Abortion
Thanks to benj for the following figures:
Since 1973, there have been over 47,000,000 abortions in the United States.
That's 1,300,000 babies every year
That's 108,333 babies every month
That's 27,083 babies every week
That's 3,735 babies every day
That's 155 babies every hour
That's 2.6 babies every minute
That's 1 baby every 25 seconds!
In keeping with my own personal method of offering alternative viewpoints and trying to foster discussion; I would like to present the following question(s).
What if the wrong methods are being used by the “pro-life” movement? Would it not be more successful to offer unwavering love and support to those unwed mothers who contemplate abortion? What if, rather than vilifying them and remarking on their sinful behavior, we offered love, acceptance and support? Perhaps adopting a grace-filled attitude of “Ok, you made a mistake, let’s work through this together. How can the church help you” would do more to stem the tide of abortions than the lobbying and sermonizing have done.
- Rev_Roger's blog
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Comments
Makes sense
There are many who are prolife, honest people who have a consistent based approach and personally support those with needs, however, the anti-abortion movement joins politically with an agenda which makes many people uncritically a part of a process that is not designed to be pro life, but rather pro - control. Their desire is to modify and evaluate behavior, not to enhance and support new borns. This is why abortion rates go up during the right wing administrations, and go down during the left wing administrations. Unfortunately, many people do not want to be confused by the facts, they only want the catch phrase and react emotionally.
Re: Makes sense
All laws seek to modify and evaluate behavior, so I am not sure why that is a bad thing. Speeding laws are in place to correct fast driving, which is a behavior. Obviously, I could list many more laws that all seek to modify an evaluated "bad" behavior.
All laws are about control. I am not sure I am following your point.
Ben
Abortion reveals the state of our nation
America's astounding abortion rate reflects the crumbling of our nation. The systemic decay that lies beneath the symptom of abortion is vast and multi-faceted.
Family life has disintegrated. I grew up in the 1940s-50s. Children played outdoors all day, roamed a safe neighborhood, walked to school. Families ate 2-3 meals daily together. We talked. On Saturday for Christians and Friday for Jews, families prepared for the Sabbath Day--"to keep it holy." Family rituals were maintained. Children were an integral part of the family ... we had chores just like our parents--no one got paid for helping to create a comfortable home. Even the very poor managed to maintain a family life based on love and mutual cooperation.
Now, families seldom, if ever, eat together. Children are often not required to do their share in maintaining the home ... this makes them feel less integrated into the family whole. Several years ago, Richmond experienced a hurricane. The adults in our neighborhood cleaned up, while the youth wandered the streets with a blank look in their eyes. With no electricity, they were totally lost without computers and TVs ... not one did I see helping the adults clean up. They were on the outside looking in ... they had no purpose.
Children growing up in poor neighborhoods often grow up without beholding nature's beauty as a regular part of their lives. Dilapidated buildings, deserted lots, dejected people huddled on a porch needing repair, drunks, drug addicts, and blaring noise from any number of radios and families yelling at each other--this is very often the only world poor children know. They have never seen the countryside, never seen a cow, a mountain, a sparkling stream, a field of flowers. They live on the outside ... they have no purpose.
The creative arts once played a major role in the public school curriculums. Children, regardless of family income, were recognized for their individual talents and thereby, experienced a sense of self-fulfillment and self-worth. Teachers had time to work with the children ... they were allowed to teach. Today's public school teachers are required to teach to the standardized tests, to fill out numerous forms, actually called on the carpet for using innovative techniques. Children come to school hungry, dirty, and without sleep because their parents fought all night or the neighborhood never cut off the blaring dissonant music. It is not at all uncommon for children to tell the teachers upon arrival at school that one of their parents killed the other one the night before. Children arrive at school with signs of physical abuse.
In essence, we have children growing up never knowing the joy of spending quality one-on-one time with parents, never feeling an integral part of the family because they have no duties that create a feeling of belonging and importance within the family.
We have children that never feel the self-satisfaction of creating according to their own unique talent. There lives are empty ... filled only with the virtual world of the television or video games. They never know the joy of climbing a tree or running across a green field, exploring the woods.
And what is their virtual world like? Filled with violence, foul language, and sex. Day in and day out ... violence, foul language, and sex.
