121 | Transcending Roe v Wade
June 27, 2022
Welcome back to the podcast!
I know, last week I said our topic was going to be Transcending the Dark. But if you're not completely out of touch with reality - you know something monumental happened this week in our country.
Don't worry - we'll get back to Transcending the Dark soon. But the events of this week completely caught me off guard. And I just felt this prompting to discuss it with you.
So we'll get into that here in a minute...
But before that - here's what I want you to do:
Get comfortable - put on some sweat pants, yoga pants, comfy shorts - whatever works for you
Next, grab something to drink. I recommend coffee, or a latte - something warm that will help calm the nerves
And finally, find a nice comfortable place where you can finish listening to this episode
If none of these things are possible - like if you're in the car, or if you're multi-tasking. I recommend you stop right now - and come back to us when you are fully available and comfortable
Because this is going to be a tough conversation. It may be triggering for some. It might make some of you angry. But at the same time - it might make some of you go, "Huh...I never thought of it that way before."
So if everyone's ready - let's start with the:
Minute of Transparency: Pulling back the curtain...
Today's Topic: Transcending Roe v Wade
My personal beliefs
Your body. Your choice.
Separation of church and state
Silence is complicity
// 1. MY PERSONAL BELIEFS
When it comes down to it - the thing that scares me the most about this episode is being transparent about my own beliefs. How I feel about abortion. Mainly because there is no "winning" in this game. In other words:
If I come out as Pro Choice - I piss off half the country
And if I come out as Pro Life - I piss off the other half
So there is no winning when you look at it that way
But like I said - I tend to be very neutral on controversial things - so when I explain which way I lean - it's leaning from the center. And, as we'll talk more about later in the episode - it's leaning a direction not based on abortion - but something far more invasive.
So let me start this way:
I'm not a fan of abortion
Any more than I'm a fan of divorce
I hate that it exists
I hate the division it causes in our country
I hate it when people act like it isn't a big deal
I hate it when people use it as an after-the-fact form of birth control
I hate that some women feel pressured into getting abortions - sometimes teenagers
I hate that some women get abortions and then spend the rest of their lives feeling shame, or guilt about it
And I hate that abortion is used by political parties to control people and secure votes
Now, after hearing me make those statements - you probably expect me to lean Pro Life correct? I mean not all of my statements were Pro Life, but most come across that way.
So yes - I have a lot in common with people who say they are Pro Life.
And I'm also a sucker for feel good stories. You know the type. Stories where the poor kid becomes rich. Or the injured player comes back to win the game. You know - underdog stuff.
And it's no different for me when it comes to abortion, or non-abortion stories.
Every now and then you hear a story like this: A young mother gets pregnant. The father wants nothing to do with her. But the mother makes the hard choice to keep her baby - even though she knows it would be way easier to have an abortion. She has the child, raises the child, and eventually that child grows up to become a star athlete, the CEO of a large company or even a US Senator.
Cheesy - I know. But at the same time I know those stories exist - and I love that outcome.
But I've led you on a bit. Because I really went down that Pro Life path with gusto.
But here's the problem. I also lean Pro Choice. And if I'm honest - I lean hard in that direction.
But maybe not for the reasons you think.
// 2. YOUR BODY. YOUR CHOICE.
So there are two very BIG reasons I lean Pro Choice.
This one. And the second, which we'll address later...
The first reason can be summarized with the phrase: "Your body. Your choice."
The idea that a person should have the right to make decisions about their own body, and what is going on with it.
Of course with abortion - it gets complicated because one side believes a pregnant female is no different than non-pregnant female. It's here body - so it's her choice.
But the other side says something different. The thing growing inside you is another life - which means your choice is being made for another person.
And therein lies the polarization. I get that. It's all a matter of interpretation.
But for me - it's less about proving whether or not the baby is a living, breathing viable human being. And more about the choice itself.
Because at the end of the day - one side respects the woman's freedom of choice. And the other wants to take that freedom away.
And for me - this just isn't a hard decision.
As a citizen of the United States of America - I believe the Declaration of Independence was pretty clear:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." - Preamble to the Declaration of Independence
And while these principles didn't always provide safety for the marginalized. For black people, brown people, asian people and women...
We should at this point be able to look back and see that this applies to everyone. We all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
But this isn't my only argument for "Your body. Your choice." As a Christian I also believe we are to emulate Jesus.
The Preamble specifically calls this out as well: "...endowed by their Creator..." with a capital "C."
In other words - The US is providing these rights because we understand them to be universal - given to us by God Himself.
And if there is one thing the Bible makes perfectly clear. It's that God loves us. And the way He shows us love is by giving us the freedom of choice. My body. My choice. It's up to me if I want to believe in Him or not. It's up to me if I choose to listen to Him or not. And ultimately - it's up to me if I want to trust Him with my life here on Earth, and whatever happens after I die.
