Will the Real Pro-life Party Please Stand Up?

Joel Hunter is a conservative, Republican megachurch pastor in Central Florida. He's giving the Democrats some free advice, if they care to hear it: Even if you stick with Roe V. Wade, you can show evangelicals that you are the pro-life party by showing us how you will actually reduce abortions--and how you will support "life" in other areas besides abortion. From Steve Waldman's Beliefnet column today:

Hunter makes a practical argument: providing women with economic help in carrying babies to term can actually reduce the number of abortions more, and more quickly, than focusing on overturning Roe v. Wade. "With eight years of Bush the abortion rates have not declined. Every indication is that with financial support and different forms of supporting pregnant mother and then some post birth help also we could come close to 50% reduction in abortions. That's huge. That's huge."

Continuing with the same culture war paradigm is therefore morally dubious. "If we insist on keeping this an ideological war we're literally not saving the babies we could save. The Democrats have a huge opportunity here to really steal the thunder from those who are seen as traditionally pro life."

Keep a look out for other Christian leaders popping up with the same message. What's causing this is the failure of the Republicans to significantly reduce abortions, even with 20 years of Republican presidency since the rise of the Christian right. Many Christians are finally getting fed up.

In my opinion, the Republican line on abortion--the singular focus on banning it--was just a cynical ploy. I know that many GOP leaders were sincere, but overall the strategy was simply to oppose abortion symbolically while doing nothing to reduce abortions in real life. Moreover, there is evidence from history and from around the world that banning abortion would not even reduce abortions (have we ever banned anything successfully?).

Pro-life Christians are finally getting this. If the Democrats take Joel Hunter's advice, and stand up as the real "pro-life party," they will not find formerly Republican Christians falling into lock step with them. Many of these Christians are so burned by their experience with the GOP that they will not join another party. However, in their pro-life calculations at the voting booth, many will choose the Democrat.

But how many? That depends on Obama, and if he will take Joel Hunter's advice. If Obama can boldly articulate a pro-life platform to reduce abortion, care for children and families, reduce arms and prevent war then he could bring about a seismic shift in electoral politics that makes the "Reagan Democrat" phenomenon look like nothing.

For many pro-choice advocates, that will feel like a concession. But has the status quo stand off worked any better for them over the past few decades? Abortion is still legal, but access to safe abortions for women who choose them has all but disappeared for many working class and rural women--right alongside other medical and social services. For sure, embracing a politics of "life" is a risk for pro-choice advocates. But Christian leaders who reject the status quo are taken an arguably greater risk: with their own congregations, with their national reputations and with anti-abortion extremists.

Only one thing is certain: It's going to be fascinating to watch how change and risk will be embraced or rejected by various advocates on both sides of the debate through this election and an Obama presidency.

Comments

[nikkijo]

Newsflash: you don't have to be a Christian to recognize the biological FACT that a fetus is a new person (any part of the mother has the mother's DNA and all genetic material, while the baby has its own DNA and genetic material and it's the same whether the person is one day, ten years or eighty years after conception), and therefore not agree with killing that person = be pro-life.
"Christian, Christian, Christian..." looks strangely like making pro-life look like some silly part of religious morality. (And no, I personally don't find religious morality silly at all, but many people do.)

[LuckyBlessed]

There is a husband and a wife in a car. The man leaves his wife in the car, locking the door. When he comes back and unlocks the door, he finds his dead wife and a stranger. What happened?

[logical1]

The issue is not pro-life versus pro-death. The pro-life movement actually takes on more of a "pro-existence" theme. They're not concerned about giving babies a life. They just want them to exist. Otherwise, they would put more action into preventng child abuse and supporting singe moms. I have witnessed so much horrible abuse inflicted on unwanted children. Are those children living or existing?

The pro-lifers lack understanding of the bigger picture. They live in their bubbles and have not poked their heads out to witness the horrors that fall to the unwanted children. Maybe before a person claims to be pro-life, they should have to spend some time in the trenches working with abused and unwanted children.

I have seen one pro-lifer put action behind her words. Years back, I encountered a woman who was very adamant against abortion. She and I had heated debates about the issue but she fianally gained my respect. After several arguments, she took action.. She started a home for unwed mothers, allowing them a place to stay, providing counseling, and following up with them afterward. I was impressed.

But I do not see the white males who pound their fists and tout their morality over the issue ever doing this. To them, I don't believe it's about saving baby's lives. It's about controlling women. And sometimes, you just have to tell them that.

[Ipanemagirl]

When are right to lifers going to educate themselves that: the only way to reduce abortions is through education , sex education, and free access to birth control.
Also, the world is exploding in over population, is it wise to go ahead and have more unwanted children?
Give up the idea that "God" made you pregnant and take responsability for your own actions,,,you had unprotected sex and got pregnant...God gave you a brain but you failed him by not using it!
End of discussion.

