel good about their activism, and especially good when a passing motorist flips them the bird, because: persecution! I've even done marketing work for the local crisis pregnancy center and donated money to their operating budget.
So I'm pro-life but I intend to vote for the pro-choice candidate. And I'll be honest: Obama is unapologetically pro-choice. This makes me a slobbering hypocrite (at least in this area...I'm a hypocrite in lots of other areas, too.) So how in the world do I justify this?
It's simple: I'm a pragmatist. Despite his claims to being pro-life, I don't believe voting for John McCain will do anything to end or even reduce abortion in the United States.
Point #1: We have had a pro-life president in the White House for 20 out of the last 28 years, since Reagan's election in 1980. Has this led to abortions being reduced? Yes, but barely. Has it led to Roe vs. Wade being overturned? No.
Point #2: What about Supreme Court justices? If the president has any sway on abortion, it's by picking pro-life judges to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court, right? Sure. Except in 1992, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey -- the first real opportunity to overturn the abortion law -- five Republican-appointed justices voted to uphold Roe v. Wade. And in this case, only two of these justices (Blackmun and Stevens) were supporters of Roe v. Wade when the case began. I doubt we will ever see this law overturned. But don't trust me on this. Trust Bush appointee and Chief Justice John Roberts, who said Roe v. Wade was the "settled law of the land," and vowed he would uphold it. (H/T: Bryan)
Point #3: But let's say it were overturned by the Supreme Court. Then what would happen? The abortion issue would be given back to the states. (This was how it worked before Roe vs. Wade.) Some states would maintain its legality. Some states would outlaw it. But if you wanted an abortion, you could still get one, simply by traveling to an abortion-friendly state. Would it reduce abortions? Probably not. It would just make the process of getting one -- at least in a pro-life state -- a little more challenging.
Conclusion: There is little chance of overturning the abortion law. That being the case, what can we then do to reduce the number of abortions? That's the question we need to be asking.
John McCain does not have a good answer to this question. His answer -- if he gives one -- always involves the repeal of Roe v. Wade, the argument about appointing Supreme Court justices, and various "abortion is evil" statements. Which are fine, but if you agree with points 1-3 above, those are useless answers. What we need are some ideas about how to reduce abortion. But the Republican party's only idea seems to be repealing Roe v. Wade. That's it. In fact, the Republican party's 2008 platform says very little about abortion other than opposing it and promoting "every effort" to "enable and empower [those considering abortion] to choose life." Fine. But how do you do this? What does this empowerment look like? Do issues like poverty and health care and family planning play any role in reducing abortions? Unfortunately, the platform doesn't give answers. Let's just demonize Roe v. Wade and that's enough. According to Catholic legal scholar Nicholas Cafardi, the RNC actually removed abortion-reducing language from their platform this year.
Removed. Abortion-reducing. Language.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama fought to add language to the 2008 Democratic platform after consulting with religious leaders and pro-life Democrats about the issue. The platform calls for reducing abortion by promoting abstinence, adoption, and personal responsibility. It also provides for reducing unintended pregnancies through family planning services, education, parenting skills training, and health care. These are the kinds of resources many pregnant women don't have when they find out they're pregnant, and which make them think abortion is the only option. Catholic and Protestant leaders called the addition of this plan to the platform a "historic and courageous step" for Democrats. To be fair, others have criticized it as adding a good thing to an evil position (I'd label it "lipstick on a pig" but that phrase has pretty much jumped the shark). Regardless, it is a hopeful plan and a big shift in the usually antagonistic relationship between Democrats and pro-lifers.
(Update: Pro-Life Democrats have proposed the 95-10 Plan, the goal of which is to reduce abortions by 95% within 10 years. I really like this plan, but it's unclear at this point whether or not Obama has come out in support of it.)
When it comes to reducing abortions, the Republican party talks about a pie-in-the-sky scenario -- repealing Roe v. Wade -- that still wouldn't have much effect on the issue. Barack Obama has a concrete, serious plan any pro-life voter can (and should) applaud.