So if we were created in God's image - and His image is to grant us freedom of choice. It makes sense that we would do the same. That we would allow people to make decisions for themself.
Now - up to this point I haven't even discussed the types of abortion, or the reasons for abortion.
To me - there are obvious reasons for a woman to have the right to choose:
Rape
Incest
And times when the baby could cause the death of the mother
Things like that...
But even if the reasons aren't ones I would be comfortable with. It still comes back to Your body. Your choice. The woman's freedom to choose.
Now - before we leave this section I just want to paint a picture - a slightly different picture - but one that we should entertain.
What would it look like if men were in a similar situation?
What do I mean? Well, let's throw out a couple scenarios:
Circumcision:
What would it look like if it was a requirement for a man to be circumcised?
Or the opposite - what if they passed a law that doctors could no longer perform circumcisions?
Vasectomies:
What would it look like if a man was required to get a vasectomy after having two kids?
Or the opposite - what if a law was passed that men could no longer have a vasectomy?
Now I know - those of you who have polarized one way or the other will most likely say this isn't apples to apples - because there is no child involved. No fetus...
But the vasectomy is related to reproduction. Sperm have the building blocks for life. It isn't a stretch that the government could at some point view a vasectomy as "preventing life" which goes against the very idea of Pro Life...
Okay - that's really all I wanted to say in this section - but we'll touch on the "rabbit hole" as I call it later in the episode.
// 3. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
Earlier I said there were two reasons I lean Pro Choice.
The first was Your body. Your choice. And the second is the Separation of Church and State.
Now just like abortion - there are people on both sides of this debate:
There are those who believe the Constitution guarantees the ongoing Separation of Church and State
And there are those who say the concept was found in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 - but that it is not meant to be taken literally - because it is not spelled out that way in the US Constitution
So this is something you'll need to come to a conclusion on for yourself.
For me - this isn't even a question. To me it's a common sense thing. History explains any ambiguity that exists on the subject - at least in my book.
What do I mean by that?
Well, let's take a quick trip back to England in the Mid 1500s.
England, who did NOT believe in a separation between church and state, passed the Act of Uniformity in 1559 which made it illegal NOT to attend the official "Church of England" services. (Wikipedia)
As this incestuous relationship blossomed - a group of people known as Separatists - left the church - and eventually had to flee to Holland under threat of persecution.
You guessed it - the Separatist are also known as Puritans, and then Pilgrims who left England to find freedom in the New World.
You've heard the History teachers favorite phrase right?
"If you forget the past, you're destined to repeat it."
Friends this isn't rocket science 🙂
Our founding fathers left England because they were under a very real threat - fines, imprisonment and even death for their religious beliefs.
So they started the United States of America - the New World - where they wouldn't allow the same thing to happen.
And in order to keep it from happening - they created a separation between church and state. So people would be able to exercise their own personal religious beliefs without the threat of persecution.
It's almost like some people today want to only look forward - and pretend this never happened.
So let me ask it this way. What is more likely to be true:
That a persecuted group of religious people implemented the Separation of Church and State In their new country?
Or that we somehow misread their intentions, and Separation of Church and State never actually existed?
Again - this is my second reason for leaning Pro Choice.
Because in this country, the State, or government, should not be making laws based on one religious groups belief system. Even if that religious group claims to be the same as our founding fathers! It goes against the very thing the Pilgrims set out to escape from when they left England.
Now - let's address the elephant in this room...
Many will say that enacting a law regarding abortion is no more religious than the laws we have regarding murder or stealing.
And on some level you would be right. In fact both of those are found in the 10 Commandments - in the Bible - and you're not going to get much more religious than that...
And if murder is a law on our books - then the murder of a fetus is the same thing.
Only that's where things get sticky...
You see nobody argues or debates what murder is when it comes to two living, breathing people.
If I walk over to you and shoot you to death - that's murder. And nobody, Christian, non-Christian, Atheist, etc. is going to argue that point.
In fact, I would suggest that murder is outlawed in almost every country in the world - no matter how spiritual the country.
Why? Because there's just something inside of us that believes murder is wrong. Taking something that isn't your is wrong.
But when it comes to abortion - it isn't that simple. Because we don't have that unanimous belief that it's wrong.
And when it comes right down to it, the people who are against abortion are part of a very specific religious group.
Suggesting that it is a religious belief.
And if a religious belief from one group becomes law - it will ALWAYS infringe on the freedoms of someone who is NOT part of that religious belief system.
Thus going against the intent of the Separation of Church and State.
Now I don't want to spend a lot of time here - but it is important to understand that Roe v Wade is NOT the real issue. Yes, by overturning it a HUGE number of the citizens of this country are going to lose a freedom that should not be lost. In fact, polls suggest that around 85% of the citizens of the United States believe a woman should have the right to choose.
