Conclusion: A Christian Should Not Vote Pro-Choice
Posted in Once I Was a Kansas Girl and tagged with Abortion, Christianity, Point/Counterpoint on October 29, 2008This is the third and final post of this series. The first two posts are:
Point: A practicing Christian can, and sometimes should, vote for a pro-choice candidate.
Counterpoint: A practicing Christian cannot vote for a pro-choice candidate.
Now that I’ve given what I hope to be a fair accounting of this issue, I’ll let you know that I’m firmly in the “counterpoint” camp: a practicing Christian should not vote for a pro-choice candidate. It’s not that I have everything figured out; I don’t. My position on this issue has changed greatly in the last 8 years or so (initially, I was pro-choice, then I was pro-life with no exceptions, while now I recognize an exception for eminent death of mother and child).
I know that this view alienates many of my readers. While I’m willing to listen to other views with the idea that I don’t have it all figured out, and I will not attempt to force you to agree with me, this is something that I feel strongly about. Once I’ve accepted abortion as murder, I don’t know how I can tolerate it nor vote for someone who will tolerate it. Even now the thought of the innocent dying unnecessarily, in many cases because of the simple matter of convenience, it brings queasiness to my stomach and a tear to my eye.
I’ve been accused (not specifically, but generally) of being a one-issue voter. I wrote about this back in February, but I’ll say it again: if this is what it means to be a one-issue voter than I’ll proudly bear the title.
That said, a candidate’s stance on abortion is absolutely not the only thing I care about. It is the first thing I look for, because once I’ve determined that a candidate is pro-choice, that ends the discussion. I will not vote for them. But after I have learned that a candidate is pro-life, I will continue to research and vet him, seeking to determine if he indeed is a candidate I can vote for, or if I should choose someone else or simply abstain from voting for that office (I must admit, I haven’t done this last one yet, but I imagine that the time will come when I will do that).
To answer the charge that Christians should follow the lead of their Savior and be concerned with the poor, I most heartily agree. But I don’t believe that the government is the means to do it. Rather, I’m much more concerned with the church reaching out and caring for the poor.
So yeah, I do tend to vote Republican. It’s not because I think that the Republican party is right (okay it is “right,” but now isn’t really the place for a pun, is it?). The amount that Republicans have increased the government spending and federal control sickens me.
I thank you for your respectful comments and hearing me out on this one. If you are a Christian considering voting for a pro-choice candidate, I urge you to think this issue through. I can’t change your mind, but I can pray that God will lead you to do so.
I’ll leave you with a couple of comments that I feel are particularly helpful:
Vicki wrote in response to the first post (in support of Christians voting pro-choice):
I’m not so sure I agree. You write: “they must realize that God judges morality, not the state.” I disagree with that because God judged Israel and Judah as a whole when their citizens began to fall away from Him. The whole nations were taken into captivity, even though certainly there were a few who still loved and obeyed God. I fully expect God to punish America (and perhaps He already has–I’m not speaking of specific instances here) for the way that we are abandoning Him and His morals.
You also wrote: “We shouldn’t expect or want a government body that regulates morality” I disagree with this as well. I want my government to regulate morality from a Judeo-Christian standpoint. I realize this is slowly slipping away in America, and in the rest of the world. But wouldn’t this be how God would want us to govern? No, we can’t force people to like the morality of the laws, but we do it for the sake of citizens and communities as a whole. If we were to reject government regulation of morality then we would reject punishment for murder or lesser crimes. After all, who is to say that what the criminal did wasn’t moral to them? This begins to slide down the slope of whatever is moral for you is fine and whatever is moral for me is fine. It’s secular humanism. A government will regulate morality…if they choose to allow abortion they are taking a loose stance on it. Just because they’re not taking a stance that abortion is wrong doesn’t mean they aren’t judging its morality. So since a goverment is always going to regulate morality, I want it done on God’s side.