Two final points and I'll step off my soapbox and put it away until the election's over so we can all be friends again.
#1: There is more to being pro-life than fighting against abortion. For me, the pro-life platform includes things like poverty, women's rights, global human rights, environmental stewardship, torture, war, and racism. I think Obama is a more compelling choice than McCain on all of those. All of them. How can I be pro-life if I vote for the lesser candidate in 7 out of 8 pro-life categories?
#2: When it comes to elections, I am not a single-issue voter. Some people are, and if that's how you choose to vote, that's fine. But if a member of my family is in a terrible accident and we're rushed to the hospital emergency room, and I have the option of choosing one out of two doctors to perform emergency surgery, I'm not going to choose based on which surgeon is pro-life. I'm going to pick the professional I believe will do the best job in healing my injured family member. I apply the same reasoning when I vote for president. Parts of this country are broken or are in the process of breaking (and I include abortion among the "broken" stuff). But I'm going to choose a candidate based not just on his beliefs about that one issue, but on how I believe he will respond to all the issues. Which candidate will be the best healer?
Obama's stance on abortion falls far short of the Christian ideal. In fact, I think it's on the wrong side of the Christian ideal. But there are lots of issues to consider in addition to the abortion one, and when it comes to healing the rest of the brokenness, he's the doctor I'd choose.
Owen likes the planet Mars. I like Obama. Both of us are standing firm.
We'll return to inanity tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Obama and Abortion
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18 comments:
Thanks for the hat tip Jason. One question that has arisen on my blog is whether we know for sure that Obama is adopting the 95-10 plan. If you find that anywhere in writing where Obama is talking about it himself, let me know...
Good point, Bryan. I'm gonna update the post to reflect that Obama's position on the plan is unclear.
I think you and I are the only people voting for Obama here in Amarillo. My family said come Christmas I can sit out back with the pagans.
Amen. I, too, am voting for Obama. (Much to the disapproval of my family, friends and coworkers, I voted for Kerry in 2004, too.)
I get a lot trash about the abortion issue, and I feel many of the same ways that you do. Abortion is not a stand-along issue. I fear that for too many conservatives, overturning Roe v. Wade is just a quick fix that allows us to sleep better at night. It's a bigger problem that involves poverty, health care, education, etc. We need more comprehensive solutions.
See you in Hell.
OK, I have to chime in here - as someone who used to be a paid political hack and someone who is trying to work that out with his efforts at living a real faith.
It's getting a little weird when people judge other people's spirituality based on whom they are supporting for President of the United States.
Now, I write this as the resident of a state whose electoral votes (all 3 of them) will be going to Obama and Biden (and I can safely say those electoral votes were going in that direction even if our own U.S. Senator wasn't on the ballot) - so quite frankly it doesn't matter who I support for President.
But here's the thing - I believe the presidential support thing is simply the easiest way we have of figuring out if someone is "with" us or not - it's a quick and easy litmus test, sort of like wearing your favorite team's Jersey into a sports bar, you quickly find out who else appreciates the Cubs (sorry Jason, couldn't resist).
But guess what, it doesn't matter all that much - I mean, unless you are in a position to actually sway thousands of votes in a battleground state, it really doesn't matter what you say or do - that's just the cold, hard truth.
However, you can make a HUGE difference in a local election. Seriously, I just did the numbers and in my little state I found dozens of elections in the past few cycles that have been decided by fewer than 100 votes, some by as few as 8 - guess what, I can encourage 100 people to support a local candidate, heck, I can lead a caravan of cars to the polls and be responsible for putting someone over the top.
And, let's take a look at what really impacts you and your community - yes the Pres deals with some big issues, but what about the school board that just made a boneheaded move (ours recently expelled a straight-A student over their "Zero-tolerance" policy when she brought an exacto-knife to school for an art project, but I digress).
