The other day Pattie wrote an article asking (or really telling us) that there are Christians on both sides of the fence and being liberal or conservative doesn’t a Christian make. What has ensued is an interesting conversations therein in her comments section. I’m actually going to address her article in two parts. However, the right to life debate is often at the forefront of election debates and it is, arguably one of the first things many conservative Christians want to know when choosing a candidate. Dare I say it? Many of you conservative Christians out there vote based on who is pro-life/anti-abortion with minimal regard to other issues. After all, is there anything more important than a defenseless baby? Well actually, yes there is.
Confession #1: Why Abortion is Not the Most Important Issue in This (or any) Election
Many of you already know some of my views from the forums. I don’t think I’m shocking anyone to confess that I’m a conservative Christian. I’m again abortion and in favor of protecting the sanctity of life. Just to spell it out a little more though:
*I am against birth control unless medically necessary.
*I am against fertility treatments that create unwanted embryos or post significant health risks to the fetuses by creating a multiple pregnancy. In most cases, this means that I’m against fertility treatments in general.
*I am against euthanasia.
*I am against abortion in ALL circumstances.
*Along with that, I’m against the death penalty–which I also consider a “sanctity of life issue.”
In all issues of policy matters, I vote pro-life. But this, folks is not the most important issue out there and I won’t ever base my vote on which candidate is pro-life. It’s important to me, but it’s not at the highest of my priorities.
Confession #2: Christians Need to Focus on Affecting Change, Not Creating Pro-Life Drama
First of all, I hate the way that Christians in general focus on the abortion issue without focusing on all sanctity of life issues. Why not focus on blood cord donation which will save and improve lives? Why not focus on fertility and stem cell research issues? Or how about promoting adoption? Being anti-abortion but not pro-life in every single circumstance is nothing short of hypocritical.
Secondly, as Christians we need to look at what might affect change to reduce abortion rates, not only laws that might prevent them. As Pattie pointed out, the abortion rates went down under the Clinton administration. The pattern (and as Pattie points out this can be checked with the CDC) is that when the economy is good abortion rates go down. If you really want to affect change–vote for the candidate who you believe will affect our economy more positively. THAT will lower the abortion rate. Want to know another way to affect change? Vote for the candidate whose policies will make it easier for couples to adopt. Vote for the candidate whose policies will give more funding for community services to counsel and offer real help to organizations (including faith based organizations) that will in turn help pregnant women. THAT will affect abortion. And frankly, it will go much farther to decrease abortion than will any pro-life banter.
I know that many of you who are pro-life may point out that one important role of the President is to appoint Supreme Court Justices. My next blog will deal with why I don’t think it’s important for Supreme Court Justices to be pro-life.