thirty biblical reasons to vote democratic in 2020: #13 Pro-life?

/ Apple Hill Cottage

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16 (NRSV)

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” — Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)

Painting by Leah Saulnier, The Painting Maniac

So there’s an elephant here in the room. A reader asked about it a few days ago, and I said I would get to it. So here’s the elephant (an appropriate metaphor for the GOP, yes?)

Most Christians who vote for Trump are voting for him because of one issue: abortion. I have thought long and deep about this issue. My sweet husband would not be here if his 17-year-old-unmarried mother had not chosen, at great personal cost, to give him life and adoptive parents. On the other hand, I did not become a believer until I was in my forties–too late to prevent the abortion I had in my twenties. I know that I am forgiven for that sin, but it still does not wipe away the grief and sadness I feel today for that lost child. I understand the passion of those who are pro-life because I am too.  I used to be a one-issue voter but not any longer. So here are some thoughts*:

    • Abortion has been with us forever. Laws about it will not make it go away. Laws did not keep God’s people in the Old Testament from breaking them. What makes us think that our laws are any different?
    • God’s laws are meant for believers. It is a sin for a believer to have an abortion, yes; but not everyone who lives in this country is a Christian who believes that God has made all life sacred. Can we force our laws and beliefs on them? What this really tells me is that we Christians have failed. God calls us to love people, to tell them about Jesus, and when they accept Him, God gives them a new spirit; they need to believe abortion is killing a child before it becomes a sin to them. It is actually easier for us to say, ‘Let’s make a law against it’ rather than try to witness Christ to them.
    • Pro-life means more than protecting life in the womb. Pro-life means supporting families and not tearing them apart in immigration camps. Pro-life means supporting poor women who simply can’t afford to lose the job they just got and will have to give up because they are pregnant. Pro-life means being pro-people of color who live in the hard section of town. Pro-life means not ending health insurance plans for those who can’t afford it. Pro-life is against the death penalty and assault rifles. Pro-life means being supportive of mental health treatment and addiction programs, and prisoner re-training programs…Dr. Lodovico Balducci, an M.D., writes in his article, “Why I’m pro-life but not pro-Trump”  why pro-life means more than the abortion debate:

Under our American brand of capitalism, human life has become a commercial good that can be disposed of when it ceases to serve the prevailing power. If you doubt that, look at the administration’s willingness to sacrifice the lives of the poor, the front-line workers and the aged during this pandemic to “open up the economy.”

  • Can we overlook all the other “abominations” of this president’s policies and character in favor of one issue?
  • Our founders and writers of the constitution guaranteed us freedom of religion. That means freedom for Christians, freedom for Jews, freedom for Muslims, freedom for Hindus, freedom for atheists… We cannot codify Christian moral laws as the absolute. We can do our best to follow those laws, and we should do our best to witness to others, so they also can live in the freedom of grace and truth that we have. But we cannot legislate Christian laws in a plural society.  Instead of trying to force our Christian values on those who don’t believe (which makes us look like morality police) we should let our lights shine before others, so they can see our good deeds, and our joy, and want what we have… (See Matthew 5:16 above.)
  • As Christians, we are not to judge unbelievers, only our brothers and sisters in Christ. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? — 1 Corinthians 5:12 (ESV) That’s why we get called hypocrites all the time. If we spent more time loving people into the kingdom instead of judging their behaviors, the world might be knocking down our church doors to get in.

This post is longer than usual, and I hope that if you have even the smallest doubt about casting your vote for the current president — if you are that one-issue voter — then this will encourage you to look into his policies more closely. Stephanie Krider resigned her post as Executive Director of Ohio Right to Life because she could not support his reelection. She said, ” I can’t look at any of his behavior and see evidence of the Holy Spirit in his life. Nothing about his words or actions are kind or gentle or faithful or full of self-control.”

We aren’t to judge his actions by the same standards as ours because he obviously is not a believer. But we can sure as heck vote him out of office…

*These are my thoughts, and if you’ve read this far, I hope you can tell that I’ve struggled with this issue, and what I’ve written down is my humble attempt to get readers to think about it too. Just today I heard Republican pro-life former governor John Kasich say that he is voting for Joe Biden because at this moment in time we have to be Americans first. That Joe Biden is reasonable. He listens. He is good at reaching out to everyone. He just might be a peacemaker. And this country needs that now more than anything.

19 thoughts on “thirty biblical reasons to vote democratic in 2020: #13 Pro-life?”

  1. I know these posts take courage to write and publish, but I want you to know how much I appreciate them. Hopefully some one-issue voters will recognize that being pro-life is much more than being anti-abortion. We are called to protect the most vulnerable in our population, not just those here in our country but also those around the world. Thanks for making us all think!

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  2. Thank you for this post, you have done much better at explaining my feelings on this subject than I ever could. You are so right that pro-life covers much more than abortion. Have a blessed day.

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  3. This series of posts, so carefully (full of care) written, and clearly from your heart – have been a blessing to me each day this month. Thank you. So much to think about, so much to pray about! Thanks for having the courage to “put it out there”.

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  4. A very thoughtful post about an issue that seems quite divisive in the USA. Still trying to figure out how he gets both the anti abortion votes and the gun votes. They seem, to me, to be polar opposites.

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  5. I have waited for over 4 years for just the right, for me, clarification on this topic. I find myself in a most delicate situation as my best friend, whom I have truly loved longer than anyone else I know, vehemently supports our president because of this one policy. I wrestle with the thought every day. I will be passing this along with the hope of making a bit of a difference and not a mistake. Thank you, Carol, for reaching beyond your comfort zone to help us in times like these.

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    • It’s a terrible thing —the division he has caused. The headline of his speech yesterday? He can’t wait to get vicious! I am praying that this conversation with your friend goes well.
      Thank you for your encouragement. Blessings…

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  6. I look forward to reading this. As a conservative Christian, I am in the middle. I am not at peace with standing by and accepting and overlooking the constant mean spirited attitude, along with the ridicule. I have really longed for someone to step up and voice their thoughts, on this subject. So thank you!

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    • The current president has single-handedly driven me from the republican party and made me re-think my conservative Christian values.I had them! I really did! (I wrote in John Kasich for president last time and I used to work at a private Christian school that was conservative.) But I can no longer identify with those who call themselves Evangelicals and support this man who is so against every Christian value I know of. I have very little peace right now, so I know what you are saying. But the peace from Jesus comes very differently than from the world’s peace. I hear your struggle. Thanks for commenting–prayers for you.

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      • Hi! I had a little debate with a close friend today and then one with my sister a few days ago. Our conversations did not start off that way. I tried to express to my friend about my views, but she mentioned that she heard a minister say he will vote for the most righteous party. All along I have only felt like this stuff is yucky. Like I wish I could just shake the icky off. I have had no peace either.. I look forward to reading what you have shared and I may have a question or two for further understanding.. Thank you!

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        • What does righteousness look like? That question led me to Romans 12.
          I just read the other day how we all see what we read under the cloud of our deeply held beliefs. (And that of course includes me) There’s a divide between believers and non. But there’s also a divide between God’s people. That unity we’re called to is hard to find. It always has been I think.
          I have some verses from Romans 12 coming up. But I certainly don’t have answers—only pain in my heart for the division…

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  8. I btw love this post. Very well said. I’ll be saving it to reread again later. I especially love when you said: “Instead of trying to force our Christian values on those who don’t believe (which makes us look like morality police) we should let our lights shine before others, so they can see our good deeds, and our joy, and want what we have…”

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