I guess what I'm trying to say is, first, let's not confuse candidate support for spirituality, and second, let's pay a little more attention to the rest of the races on those ballots.
Oh, and don't forget, no matter who gets elected to what - Christians are commanded to pray for them, just saying...
I'll indulge you anytime baby, but only when if you throw in Brittney Spears references.
Jason, Jason, Jason, it kills me that you have been Obamaized. He has wooed you and won you over. Yikes!....who knew you were so easily wooed.
Here is a quote from Don Wildmon: "
The upcoming election is the most critical election in the history of our nation. The very future of our nation’s foundation is at stake. Every person will be affected. If the liberals win, then our foundation will no longer be based on the traditional Judeo-Christian morality. It will gradually but assuredly be based on an ever shifting, ever moving foundation. If the liberals win, the damage can’t be stopped with elections two, four or forty years from now. America will forever be changed. We will keep seeing a gradual and growing hostility toward people of faith, especially Christians. The morals of our nation will continue to decline. Our children and grandchildren will pay the price.
In case you may think I’m a “the sky is falling” type of person, you should know: When it comes to predictions, I am a very reserved person. But not on this one. I cannot overstate the damage a liberal victory will do to our country. The upcoming election is the most important in the history of our nation. Yes, if the liberals win you will lose some of your religious freedoms and free speech rights. Churches and pastors will not be exempt. You will not be allowed to say certain things about a particular group. Every item of the homosexual agenda will be approved. All the laws protecting the unborn will be wiped away."
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree. Its' the liberal agenda that I fear the most. It includes so much more than just the abortion issue. I actually believe that Obama will probably win. (But I am NOT voting for him) He has the money to "buy" the election if he wants and probably will. It will be the beginning of the end of America as we have known it but maybe that's exactly God's plan.
Lastly, if Obama wins and Democrats keep control of Congress, we as Christians will probably see more persecution that we ever thought possible here in America....get ready.
So...I will proudly cast my vote for the McCain/Palin ticket and pray it's not Obama's time.
"..... for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Rom. 13:1
Thanks for chiming in, Suzanne! (Schromom is a long-time friend of our family.) I respectfully -- and strongly -- disagree, but I'm glad you stopped by to comment.
Why do you strongly disagree with Schromom? Just curious?
Good question, Kate. There are several things I disagree with about what Wildmon has said (whom Schromom quoted):
1. Evangelical Christians had the same worries about John F. Kennedy when he was elected, because he was Catholic. Protestants feared intense persecution. Fundamentalists expected the End of Days, with the Pope playing the role of Antichrist. But things turned out OK.
2. Obama says he's a Christian, acts like a Christian, talks like a Christian, and gives me every reason to believe he's a Christian. So do lots of other liberals. (So do lots of Republicans, too, for the record.) As Ken put it, let's not confuse a person's faith with his or her political leanings. A Democratic congress and president do not automatically result in the persecution of Christians. I know a lot of people in this part of the country who have that kind of alarmist viewpoint because they still believe the Obama-Muslim emails, which almost everyone on all sides of the political spectrum has denounced. In any case, the notion that Obama will suddenly start persecuting Christians makes no sense to me.
3. Same goes for the idea that a liberal government means the end of America. The United States is bigger than one president. It's bigger than one political party. If the Clinton administration didn't mean the end of America, nor the Carter administration, nor the Johnson or Kennedy administrations, then neither will an Obama one.
4. I don't see anything in Obama's rhetoric, record, memoirs, or demeanor that suggests he will go after my freedom of speech or freedom of religion. If he did, he'd have to muzzle himself, because he's as fluent in biblical knowledge and religious speech as any politician I've heard (or read). I think Wildmon is totally wrong on this, too.
Jason,
The comments are almost as interesting as the post. Thanks for taking the time to type up the words that many of us Obama supporting pro-lifers have been not getting around to writing.