Girls are taught to dress sexy, so the boys will like them. Boys compare stories of conquest. All in the name of feeling like someone special. Most incidences of sex include some measure of affection, the human touch, one-on-one intimate communication. For a few short minutes, two individuals are lost in each other. Sex is real life, real feelings, real touching. It is thrilling. It is a time of feeling alive.
Sadly, the girls are often left to deal with the consequences while the boys are on yet another conquest. In all of the above discussion regarding abortion, the male is not mentioned.
how ought we react?
Nancy,
All that you said may be true. However, we are here as Christians who believe that our faith moves us in a certain political direction. What do you believe our response as Christians should be in light of your observations as individuals in our personal lives and as a community in the political realm?
God granted us the gift of freewill
David,
Thanks for your question and concern. God granted each of us freewill--the freedom to choose how we live our lives. For that reason, I have to allow all persons to make the decisions for their lives. On the other hand, I must be my sister/brother's keeper.
But, first, what about the unborn child's freewill?
Metaphysicians, which I am, teach reincarnation ... that the soul plans the major events to take place in the future life before incarnating. In the case of possible abortion, that is very likely known before hand by the soul and its spiritual guides. Metaphysicians, and I believe the Jewish religion, teach that the soul does not enter the body until just before birth or at times shortly after birth. Thus, abortion destroys the opportunity for the soul to incarnate at that point in time, but it does not kill the soul of the child. The individual who has the abortion reaps whatever has been sown by her action (and I believe the male also reaps what has been sown by his action).
What can we do to prevent abortions? I think major changes need to start with seeing that each young person have the opportunity to fulfill his/her dreams by granting all an excellent education. Dennis Kucinich's 2004 (not sure about his 2008 one) Presidential campaign platform included the re-allocation of the "wasted" money only at the Pentagon to go to providing a free college education for every young person. His Department of Peace legislation includes teaching conflict resolution from pre-school through college. The very process of conflict resolution can result in developing meaningful relationships ... learning to talk out conflicts, express one's emotions in healthy ways. I've heard of churches where the youth program includes leading young people into the desire to pledge "no sex before marriage." There is so much we can do to help our young people develop well rounded personalities and to give them hope for their personal future.
Most cases of abortion that I know of involved people who were using sex as a means to fill an emptiness that their lives and families were not filling. Except in the case of medical reasons, I see abortion as the end result of a dysfunctional life. To focus on abortion misses the point. We need to focus our attention on changing our society so that every young person is given the hope of a satisfying life--I think 99.9% of them will agree to work toward that end if given the opportunity.
Those school projects where every student with a certain level of grades is promised a college education have been very successful. Everyone needs hope in order to function in positive ways.
I believe the human longing for personal recognition, for someone to love (even if for a short time of sex) is too powerful a need to ignore. We must work for a society in which every child is loved, educated, and guided into a personally satisfying life.
Then the abortion rate will decrease and eventually disappear.
World as we want it as opposed to the world as it actually is
Nancy, that was a well thought out post. I don't know much about metaphysicians and reincarnation, but I'm learning a lot from reading your posts. Thank you.
I have mixed feelings about you post though. There's a part of me that likes what you're saying about providing love, education and guidance to lead all children into a satisfying life. There's another part of me that knows how difficult this is to achieve in the real world.
I think God has always charged us with trying to be a better person, and to create a better world, knowing that our imperfections always means we'll fall short. In history, how many revolutions have occurred, whether it be the French Revolution or the communist revolution or the countless attempts at theocracies or even the counterculture revolution of the late 1960s, where people have tried to remake a perfect society, only to have those attempts fail because the people in those new societies are just as filled with human imperfection. As imperfect as our Founding Fathers were, I still admire them because they set up a system with its checks and balances that took into account what human nature is like. They realized that no one person or group or church had all the answers. I think the Bible is just this story of the relationship between the perfect God and a very imperfect people. That's the whole point of Paul's letter to the Romans, of God's law showing how imperfect we really are.