[daduggan]

The significant statistic to track is infant mortality rate. Ours as a country is apparently at the third world level. Reforming the health care system to ensure timely and competent pre-natal and post-natal health care trumps any debate about Roe v. Wade. The only affordable health care of any kind available to uninsured young women has been through the Planned Parenthood clinics for several decades now. The legacy of Ronald, Family Values, Reagan. What about people who plan to have children? Where is the support?

[DrVeruju]

"the world is exploding in over population" Amen

Most of our problems would disappear if we were to halve the population over the next 50 years by adopting a policy of one child per family. Instead, the projection of 9 billion by 2050 means more thirst, starvation and disease - oh, and wars.

[indy100]

I"ve always thought there was some serious hypocrisy among the "right to life" folks. They are against abortion, but also against birth control and sex education. Abstinance only programs DO NOT WORK. They also oppose any sort of aid to help low income families/mothers. And 'm not talking welfare; I'm talking job training, education and daycare assistance etc. Far better investment and cheaper in the long run than welfare. What the "right to life" folks really support is adoption. If you're unmarried, or low income give your babies up so they can be adopted. Anybody seen the movie "Handmaid's Tale"??

[Ipanemagirl]

When is the Right to lifers ever going to learn: The only way to reduce abortions is to give proper sex education and free access to birth control. Making it illegal just forces the poor to use coat hangers and back alley methods or having more unwanted and uncared for children. The wealthy can always find birth control or pay for abortions. Why punish the poor who can least afford to have children?
Another things they need to understand: God does not get you pregnant. Having unprotected sex gets you pregnant and/or sick with STDs. God gave us all a brain and he must feel disappointed that we don't use it!

[sandman23]

I am an RN and have worked on the mother baby floor. I have found many more 17-18 year olds having babies than older womwn. These young girls for the most part do not have a clue. All mom's were made to watch video's about car seats, cpr. and how to care for your baby, it was like pulling teeth to get these young gals to watch these videos. They would use any excuse not to watch them. Some of them would request the video's and when I walked in to the room the video was on however, they had company and were not paying attention or they were putting make-up on or just ignoring the video. I need to mention that no mom was released until they viewed these video's. Some if not most of these young gals were dependent on their mom's to take care of these babies. I thought to myself what is going to happen when these babies get home. We need to start programs to help reduce pregencies. Roe vs Wade does not need to be over turned, If this happens, then we will see what we saw before it was made in law. Back room abortions and increase in deaths to the mom's. Keeping abortion legal, at least we keep it out front and gives a chance to use facilities that are safe. That is my position.

[deminmo]

Let's see....China has strickly imposed limits on families,
one state approved child. Abortions are easy to get for
mistakes. In the US women are afraid to go to clinics to
discuss birth control, let alone abortions, for fear of threats
at the clinic. There are always pro-life groups keeping vigil.
What no one can explain to me is, how can you be pro-life
and pro-war? How can you bomb a clinic and be pro-life?
How can you refuse to fund affordable health care for children
and be pro-life? If life starts at conception, it doesn't end at birth!

[berrycooda]

God said "Go forth and multiply"

If women don't want to get pregnant they should take aspirin....

Old story...put the aspirin between knees and keep it there when with the opposite sex.

This also will work if you don't want an STD or AIDS.
Why change the law...this is country is full of laws that are not used anyway.

[truthynesslover]

The best thing that could happen to dems is if roe gets overturned.It would take that red herring right out of their mouths and they would actually have to start "thinking"{i know im an optomist} about whats best for the country.Do you think they realize if they did get their dream it would only go back to the states?How many rich states will outlaw abortion?N­ONE,CA.,N.­Y.MA.,CONN­.,etc."sti­ll legal"!How many poor states who can least afford more poor people will outlaw?

[LeftRight]

And how, exactly, would that be a good thing. If some states allowed it, and others didn't. How many women in the poorer states would suffer needlessly????

[truthynesslover]

They already are suffering.Alot of states have trouble finding doctors{for fear of death by "pro lifers"}.Im just sick of this being part of the debate when the country and world around us is going to heck in a handbasket.Then the pro lifers can turn their hatred on to the gays and welfare moms and show how it was never about "life" in the fist place.

[Kane]

Instead of playing politics with abortion, what if there was a way where we could ensure a dramatic decrease in abortions?

Do you think if healthcare was available to all Americans that it might decrease abortions?

Do you think passing laws to ensure that women receive equal pay as men would lower the abortion rate or increase the abortion rate?

