Why All Christians Should Support Abortion Rights

I support abortion rights for women. Here’s why.

Freedom, Liberty, and Independence.

And, I’m Catholic.

I have a cousin who hates celery. His mother hated it. His father, not so much. But he hates celery. He’s always hated it. His wife doesn’t purchase it, and he doesn’t eat dishes which contain celery. He HATES celery. I don’t think there’s ever been a stick of celery in his house. That I know of, not even a hint of celery has ever been in his possession. Not even celery salt.

I love celery. I eat it with peanut butter. I eat celery with cream cheese. I put celery in soups, stews, and stocks. Celery is a critically important part of Louisiana Cajun style cooking. Onion, celery, and bell pepper are the “holy trinity” of all such dishes, which cannot be properly made without celery.

But nobody has ever tried to pass a law telling him he had to eat celery, or that I couldn’t.

What if the Catholics got together and passed a law telling the Baptists that they had to use wine during Holy Communion? Or that they couldn’t submerge people in baptism, and that instead, they had to sprinkle them?

Why, there’d be an outrage! And, a justifiable one, at that.

I’d be on the Baptist’s side protesting.

Conversely, if the Baptists got together and passed a law telling the Catholics that they couldn’t baptize infants, and had to submerge people for baptism, I’d oppose that.

In Tennessee, unlike in Alabama, liquor cannot be sold on Sundays, and only recently could wine be sold in grocery stores. The only objection to Sunday sales is religious, not commerce, despite what government officials or legislators say. Sunday is just another day of the week. Nothing special. It’s not a holiday. It’s a day of religious Protestant observance.

Some businesses are closed from sundown Friday, through Saturday, until sunrise Sunday. Many large camera & electronics stores in New York City are closed during those hours. Their owners are often observant Jews, or Seventh Day Adventists. But no one tells them they can’t sell electrical tape on Sundays, as was once the case with “Blue Laws” that forbade business or work on the “Sabbath,” a day of religious observance. And yet in Tennessee, by law, the “demonic” liquid spirits cannot be sold on the day observed by most Protestants as “sacred.”

Ever had a nosey neighbor, or know anyone like that? At one time or another, we all have.

Nosey neighbors’ most despised attribute is nosiness. They’re always sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. They’re always telling you what they think you ought to do, what color you ought to paint your house, how you ought to decorate, what clothes, colors, and styles you ought to wear, what foods to eat, what car to drive, etc. Nosey neighbors tell you how they think you ought to think, act, behave, and why. In short, nosey neighbors want to run your life because they can do it better. Or so it abundantly seems.

Now, as I wrote, I’m Catholic. I wan’t born that way, but was born into a Methodist household, and raised in the Methodist church. Later, my family moved through various faith traditions, including Pentecostalism/Holiness and settled into what I call a “Make Your Own Church” independent inter/trans/non-denominational church.

On the other hand, I continued my spiritual journey and moved through various organized Christian faith traditions, including Cumberland Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Anglican, and as an adult, have finally “come home to Rome.”

Yet I don’t agree with all the Catholic church’s positions, or teachings. For example, I think women ought to be ordained as priestesses (or priests as some say, because for some, the word “priestess” conjures up some weirded out imaginary mental image).

Similarly, I disagree with their stance upon divorce and remarriage, divorce and communion, etc., as apparently does Pope Francis, who wrote why in his letter entitled “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love) in March 2016. And as I see it, there are other inconsistencies, the details of which I shall spare you.

In our United States, it wasn’t until 1920 that women got the right to vote through the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The Equal Rights Amendment STILL hasn’t been ratified, despite initial proposal in 1923, being sent to the states in 1972, and initial ratification by 36 – two shy of the 38 (75%) necessary to become law.

It wasn’t until 1965 following the SCOTUS decision in Griswold v. Connecticut that married couples had a right to use birth control.

It wasn’t until 1972 in Baird v. Eisenstadt that the SCOTUS ruled all women had a right to access birth control, regardless of their marital status.

It wasn’t until 1973 that women could serve on juries in all 50 states.

It wasn’t until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 that women could legally have a credit card in their name.

Women still don’t get paid on par with men for the same type work, despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

And it wasn’t until 2010 that women would pay the same rates for Health Insurance as men.

Some falsely claim that birth control for women was responsible for the “sexual revolution.” However, as a contemporary physician explained, “The pill does not make people decide to have sex. It is after they decide to have sex that they go get the pill.”

Legendary country music icon Loretta Lynn sang about it in her 1975 hit “The Pill,” who bore four children before age 20.

Keith Urban, who has dual citizenship in Australia and United States, acknowledged inherent discrimination women face in the equally controversial song “Female.”

Bottom line?

Just because your religion says women must do this, or cannot do that, or that you must, or must not do certain things, there is NO LEGITIMATE Constitutionally valid reason to base laws upon religion.

That goes for driving automobiles. In Saudi Arabia, women are only now being given the right to drive!

That goes for abortion.

In Ireland, only if the life of the mother is at risk may abortion be obtained. Not in rape. Not in incest.

In Ireland, divorce has strict limitations, and wasn’t allowed until 1997.

Why?

Ireland is predominately Catholic, which means the legislators are too. And the Catholic church told their Irish members that voting for an amendment to allow divorce in Ireland was a sin.

In stark contrast, our Constitution forbids laws based upon religion, allows the free exercise – or not – thereof, prohibits religious tests for public service, and demands equal treatment under law, without regard to sex, skin color, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other factor.

Why do I support abortion rights?

Freedom, Liberty, and Independence.

And celery.