I agree with most of what Nancy wrote, of how we need to focus our attention on changing our society so that every young person is given the hope of a satisfying life. But though I think abortion rates would significantly decrease, realistically speaking, I don't think it'll disappeear. Just as I don't think murders will disappear or misunderstandings or such. In a perfect church, we could provide love for our children, uplift from poverty, peace from war, an example for society for how we should live. But in the church as it is, there is division because one church won't collaborate with another because of theology. Within an individual church, there's gossip and conflicts, 10% of the people doing 90% of the work, cliques. And that's o.k. The people within churches are just human, trying the best that they can.
I think that's why I like reforms a lot more than revolutions. I remember debates when I was young about how our families were more like the Simpsons than the Waltons. I read somewhere that there are 3 stages of love: one where we see our beloved as perfect; two where we get disillusioned when we see that our love isn't perfect; and three when we love that person with their imperfections. I think we should always strive to make a better world. But we should always be realistic about what is possible.
Idealism & Realism
Angelo,
I'll readily admit that I am idealistic and aim for the Sun. I'll also admit that those who are basically realistic are just as valuable. We need to work together.
Growing up in a very Bible-based Baptist Church, I heard and adopted as my mottos verses like: "With God all things are possible." "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We sang almost, if not every Sunday night, "All Things Are Possible, Only Believe." As a little kid, I was saturated with these affirmations. It never dawned on me not to aim for the Sun.
So many miracles have happened in my life: I attended college, 2 years in seminary, 3 years of graduate school in counseling education, 4 more years in seminary, adopted a child from Honduras, traveled for 9 weeks in Honduras, traveled for 6 weeks in the Middle East, a week in Europe --- all with people telling me, "It isn't possible ... you have no money."
Had I been realistic, I would have experienced none of the above. Actually, I am still trying to believe that I am writing on a Progressive Christian blog. I felt called 28 years ago - on 4/7/80 - to assist in bridging the gap between orthodox Christianity and New Age spirituality. My efforts have been continuous, but repeatedly rejected. Now, I read the April 2008 Progressive Christian Newsletter and realize people in the churches are finally saying what I have attempted to say and have heard for 28 years. The entire few weeks I have been a user on this site, I have expected to be blocked out. So - this "all things are possible" took 28 years, but here we are.
When I speak of making sure every young person is loved and given the opportunities for an education and personal fulfillment, I realize it will take a while ... maybe. I also know that "WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE."
I am convinced that together we can change this world ... maybe not tomorrow, but maybe ... by tomorrow. Love is the greatest force in the universe ... I think Oprah's Big Give and the ripple effect it is having on our planet is one example. Also on Ellen's talk show yesterday (4/22/08), Wayne Dyer proposed to the audience a one month's effort to see how much good for others each individual could do. The same audience will return to Ellen's show on 5/22/08 and report the results of their efforts. Oprah had a little boy on her show this week that after watching Oprah's Big Give with his parents wanted to give his 5th birthday presents to children who needed them. This little boy's efforts got an entire church involved and his mother reported to Oprah that he is no where near ready to stop giving.
So, I say let's aim for the Sun ... and use the expertise of the realists among us to get things done on the ground!
Local efforts grow into national efforts!
Thank you, Angelo, I enjoy your blogs too. I'm still trying to get over my shock at finding such a site.
re:Idealism and Realism
You're right Nancy about Idealism and Realism needing to work together. You're life is inspiring for your perserverance and optimism. I just wrote my post when I read your line about love causing abortions to gradually disappear, and it seemed utopian to me. But reading this post, I have to agree that we have to reach for the Sun for change to occur.
I guess I'm at a period where I'm trying to get over disillusionment from conflicts at a previous church, so it colors my view of things. I wish I still had your idealism. I found Crossleft around 5 or 6 months ago, and I feel the same way about finding other Progressive Christians as you do.
Disillusionment with church
Angelo,
I truly understand disillusionment as a result of influences/events, or lack of them, at church. As I state on my profile, I finally left because I refuse to allow anyone to tell me what I am to believe or what I can or cannot say. One reason I am so encouraged to find Crossleft is that leaving is not really the best solution ... we all need a spiritual community. I ended up working with people who have also left church and believe me, there is a lot of bitterness out there toward churches and sadly, the way the Bible has been interpreted. The people with whom I have worked refer to themselves as "recovering Catholic" or "recovering Baptist" or whichever church was detrimental in their lives. Many want absolutely nothing to do with the Bible.
