In Biblical Christianity, the Holy Scripture is the authority and basis for faith. In Roman Catholicism the teaching of the church as an institution is regarded as an additional source of authority.
For me as a Biblical Christian, there is no equivalency of abortion and the taking of a human life and its prohibition. The only direct reference in the Bible to miscarriage caused by an external force is Exodus 21:22 in which the taking of a woman’s life is regarded as murder and the causing of a miscarriage is a discretionary fineable offense. The distinction could not be clearer.
The only scriptural references one hears to support the position are words and phases in the Bible which are to be taken metaphorically. These are like Jesus’ reference to himself as “the door” which do not send us in search of a literal door knob. We assume that the Lord’s authorship of the human anatomical processes put in place at creation is what is referred to as knitting us together in our mother’s womb. We assume that the Lord’s knowing every hair on our head refers to His knowing us fully. And we assume that his knowing us before the foundation of the world refers to his omniscience.
Particularly off base and offensive is the glib reference in their rhetoric to “the least of these” when the biblical reference is so specific in Matthew 25 to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, those without clothes, the sick and the prisoner. These are the people Jesus so closely identifies with that he says “Whatever you did not do for the least of these my brothers you did not do for me.”
Worth following is The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights and its dynamic CEO Baptist minister Rev. Katey Zeh at rcrc.org
Holly Wright
Talbot County
darrell parsons says
Having grown up in a conservative Christian household, I often heard the saying, “I believe every word of the Bible”. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t my minister Father who said it. In fact he made it clear that he didn’t believe every word of the Bible literally. As you say, Holly, much of the Bible is metaphorical, not to mention the famous parables which are layered with unspoken meaning. I think there are smart, educated people who use the Bible to justify questionable positions. I think they are afraid. And their fear drives them to cling to certain Biblical interpretations. And when questioned, they don’t have to defend their position. They can just say, “Well, that’s what the Bible says”. No amount of discussion or argument is going to change that point of view, because if they let go of that I think they are afraid the world is going to fall apart. I can live with their opinion being different from mine. But when that means they are doing their best to impose their belief system on me, sometimes while holding an assault rifle and a badly altered American flag, I begin to fear for my right to have my own belief system. Today, walking in Easton, I saw a yard sign in the shape of a cross. It was painted in the colors and style of the American flag. The words on the sign were “Jesus and Freedom”. Next to it were signs for Mautz, Harris and Cox. The conflation of Christianity, nationalism and “family” values(i.e. values dictated by these and other politicians of their ideology) – is a path to a theocratic state that wants to control every aspect of our personal lives. Much like the situation in Iran where a young woman was recently killed because there was a strand of hair showing under her head covering. I think the people who want this kind of society don’t realize that for now it would be the “libtards” who would be put in their place. Eventually though, it is the entire society which pays the price exacted by this kind of religious authoritarian governmnent, run by a few fake Christians who care only about themselves and their power.
Deirdre LaMotte says
It should not matter at all. We are a secular nation, and health care for women should NEVER involve anyone but
the woman and her physician. Jews believe life begins at fist breath. Republican did too until they saw a creepy way
to seduce creepy religious types to support them. This is not theology, it is about power. And, it will never stop abortions, which have been common since women got pregnant. We just thought, silly us, that society had evolved.
Apparently a large segment, mostly portly white republican men with southern accents, have not.
Barbara Denton says
One of the Ten Commandments is Thou Shalt Not Kill. This says it all. No interpretation, no theocracy, no racist statements about poor white men with Southern accents. What poor taste. As per usual the Democrats are crawling out of the woodwork to espouse their justifications for murdering the next generation.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Thou shell not kill but the Republican platform is guns for all and bring on the death penalty.
I’m not waisting any more time with reasoning with any hypocrites.
But remember, a woman’s body is none of your business. Ever.