Comments on: Abortion: Actually Making A Difference

By: Tim Reed

Tim Reed — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:21:21 +0000

Heath,
I think you’re absolutely and totally right. Democratic policies for the reduction of poverty have utterly and totally failed, every bit as much as Republican politicians have failed to eradicate abortion.

This post was not an attempt to sway anyone to vote for anything. But it was more a reaction against pleas to put our faith, time, energy, and effort into a political process that has been useless to kingdom oriented goals like the protection of the unborn.

I believe that the rhetoric of Christian leaders has lead to Christians emphasizing the political solution to abortion over the community solution I advocated above. The end result has been that if political organizations have received lots of attention, money and support, while churches have ignored supporting those with an unwanted pregnancy.

In other words, its time for the church to reject political manipulation and begin building the kingdom with a renewed vigor in our communities.

By: Heath

Heath — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:52:08 +0000

I have been giving this post a lot of thought since I first read it a few days ago, and I would like to propose a counter argument from the perspective of poverty.

Many of my friends who are Christians and Democrats vote for Deomocratic candidates because of the issue of social justice. They honestly believe that the Democratic party is going to bring about an end to poverty through social policy. Yet when you look at the last 58 years, The House of Representatives has been controlled by the Democratic party for 42 of the 58 years, more than half of them with a Democratic president as well. One could argue that the ability for the Democrats to bring about social change in the area of poverty is an utter failure, yet those who think Democratic policies are a good idea have not given up. So why should those who fight for the rights of the unborn give up after less than half as long?

I think ultimately the answer for both poverty and abortion lies within the church. But one thing I do know, voting for a pro-choice candidate will certainly not speed up the end to our disgraceful treatment of the unborn. Until the Democratic party can make room for the pro-life position in their platform, I cannot in good faith support them.

By: Ms Havisham

Ms Havisham — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:29:19 +0000

I find this last paragraph truly compelling. I am pro-choice, and in fact I do work in abortion access. I hear many of the reasons that women choose to have abortions, and finances certainly top the list. Lack of money for additional childcare, lack of a job that provides paid maternity leave or paid sick leave (as opposed to the myth of aborting for the sake of “career”), domestic violence or hostile relationships, and so on. Would extended social services make the difference for some of these women? Quite possibly. And while I think you and I share a sense that we have a social responsibility to care for those in our communities who need assistance, I believe that it is ultimately the government (as its citizens’ proxy) which bears this burden. And for that ever to happen — for there to be mandated paid maternity leave, nationalized childcare, and true resources for single mothers to survive and thrive — well, I have serious doubts that 20 years of Republican rule will bring those things.

By: steve carr

steve carr — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:59:18 +0000

Good post, Tim. Definite food for thought.