I know how much a loving, helpful church family meant to me as a young person. I believe the youth of today would stand a much better chance of avoiding abortion and all other difficulties if they felt at home and cared for in a church, where they are taught to think for themselves and in terms of what is best for them when making their choices about life. We need to be teaching our youth that they are valuable ... that they have a unique role within the Divine Plan they only they can fulfill ... that they are an integral part of the whole of society.
What seems to me a perfect example of society/church not hearing the cries of our youth is the young person who is arrested and punished for spray painting murals on the side of a building. Send the youth to art classes! Talent is very evident, as is the youth's frustration at not having the financial means or the encouragement of adults to pursue his/her talent.
If Crossleft manages only to share more love and more understanding to all persons, we will have gifted the world in most beneficial ways. We can transform our world by loving all people--regardless of race, economic status, sexual preference, mistakes made, or country of origin. We can transform our world by recognizing every individual as unique and integral to the whole of God's Plan for humanity.
Every human being is a temple of God ... whether or not that fact is obvious to others!
re:Disillusionment with church
Thanks Nancy. I'm attending an Episcopal church now that I like and am slowly forming friendships. The church that I grew disillusioned with was this Asian American evangelical church I attended a few years ago, and for similar reasons that you left your church. I just grew tired of having a group of people tell me what to think and try to control every aspect of my life. After a while it felt like a cult.
I'm prochoice, so I always get wary when abortion get mentioned. But I like your take on the issue, on finding ways to reduce the number of abortions through loving the women who are faced with that choice. Several months ago, Crossleft had a rather contentious series of posts on abortion, and a few people decided to look for some areas of common ground between the prolife and prochoice sides. You offer a good alternative.
families
A functioning family with the principles spoken about in the Bible will solve many of society's ills. The Biblical principles applied even in non-Christian homes would have a tremendous effect on the family. And if done on large scale in our society, you are correct, abortion rates would fall dramatically. Excellent point.
Common Ground
I have written previously at CL about finding common ground in attempting to reduce abortions. In fact there was bipartisan legislation supporting counseling and foster care for this very purpose. I've never heard anyone argue that more abortions would be a good thing, so why has it been so hard to propose working together to reduce abortions? I had some pro-life folks comment that this proposal was a compromise and that one death by abortion was one too many. It didn't seem to help when I pointed out that I wasn't suggesting that abortions were OK, I was trying to find ways to reduce them. This sort of polarization and litmus testing only hinder any progress toward the day when there may be no abortions.
Of course, one of the most reliable indicators of the abortion rate is poverty and there is far too little conversation about lowering the poverty rate as a way of reducing abortions.
Specific ways?
Do you have specific ways and suggestions that they can work together? Because many in the pro-life movement are doing exactly that in the Crisis Pregnancy Centers I already spoke of. I just do not seeing the Left working toward that goal. Planned Parenthood is almost a BILLION dollar corporation. Are they going to work to eliminate the source of alot of their revenue? I doubt it, but I could be wrong.
Pro-lifers are working toward that end goal. Are pro-choicers?
Ben
specific ways...
Ben,
I had a reply all set to go but the browser glitched and it was lost. Grrr. I'll try to sum up it up (it will likely be more concise anyway.)
Here's the way I see it. The primary focus of the religious right has been aimed at outlawing abortions. They have campaigned and poured resources and energy into this endeavor with little yield. I'm sure that if they were able to successfully outlaw abortions, the number of abortions would decline. However, 1. it does not appear likely that they will be able to overturn Roe Vs Wade and outlaw abortion, at least not entirely, and 2. even if they were successful, this means of reducing the number of abortions discounts the underlying factors that have led women to elect abortion in the first place.
I think that crisis pregnancy centers sound like an excellent way for Christians to reach out to women whose pregnancies were not planned and who doubt their ability to care for a child as a ministry and demonstration of God's love and mercy. But I don't think that this ought to replace the former focus outright either. I think a multi-faceted approach would be the best. Here are 4 aspects through which I believe we can work to reduce the number of abortions.
1. crisis pregnancy care
2. poverty reduction, including affordable health care, child care and livable wages
3. sex education/availability of contraceptives
4. support of just and balanced legislative reforms
These combined goals should reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by providing economic justice for the working poor so that raising a child might be an economic possibility, extending love and mercy toward women whose lives are spiraling downward, and finally by limiting legal access in ways that might satisfy concerns of justice and medical wellbeing for women as well as the unborn children.