Do you think there's a possibility that in providing middle class families with tax breaks rather than tax breaks for the wealthy that it might have a slight impact on the abortion rate?

Do you think that making education a priority and making college affordable to all Americans might have a positive impact in decreasing the abortion rate?

Do you think that offering incentives and tax breaks to companies to remain in the States rather than providing tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas might help our economy and in turn, lower the abortion rate?

Do you think investing in after-school programs and childcare services might have a positive impact in reducing abortions?

We could go on and on. But the point is, if you're truly serious about saving the lives of the unborn, then we must get past the rhetoric of the culture wars that has done nothing but divide us as a nation. There are viable solutions that Barack Obama and the democratic party are offering that will in fact help dramatically reduce the abortion rate as we know it.

[condawg]

OK, Kane.

Here's my answers to your list of questions; Maybe, No, No, Maybe, No and Yes.

And the Yes is on the investing in after school programs more than childcare services.

Is this list something you thought about or cut-and-pasted off some web site?

Connect the dots for us on how you think equal pay for women will reduce the number of abortions. Some kind of cause and effect analysis.

[slaxx]

most women get abortions for economic reasons. if you can't see the connection between these issues and abortion, then we can't help you.

[Kane]

Condawg, to answer your question, I am the author of this list. It is not a cut-and-paste.

Certainly we can agree that being pregnant and having a child adds financial costs to any family. And surely we can agree that there are some families that come to the difficult conclusion that rather than bringing a child into poverty or into a situation that they just can't financially afford, abortion becomes an alternative to some.

If we were to pass legislation that would ensure that women receive equal pay as men, not only would it increase family incomes, but it would also increase the incomes of single women as well. In lessening the economic concerns of bringing a child into the world, one could sensibly argue that it would have an impact on decreasing abortions.

It should be pointed out that there are many reasons to to have a strong middle class and provide opportunities to those in poverty. One of those reasons is to help build strong families.

In addition, making education a priority and making college affordable to all Americans would certainly have a positive impact in decreasing the abortion rate. Numerous studies show that college graduates are less likely to have abortions, are more likely to have better jobs, are less likely to be the victims of violent crime, have a longer life expectancy, and their children are more likely to attend college.

[condawg]

kane and slaxx,
Any equal pay for women legislation would provide a marginal real overall pay increase after employers adjusted their workforces to maximize their costs and benefits under the new law(s).

What's the cost of one child in dollar terms? Over 250,000 I'd bet, maybe as high as 300,000. How many woman married or single would take that dollar increase as a 'deal-maker' in a tough decision to keep or abort?

[LeftRight]

While I agree with you about the wage disparity between men and women, you DO realize that anything short of a Constitutional Amendment would be ignored, and anything that important would result not in women's wages going up, but in men's wages going DOWN,

[abeone]

When I see anti-choice people lined up outside abortion clinics with papers to cover the costs of a pregnance and adoption of the child themselves, not the tapayers, I will believe they aren't the hypocriits that they are. These people care nothing for life, just dogma. They are the same people who would deny contraceptives to poor women , then deny them abortions and ride around with bumper stickers that say " If you can't feed 'em, dont breed 'em" You certainly don't draw believers to that kind of "light. And I believe it was your GOD that ordered 'HIS PEOPLE" to run pregnant women through with a sword and to dash lbabies on the rocks. He had about as much concern for life as you wingnuts do.

[strawberryjulius]

Let's be honest. This is a moral issue to the anti-choice activist right wing. The reason why they are anti-abortion is not simply because they want to reduce abortions. They believe it's morally wrong for any woman to be having sex out of wedlock. These are the kind of people that have Purity Balls, where daughters make a promise to their father that they will remain virgins until marriage.That is why the anti-choice activists are also anti-sex education, anti-condom distribution in schools, anti-birth control use by minors, and anti-emergency contraception. That's why the right doesn't advocate policies, like universal childcare or extended paid maternity leave, that would make it easier for young and low income mothers to raise their children. They don't want those women to have sex in the first place. They absolutely want pregnancy to be a punishment. Nothing is going to swing those people to democrats unless the democratic party starts advocating an anti-premartial sex agenda. This is about turning back the sexual revolution and we cannot afford to go there.

But to set the record straight, I don't think that there is anything wrong with having an abortion. There are plenty of women who have confidence in their decision to terminate their pregnancy and have no regrets or emotional scars. What is wrong is having children that you cannot provide for.

[mattheweste]

IThese people (conservatives) have no real notion of the universality of morality as it is generally understood (ie if something is wrong its wrong no matter who does it). Look at how McCain and other Republicans manage to call out Russia for invading Georgia supposedly - and keep a straight face. They are sincere. The phrase "It's OK if you are a Republican" is something they genuinely live by. it's the total rejection of the concept of equality in law and morality as understood by most people.