I’m probably rambling a bit. What I’m afraid of is Christians not standing up for what God would see to be completely wrong. Are we rationalizing our vote because a pro-abortion candidate seems to have better ideas about other issues? How does a Christian reconcile that? What is more important: life? the housing crisis? health care?
Blog Stalker wrote in response to the second post (against Christians voting pro-choice):
I could not agree with you more. It is a black and white issue. You are either for it or against it. and as far as jennifers comment goes….as a society….we will always do what is best for a patient! mother or baby……that does not mean if they feel they can’t handle it mentally that they get to abort the child. There are millions of loving couples who would like the chance to adopt….and love a baby.
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October 29th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Wow. You managed to blog about a topic and have both sides of an issue comment without tearing each other to pieces. I’m impressed.
As usual, your wonderful writing style gets a point across in a very eloquent way. Great job.
October 29th, 2008 at 8:58 am
How did I miss yesterday’s post?? Oh wait, Emma was at work with me.
Anywho…
I will start my comment saying that I generally vote Republican myself, and firmly believe that abortion is morally and Biblically wrong, except in extreme circumstances where the lives of both the mother and baby are in danger. Like you mentioned earlier.
However, I really struggle with the issue of abortion rights, because even though I am pro-life, I believe that people should be allowed to make their own decisions.
There are many Christians that believe that birth-control is a form of abortion. I use birth-control and would not want my right to birth-control taken away from me.
But I greatly respect you and your counterpoint. :-)
October 29th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Thanks for presenting a thoughtful point/counterpoint topic once again.
October 29th, 2008 at 9:39 am
I’m so incredibly relieved to hear you are on this side of the topic. The rights of the mother end where the rights of her child begin. As Christians we must stand up for those with no voice.
God Bless!
October 29th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Great great post! It is refreshing to hear two sides of an argument without it turning into a war!
October 29th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I have read all three posts and have had a hard time leaving a comment. Until now.
First off, I want to say that I totally respect your beliefs and opinions in this matter. Everyone is entitled to express.
I want to go on record as saying that I believe in God and am learning about the Bible's teachings. I have not been a devout Christian since I was a child, but am working on getting myself back in there.
With that being said, my opinion is as such.
I believe that a woman has the right to make her own choice. I do not believe that a woman has the right to abort just because she doesn't think she can handle being a mother, or doesn't WANT to be a mother. That is absurd. There are many families who would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have that child in their lives.
I also believe, in addition to the extreme circumstances which you wrote about–the life of mother/child being at risk, that a woman has the right to abortion in the case of rape, or God forbid, incest. (Who would? EW,) There are so many things that could happen to the mother's/child's health in those instances that would not be favorable. (I may not have worded that properly…)
I don't believe that a woman should abort if she finds out that her child isn't 'normal'. There are still many a family who would show so much love for a special child.
So, all in all, I am pro-choice. I, myself, would never have an abortion, 'just because'.
I have a beautiful 10-year-old child. When I found out I was pregnant, I was single. My family (on my mother's side) are devout Christians. What would they think?? And I didn't even LIKE kids! What was I going to do? Never once did I ever consider abortion. Surprisingly, or, by the Grace of God, I didn't even consider adoption.
God has given me the most special & precious gift in the world. He was never 'normal', having been born with half a pituitary gland, requiring growth hormone shots on a daily basis….later to be diagnosed with ALL (Leukemia) and nearly die (many times) from the effects of chemotherapy. He is now deaf and half blind. But he is here. He is alive. He is healthy and happy. I can't even imagine my life without him in it. I don't even remember life without him in it to be frank.
I never thought of myself as being strong enough to handle a situation like that. Considering myself a wimp. But let me tell you, God gives you strength when you need it the most.
So I often find myself thinking, when I hear a situation like someone aborting a child because he/she was born sick…SUCK IT UP! God has given you THE gift! Something so precious and dear.
No. I do not *agree* with abortion, as a whole. I believe a woman has the right to choose in certain circumstances and I believe that there should be rules and such to see to it that abortion only be done under these special cases. Perhaps giving a mental evaluation, etc? Who knows. I don't have the answers, and I won't pretend that I do.