But friends - this isn't the end. Abortion isn't the pot of gold waiting at the end of the rainbow. The conservative right is not looking at this as wining the game.
Getting Roe v Wade overturned is simply Step 1. It's the foot in the door so to speak. And it sets the precedent by which a host of other rights can and will be taken away.
So what's next? Here are two of the things that will be attacked next:
Same sex marriage
Contraception (remember the vasectomy illustration?)
Like I said - this could literally become a thing...
But again - for me - it isn't about each separate decision.
I may actually lean toward the right on some of these issues.
But for me - it's not about the specific decision - it's about maintaining the Separation of Church and State.
Because all of these things are "religious" in nature. Meaning the laws will be put into place by a government where a specific religious group is represented. And all of those not in that religious group will have their freedom of choice removed from them.
Right back to where we started - England in the 1500s.
And don't think that it ends with these three religious beliefs.
If this train starts rolling downhill - it will become easier and easier to pass laws that this ruling religious group believes are important.
Pick your poison. But for me - I can easily see this scenario playing itself out:
A few years in the future:
Many laws have been passed - breaking the Separation of Church and State
Citizens, while they may not agree, get to a point where it simply is what it is
Life goes on
People stop fighting against this movement in the direction of a controlling religious power
And at some point - there is a domestic or even global tragedy
Maybe it's another pandemic
Maybe the Earth reaches the point where it gives up the ghost and we're overrun with natural disasters due to global warming
Whatever the case - this ruling religious group blames it all on the people
It's because we took so long to reverse Roe v Wade
It's because we allowed people to run wild in our country - without abiding to a strict moral code
And the only way we're going to fix this problem is to tighten things up - pass a few more laws that will require us to get back to God
Sound familiar? You must attend services at the Church of England under penalty of fines, imprisonment or possibly death if it gets too bad in the country...
Because we need to get back to God - and it's obvious we (meaning you) aren't trying hard enough...
And there you have it. Just one scenario that seems all too relevant right now.
On the surface it might seem like a good thing - getting back to God an all. And I'm sure there are many people in the ruling religious group who believe it's their destiny to make the world a better place by forcing a religious agenda on everyone else.
But who's God are we getting back to?
What religious groups services will we need to attend?
And on what day of the week will we be required to worship?
Is it the Bible only? What about the Torah? The Quran?
See how getting rid of the Separation of Church and State makes this all possible?
Because without it - one group - with enough power has the ability to control people who do not hold the same beliefs.
This is the type of world the Pilgrims left behind. And it's the same world we're heading toward.
"If you forget the past, you're destined to repeat it."
// 4. SILENCE IS COMPLICITY
I've spent a lot of my life in silence.
Because it's easier - it's less awkward - less uncomfortable.
When you stay out of things you can pretend everything is fine. Ignore things going on around you. Choose to keep your mouth closed so people won't judge you.
All that good stuff.
But as we've come to see over the past few years - silence is complicity.
When bad things or wrong things are happening - and we do nothing - say nothing - we become part of the problem.
We allow those things to continue even though we don't endorse them. In essence - we endorse them by default.
This is true with racism, sexism, agism and yes - the government trying to do away with the Separation that's supposed to exist between Church and State.
For me, this is tough. Being an introvert - and not wanting to rock the boat. It's hard to stand up and become a lightening rod by speaking out.
Sure there are things we can do that aren't in the public eye. We can research things so we're informed, and we can vote - so that our voices are heard and hopefully are reflected in the government we elect.
But this was a MASSIVE step for me. Releasing this podcast episode. It's so not me. But at the same time - it's all of me.
It's every fiber of my being spoken into a microphone, recorded on my little MacBook and eventually uploaded to the cloud for all to hear.
I'm nervous, but at the same time I feel so good about it.
I feel empowered, and I feel like this is something other people are needing to hear at this time in our history.
Let's Land the Plane:
This week - I have no questions for you. I simply ask you to digest this information and then come up with questions on your own.
Do your own research. Draw the conclusions you must based on the information you have.
Friends - I truly believe we're heading into a season of life where the polarization won't just be between political parties, or between liberal and conservative thinking.
I believe there will be a polarization between people grasping for power and control and those who are releasing their control and loving those around them without filters, without requirements - simply because we understand that God loves all of His kids.
Thank you so much for sticking with me through this entire thing.
I love you all - and want what's best for each and every one of you.
To wrap things up - I'm not going to tell you what the topic is for next week. After this week who knows what it might be about🙂
But don't worry - at some point we'll get back to Transcending the Dark. Maybe in October - around Halloween...
Until then, have a great week, be true to yourself, let your conscience be your guide, and as always, keep Transcending Human!