Re: specific ways
David,
I hate browser glitches for the same reason. I have lost many a post because I got distracted and let it sit open on my browser too long and then it was gone.
With the exception of #2 above, I would say the pro-life movement is directly involved in all your points and indirectly active in point #2. Many of the larger crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) can assist the mothers by placing them with a local branch of Christian Women's Job Corp (or other similar assistance program) which gives job skill training. They can be guided in the right direction for temporary financial assistance. Many of the CPCs offer free prenatal care from a local physician.
Maybe it is because I only see the pro-life side, but I see all the things you said being done by the pro-lifers. I just do not see them being done by pro-choicers, specifically the abortion providers. I hear story after story of women coming out of abortion clinics with no kind of care that would prevent them from being a return patient. But then again, why would they do that? It would be like Ford selling a car that actually lasted forever. Businesses need repeat customers.
points 2 & 4
I'm willing to acknowledge and fully support efforts of political conservatives on the CPCs (point 1).
Regarding sex education, I would say that the religious right has not been at the forefront of holistic sex ed nor have they been pushing to make contraceptives available (point 3).
I would also argue that political conservatives' efforts and resources related to the abortion issue have been predominantly directed at the legality aspect of the abortion issue. And, regarding their legislative objectives, their unwillingness to make concessions and compromise in ways that accommodate other groups' worries about justice for women (I'm talking about victims of sex crimes and medical situations that threaten the life and safety of the mother) that their goals have gone unrealized for three decades. Just laws ought to take these concerns into account. I think we also need to make distinctions between our beliefs about life that are derived from our religious beliefs and those which can be substantiated in ways that are more objective and have broad cross-cultural support. This has been lacking in the conservative legislative agenda (at least the agenda that seems to be endorsed by prominent leaders.) (point 4)
Finally, regarding the lack of attention to economic justice, I think this omission is telling of the detached and unmerciful attitude by which the Christian political machine has been marked. Jesus spent time with people and developed relationships with those who were ensnared in sin. The leaders of the Christian right are perceived to live privileged lives uninvolved with the sinners upon whom they cast blame and condemnation. While the other aspects (1,3, and 4) are likely important parts of the equation in a comprehensive plan to decrease the numbers of abortions, I believe this aspect most clearly demonstrates understanding and care not just for the rules, but for the wellbeing and lives of the people whom the rules (God's laws).
If we really believe that there is a living God with whom we can have a dynamic relationship, then we need to be the hands, feet and voice of God to the people who are hurting. We've got to connect the people to God's love by developing a true understanding of their problems. I would hazard a guess that there are few if any women who elect to have an abortion with feelings of mirth and whimsy. More likely, these women feel that they have no viable alternative and that abortion is a final and regrettable option. My sense of will of the progressive community here is that we would like to do what we can resolve and remedy those social ills that motivate these women to have abortions.
All I am trying to say is that economic justice seems both relevant and an important part of a balanced Christian agenda to address the abortion issue.
Re: Points 2 & 4
David,
In general, I think we are talking about two different groups of people. You are talking about the political right religious leaders that are most vocal about overturning Roe V. Wade and I am talking about the women that volunteer daily at their local CPCs. I think the volunteers do an overwhelming majority of what you are talking about especially in the relational aspect.
Regarding legislative objectives - state pro-life groups are working on state laws that are other than overturning Roe v. Wade. They are working on laws such informed consent laws and other laws that help women to have complete information prior to making decisions. The same information that doctors are required to provide before any other medical surgery. If these laws are in place, the number of abortions would surely decrease. But pro-choicers fight these laws. Why? My value of life comes from sound scientific conclusions, not only my religious beliefs (but we have had that debate before).
Regarding economic justice - Is helping women with job skill training helping to empower them to take control of their own destiny by bettering themselves not providing this justice? Giving them government handouts does not get them out of their current situation, it just prolongs it. Providing temporary assistance to them while they are receiving job skill training is helping them to get out of their situation. The women that volunteer at the CPCs do get down and build relationships with the mothers that come through the doors. Again, though I think we are talking about two different groups of people.