Thanks for hearing me out. :)
(and sorry for the longest comment I have EVER left in my entire life!)
October 29th, 2008 at 11:38 am
What a great post. I am not a very political person (I should probably work on that) but I do know where I stand on the issue of abortion. I couldn’t agree with you more. I don’t understand someone having an abortion when SO many people are aching for a child. Why is the adoption process so hard when there are children all over the world that need families?! That is another topic, however…Thanks for sharing.
October 29th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Interesting series I stumbled upon….I’ll be back to check it out. I still haven’t finished visiting all my SITStas :) But thanks for stopping by on my SITS day!
October 29th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Clearly, you have given a lot of thought and time to how you are going to vote. Thanks for sharing your views about this tough issue.
October 29th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I too am greatly impressed with how you presented this topic. I am also impressed with the civility of all those who left you comments. If the world politic could have such civility the world would be a better place1
Great job!
October 29th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Girl, you have a way of taking the issue on… HEAD ON! Excellent couple of posts.
I am pro life. Someone I know had an abortion and I… I feel that loss deeply. It made an impression on my life. I have been pro life for a LONG time, and more deeply so since I found out about that abortion.
On a lighter note ( lighter note would definitely describe my blog) I need your opinion. Could you visit?
October 29th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
The “Government / Morality ” issue. I tend to lean on the side of liberty, even if that means some behaviors not tolerated by a Holy God are made legal. I would rather people come to the understanding that they are sinning and repent than have the government force their behavior. Abortion, however, is one morality that I feel must be legislated, as is murder and other violent crimes.
I have an unorthodox approach when compared to many pro-life Christians to this issue however. Right now I’d be happy if the government simply quit paying my tax dollars on it.
Right now I feel as if the blood of the innocent is on my hands simply because my tax dollars go to fund this practice.
I know we could not easily legislate against the practice, so I’m going to be pragmatic about it. The Libertarians may actually be ‘pro-choice’ but, in a way, they also provide the out. By shrinking the federal government and removing its funding of abortion I believe that would go a long way to helping the end goal.
October 29th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I remember Dr. Dobson making a point once about the issue of pregnancies due to rape and incest. The number is actually very low and to allow abortion to be legal because of very low numbers of these types of pregnancies doesn’t make sense. It’s a grotesque thing to think about (the acts themselves), but even these babies, created under the most heinous of circumstances, are loved by God and intended for life. They would be loved by adoptive parents just as well as any other baby. Yes, the mother will have to go through her own personal hell carrying and having the baby; but again, what is more imporant? Life.
October 29th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Such an important issue!!! I pray it goes well Tuesday… we’ll see :)
October 31st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Lots of great comments. You stance was stated very well.
November 1st, 2008 at 8:46 am
Excellent! Glad you found yourself on this side of the issue :) I agree with you wholeheartedly and pray for the day that abortion is eliminated from our society and EVERY human life is deemed precious and not something to just be discarded and destroyed!!
January 14th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
This is an old post, I know, but a good one; and since this is my first visit here, I wanted to let you know that I appreciate your stand. I took a similar stance leading up to the election. Blessings!
January 21st, 2009 at 11:12 am
Okay, I cry! Very good, very well said. I am so glad to have met your blog!
January 21st, 2009 at 11:14 am
OH – I have a few posts about abortion that I think you might enjoy reading. Check them out when you have time.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 am
[...] to have their own children by now. I’ve made my position on abortion pretty clearly in the past, but I wanted to share with you an encounter with a customer back when I worked at Walmart. It so [...]
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:06 am
Hmmm…I just reread this article and I noticed that you actually put down two comments that were against Christians voting pro-choice. One is mostly disagreeing with your “support of Christians voting pro-choice,” and the other is “against Christians voting pro-choice.” Just thought I should point out that there really wasn’t much of a dissenting opinion offered.