McCain goes on about how bad it is to invade other countries while forgetting about the three countries Bush has invaded and occupied. One of the pro-life commentators here says war is good if his side does it - it's a "just war".

A pro-life woman having an abortion is doing it for the right reasons whereas a black or liberal woman is doing it because they like to kill babies and because they are whores. That's what pro-life women say when they have an abortion and you ask them to explain themselves.

It's the same attitude towards law. It's OK if their leaders break the law, because they have the best intentions, but its bad if blacks and liberals break the law - because they are criminals and traitors.

It's total tribalism. Whatever my group does is good, whatever the outsider does is bad. This is especially true when it comes to race relations which is why conservatives tend to be racists.

[deminmo]

Not only is abstinance unrealistic, because no 15 yr old
is going to do it for long, but some of the politicians making
the case for it are not shining examples of faithfulness.
And even though lot's of churches frown on birth control,
most members use it.

[BeltwayBette]

Hurrah for Pastor Hunter. However, if he looked closer at Sen. Obama's issues, he'd know that Sen. Obama's economic, education, health plans and his foreign polices will all reduce abortions.
As a young mother, I volunteered at the once famous Florence Crittonten Homes (for the Pregnant Unwed. ) The "homes' were in residential neighborhoods, usually in a large house bought by the organization, sometimes donated. They took any young woman who needed refuge until her baby was born. They provided food, shelter, medical care and some gentle entertainment. At that time, the babies were usually adopted. Today, young unwed mothers are opting to keep their babies. However the same concept would still help stem the tide of abortions by mothers who feel they have no other choice.
That said,, Sen. Obama's plan to improve our nation's education would ensure a future for kids who beleive they have nothing to lose; his economic improvement would enable more family support -- and His health plan could help families support unwanted children more easily... His plan to end the war in Iraq will enable our country to have more money for domestic issues . . .
Pastor Hunter is right but he doesn't see the trees for the forest. His "plans" are already in place by Sen.Obama.
If you are pro-children, rather than anti-women, you will vote for the man women and children need the most.
A female military vet for Sen. obama for President

[abeone]

As a mother who over 35 years ago used Florence Criddenton services, you failed to mention the costs. It isn't cheap. We were far from rich and had 2 other young children to provide for. Then she turned up pregnant again. I know there are those out there pointing fingers at bad parenting. When you work , often 12 hr. 7 days a week you can't always be there at all times. That was back when I was an evangelical , fundamentalist who believed that God would help me handle the problem. My pryer group pryed for me and my daughter. I told my daughter it was HER problem and that I did not intend to take o another chid to raise. She and her boyfriend raised the money for her to fly to NY ( abortion was not legal in Ga. at the time ) The next abortion she had was when she was married ( to someone we begged her not to marry ) had one small child and was living most of the time out of their car Oh, and in that prayer group, the leader had a high school senor who got pregnant and after much prayer, decided that God would approve an abortion, so off to NY. I quit depending on God. In fact I don't believe that He exists..

[Inaru]

You're totally right, Obama has already made the point that, when it's finances that make women choose an abortion, his plans help give poor women an alternative to keep the child. I'd only correct your phrase "unwanted children" to "unplanned children", thanks!

[MendyUSA]

Please stop using the words Pro Life.
It seems to me that if a group has deemed themselves Pro Life
than certainly there is an Anti Life group,(that would be us).
Lets stop letting the "G"reedy "O"il "P"arty paint us as anti life and from this point forward agree to call them as they are, Anti Choice.
Simply put we are Pro Choice they are Anti Choice. We are obviously all pro life.

[votingthistime]

I'm constantly surprised to see Democrats and others, responding to the anti-abortion folks, falling into the trap of allowing them to frame the debate. MendyUSA you are absolutely correct.. As someone once said,
Don't let me have to remind you.
Don't let the man define you.
I also believe that if men got pregnant instead of women, abortion rights would have been guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution years ago.

[DrVeruju]

How about "Anti-Freedom"

[jmad]

The pro life folks take a with me or against me stance, making compromise impossible. Sadly they abandon the living. The religious / faith based attitude has done nothing but cause trouble planet wide throughout history.

[farmer1005]

Scince I don't know anyone who is pro death I will assume the vast majority is pro life. In its politcal context the supposed current prolife party is against abortion but very pro death through war and capital punishment. The issue is right to choose vs government mandated morality. I find it disturbing that liberals will continue to engage in discussions that use the conservative driven verbal miscue of pro life.

[greejambri]

BINGO!!!!!!!!! You hit it, my friend.