Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Abortion is the Issue


Most of my family and many of my friends are conservative evangelicals.  That is a function of where I live: a state where Southern Baptists predominate.  Sad to say, most are one issue voters and that issue is abortion because their church tells them you are not a Christian if you do not want the government to end legal abortions. I belonged to evangelical church for many years, even though I was a liberal Christian.  My evangelical church narrowed its beliefs until there was no place for me.  Evangelicals in general seemed to me to have become less accepting.  I  moved to another denomination where my views are accepted, but not necessarily believed by all.

I do not know when a clump of cells changes to a person.  I personally would never have had an abortion unless my life was  in danger.  At my age now, the question is moot.  At some point in a pregnancy, I believe it is morally wrong to terminate the pregnancy because the fetus has acquired a soul.  However, I do not believe I have the right to impose my personal belief about abortion on others.  I certainly do not believe that the government has any right to impose anyone's religious beliefs about abortion on others.  I am pro-choice and anti-government interference.

Conservative evangelicals ignore the science of biology.  Theirs is an anti-intellectual mindset.  From their viewpoint, a fertilized egg has acquired a soul and therefore should not be destroyed.  Never mind that studies have shown that over 70% of all fertilized eggs do not implant during a woman's lifetime.  I do not think that God is wasting 70% of all souls.  The God I know is not so capricious.

I want to stress that conservative evangelicals have been taught that ensoulment begins when sperm meets egg by their churches for so long that it is accepted as fact.  I have had discussions on this issue with my family members and friends.  There is absolutely no reasoning with them.  I lose friends from such discussion.  My family members assume I am not a Christian and pray for my salvation.

Abortion is the single issue that always determines how conservative evangelicals vote.  If the abortion stance of all the candidates is the same, then conservative evangelicals will  choose who to vote for on the basis of other issues.   Evangelicals will knowingly vote against their own economic self-interests to choose a candidate who is anti-abortion.  I do not think that will change in 2012.