“Our vision should be of an America where abortion is safe and legal but rare.” President Bill Clinton, Jan. 22, 1993 With the recently leaked U.S. Supreme Court memo on Roe v. Wade, abortion rights have become big news. Understanding the background of this complex issue should be helpful. Women have been getting abortions since women have been getting pregnant. There are many reasons for an abortion: some medical, some economic, some personal. What many opponents forget is that for most of human history, abortion was not controversial. Even groups currently opposing abortion previously realized the need for safe, legal abortions. “In 1968, Christianity Today, the flagship magazine of evangelicalism, organized a conference with the Christian Medical Society to discuss the morality of abortion…. (They) issued a statement acknowledging the ambiguities surrounding the issue, which, they said, allowed for many different approaches. ‘Whether the performance of an induced abortion is sinful we are not agreed, but about the necessity of it and permissibility for it under certain circumstances we are in accord.’” “Meeting in St. Louis in 1971, the messengers (delegates) to the Southern Baptist Convention, hardly a redoubt of liberalism, passed a resolution calling for the legalization of abortion, a position they reaffirmed in 1974 — a year after Roe — and again in 1976.” (Politico, May 10) There are many reasons, having nothing to do with babies, why abortion became the rallying cry it is today among conservatives. Those reasons have nothing to do with what is true medically or biblically, despite what abortion opponents claim. “Even James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family who later became an implacable foe of abortion, acknowledged in 1973 that the Bible was silent on the matter and therefore it was plausible for an evangelical to believe that ‘a developing embryo or fetus was not regarded as a full human being.’” (Politico, May 10) The New Testament, including Jesus’ teachings, never mentions or forbids abortion, even though it was practiced back then. Jewish teachings, including the Old Testament, emphasize the life of the mother over the life of the fetus. Jewish scholars teach that life begins with the baby’s first breath or with the baby’s first movement inside the mother, usually between four and five months. In any case, Jewish laws and tradition don’t forbid abortion and don’t recognize an unborn fetus as a full legal person. (USA Today, May 3) With all that, very few people are “pro-abortion.” What most people want is a woman’s right to make that decision herself, with the help of her doctor and those she trusts. In other words, “pro-choice.” According to the National Right to Life Committee website, the number of abortions increased every year under President Ronald Reagan. The number peaked in 1990, then dropped under Clinton. The number plateaued under President GW Bush, dropped under President Barack Obama, and then plateaued under President Donald Trump. Why the rise or plateau under Republican presidents and the drop under Democratic presidents? Clinton and Obama proved that when people have jobs and feel economically secure, the number of abortions declines. In contrast, Republican legislators fight every increase in the safety net; they don’t seem to care if babies have sufficient food, adequate housing, affordable health care and safe childcare. They just want forced births. This economic uncertainty results in higher rates of maternal and child mortality, the opposite of pro-life. “Low-income and poor people, residents in rural areas, and Black, Indigenous and minority populations already struggle with health disparities such as inaccessible or lower quality prenatal care, higher maternal mortality and worse health outcomes.” (Reno Gazette Journal, May 11) People who truly want to reduce abortions will work to ensure every baby has what it needs to flourish. Working against these policies shows the moral bankruptcy of many who claim to be pro-life. The May 12 issue of Sojourners magazine expresses it perfectly. “We must oppose extreme measures that would eliminate the right of women… to choose whether they bear children while we also advocate vigorously for policies and programs that would dramatically reduce the need for unwanted pregnancies that lead people to seek abortions in the first place. These policies include: ensuring everyone has affordable access to quality health care and contraception… and expanding economic support to women, parents, and families — including the pro-family policies stalled in Congress that would alleviate many of the economic stresses that prompt people to seek abortions.” Those who care about families and babies should have no argument with this. Jeanette Strong, whose column appears every other week, is a Nevada Press Association award-winning columnist. She may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.