A phrase I hold on to, especially as a (Christian) therapist that hears about LOTS of tragedies and injustices that happen in our world - and sadly many of the perpetrators are professed Evangelicals, is by Richard Rohr, a favorite (and Catholic I might add) theologian of mine. He says, "On a radical level, everything is going to be okay."
And it is. It will all keep on keeping on. Sometimes I think true surrender looks like just chilling the freak out.
Now get back to posting snark about Christian soft drinks and such -the important stuff!
I really enjoyed reading this entry - first time reading your blog. I appreciate the thoughtfulness you brought to a subject I think a lot of people are divided on. I plan on visiting again.
Catherine
I enjoyed reading your thoughtful commentary. I must point out, however, that Obama has said that he will support the Freedom to Choose Act which eliminates all restrictions on abortions. That position is not in line with a 95-10 plan. Additionally, while in the Illinois senate, Obama voted against an act that sought the same treatment for babies who survived abortions as was given to premature babies of the same gestational age - lifesaving medical attention. His reasoning was that he didn't want to put burden on that mother that chose the abortion. To me, that is infanticide.
I agree that abortion should not be the sole reason for choosing a president, but I certainly do not agree that Obama's "choice at all cost" philosophy will decrease the number of abortions.
Great post. I was sent from a friend of yours.
I have your book, though it's taken me over a year to finish it and I think we would be friends.
ha ha...I sent Brody! :)
If God were to phone in a laundry list of things He wants us to straighten out post haste, surely the wholesale slaughtering of babies would be somewhere near the top, right? How abhorrent must that be to Him? It's a wonder to me that He doesn't turn His back and walk away from this nation on this issue alone. Not because He can't forgive what's been done, but because we persist so stubbornly or acquiesce so impotently.
And mind you, I'm a guy who thinks a multitude of this ol' world's current problems are attributable to global over-population, so it ain't like I'm saying any given pregnancy is God's best-case scenario for the particular parties involved, or its impact on the rest of us.
Anyway, just because we have a dismal track record on abortion so far doesn't mean we should give up. It just points up how pathetically ineffectual we've been. At the very least, we should try to stay in a position to get lucky legislation-wise and "Supreme" Court-wise.
Spare me the special cases scenarios and tell me why proponents of abortion not out of necessity but for convenience, and "it's my body and I'll do what I want with it" feminism, and the self-serving rationalization that leads to destroying another person's body and life, should receive the good housekeeping seal of approval without any redress of the behavioral/moral/spiritual largesse that creates the nightmare quandary in the first damn place.
Still, I've been saying for decades that you can't legislate morality, so I sort of agree with your states' rights logic (although I seriously disagree that it wouldn't significantly reduce the number of abortions). And abortions, like tooth enamel erosion and poverty, may never be totally eradicated. And probably the only good solution is to return this society to a place that doesn't condone behavior that leads to the "need" for abortions. But, my young friend who has come of age in an era that by default sanctions this abomination, when it comes to playing hardball with the defenseless, we cannot abandon the post.
So support Obama all you want for whatever reasons you want -- and god knows after McCain's pathetic excuse for a campaign he certainly didn't deserve election -- but because you do support him, you have even more responsibility than his opponents to relentlessly pressure him not only about abortion, but also about helping return this society to a standard of behavioral responsibility. Some things are more important than personal convenience or political expediency. Standing on principle is one of 'em.
I know I'm well over a day late and a dollar short, but in regards to the Obama issue, I can only conclude that I try not to judge folks by their political stance, however, the proof is always in the pudding. We don't grab apples from a fig tree. Our faith in Jesus should be REFLECTIVE in all parts of lives: politically, socially, financially, familial, etc., so when it comes to Obama, he supports a political party, lifestyle and agenda that contradicts what the true life of saturated filled Christian lives. We should be wholly filled by Him in everything we set our hands to. This is not what is reflected in his agenda and life. I will continue to pray for him.. Give the people what they want! They got it! We'll see how it turns out!
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