Regarding sex education - yes there will be a difference. Most evangelicals will say the best thing to teach is abstinence outside of marriage. I personally struggle with this and do not quite know where I fall. One side of me says that we must teach the perfect because if we teach less, then that is what we will get. The other side of me recognizes that in the OT God seemingly allowed (or at least turned a blind eye to) polygamy, divorce, and slavery due to the hardness of man's heart - and even set up rules for them. So since our heart's are so hard now and all kids are going to have sex before marriage, then let's set up rules for them too. Honestly, I struggle with this issue.
Other than the indirect fight against poverty and handing out condoms, is there any other way that pro-choicers are fighting to reduce the number of abortions? Are abortion providers working to reduce the number of customers? Almost like asking, are the big oil companies working to make gas cheaper?
Ben
leaders, trench workers etc.
Hey Ben,
I'm sure that the volunteers in the CPCs have developed meaningful and understanding relationships and are truly acting as the loving hands of God in the lives of the women to whom they are ministering. I can't imagine doing the things that they do and not becoming involved emotionally.
My criticism was directed at the leaders who are more visible to the public and little if any actual contact with the women who are affected.
legislative objectives- We may find that we differ on the final goals here more than on some of the other issues, but I'm convinced that through dialog, we can find some common ground that will bring about positive change that limits the availability of abortions.
economic justice- I agree that job and skills training are great and important. I would add that access to other education and career building opportunities are important and FAIR wages and benefits for those on the bottom rungs of the working class. If these people are given livable wages, basic health care, and child care, then "government handouts" could be limited to people who cannot work.
sex ed- I can relate to your dilemma. Here are a couple of ways to think about the situation from a Biblical perspective. You point out that God made allowances for the nation of Israel. Consider the fact that the Israelites were God's people and He still made allowances for them. How much more should we (who are flawed) extend a tolerant attitude toward non-believers (who are lost)?
Consider the prodigal son. The prodigal was presumably familiar with God's law, living in the father's household. I think it is good to teach abstinence. I don't think public schools ought to promote the religious aspect of the sexual behaviors, but I definitely support teaching of the hard realities and legal aspects.
The evangelical community over the last few years seems to suggest that the United States will be a great nation if we change the laws to reflect God's laws for his people. The idea seems to be that if we can coerce non-believers into behaving like Christians that God will be satisfied and bless the country. I don't think that this is Biblical at all. Christians are the ones who need to repent of sin in their lives. They need to turn from sin and be in communion with God so that they can bear spiritual fruits and be the expression of God's love in the world. THAT is when the power of God will be manifest in a way that changes lives. God works from the inside out. Too often we think backwards and work to conform the actions of others. That isn't the way God works according to the Bible I've got.
Regarding your last comment, if you are talking about Planned Parenthood, possibly. That was how it happened when my wife and I went there pregnant, unmarried, scared kids. What if Planned Parenthood offices were more often staffed with Christians? It was a Christian woman who reached out to us and was influential in the fact that we have now been married 12+ years and have a son who will turn 12 this summer.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Rev Rog -
I would encourage you to visit a local crisis pregnancy center in you area (name of them vary from city to city). They do exactly what you are encouraging in this post. My wife is on staff at one and they do offer unwavering love and support for the mothers that come through their door.
They offer a plethora of services ranging from pregnancy tests, ultra sounds, bible studies, post abortion counseling, parenting classes, marriage counseling, financial assistance, the list could go on and on. Obviously, there will be some that do not show the love of Christ to these mothers, but the vast majority of them do on a daily basis. Oh and all their services are free. Does planned parenthood offer any FREE service? Or is it a big business that is out for number one just like any other corporation?
This is a link to my wife's center's website. Check it out and see if you see any condemnation of vilifying on it. Even if the mothers choose abortion, the center offers services to them afterward.
http://www.soundchoicespc.org/index.php
It is because you only hear the media interviewing and highlighting the abortion opponents that do vilify, that you do not know about the true heroes of the pro-life movement. And they are the volunteers that work at these centers everyday.
Ben
Exactly
That would seem to be exactly what I was proposing. What is unfortunate is that (in my area at least) that sort of approach is the exception, rather than the rule.
I would that people with attitudes like you and your wife recieved more attention....
You are in Columbus? There is hope after all! LOL.