President Obama’s First 100 Days and Abortion
May 5, 2009
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Posted by Ray Fowler
Question: If President Obama’s policies are supposed to reduce abortions (as my pro-life Democrat friends keep telling me), then why is NARAL Pro-Choice America celebrating Obama’s first 100 days in office?
Related:
President Obama’s Statement on the 36th Anniversary of Roe v Wade
See also Kevin DeYoung: Does Rhetoric Reduce the Number of Abortions?
Categories: Abortion, Politics
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Answer: Not all pro-life Democrats are alike! I can only speak for myself but as a pro-life Democrat I believe that President Obama is wrong on abortion. I pray frequently and fervently that his heart will be changed. However, I don’t agree that voting for a self-proclaimed pro-life president will end or even reduce abortions. That hasn’t happened under Reagan, Bush Sr. or Bush Jr. That said, I DO believe that:
1. Abortion is the taking of a human life – it’s a baby, not a “fetus”
2. Simply legislating against abortions does not necessarily guarantee that abortions will go away; there will always be doctors willing to do them, wealthy women will be able to pay under the table, or travel for an abortion, and many women will try to self-abort. Even S. Dakota, with a strong pro-life electorate, ultimately failed to pass a strong pro-life law outlawing all abortions.
3. Abortion on demand should be illegal.
4. Although it would be best in God’s eyes that only loving married couples have sex and reproduce, this is not realistic to expect in our culture, indeed our world.
5. Christians should advocate for God’s commands about sexual behavior as the best way to live. However,
6. for those who choose not to live that way, birth control information and assistance would help reduce unintended pregnancies, which would reduce the number of abortions. (eg. many insurance companies will pay for Viagra, but not birth control -weird.)
7. Clinics around the world that help poor women control the size of their families, and that give medical care to women who want to carry their babies to term healthily, should receive assistance. The high rate of mortality for women and babies in developing countries is unacceptable from a pro-life stance. Many of the clinics that were helping women control their child-bearing, protect themselves against sexual disease contracted by unfaithful husbands, and helping woman with clean childbirth were denied funds due to the clinics’ decision to also provide abortions. That is not pro-life either.
8. Pregnancy Care Centers should be supported and funded by pro-lifers. Rather than just telling women “Don’t have an abortion”, these clinics promote life AND help frightened and desperate women who feel they have no other choice. THe PCC in our own town has a wonderful ministry also counseling the young fathers-to-be who are often the party pushing for the “easy way out”. Once they see that the baby is indeed a child to be valued and cared for, they are less likely to push for the abortion. We support our local PCC financially and prayerfully.
9. There should be better laws that promote and support adoption.
9. Democrats for Life of America – http://www.democratsforlife.org – is working to seat pro-life Democrats in local, state, and federal offices. We are succeeding! Every election has seen our numbers grow. Indeed, Gov. Tim Kane of Virginia is a pro-life Democrat who is also the head of the Democratic National Committee, fighting for pro-life causes at the highest levels.
10. We can agree that abortion should be ended, although we may disagree on how that is best accomplished.
I hope that helps answer your question!
Bethany – Thank you for sharing your pro-life views. Let me respond to each of your points in turn. 1. Agree. 2. Agree, but legislating against abortions will make abortion rarer and will help cultivate a culture of life. 3. Agree. 4. Agree. 5. Agree. 6. Yes and no. It will prevent some unintended pregnancies, however it will also create others by promoting a culture where sex is separated from marriage. Also, many teens who use birth control gain a false sense of security which often leads to unintended pregnancy. 7. Disagree. There were other clinics providing these types of medical assistance to women that did not also provide abortions. Ironically, funding for these clinics is now getting cut off and the clinics that provide abortion are receiving the funds instead. I would argue that is not pro-life. 8. Agree. We support our local Crisis Pregnancy Center. 9. (adoption) Agree. 9. (Democrats for Life) I would love to see the Democratic Party turn pro-life. 10. Agree, but I disagree on how you think it is best accomplished!
As far as Reagan and the Bushes not doing anything to reduce abortion, here is a new question: If Republican policies have done nothing to reduce abortions (as my pro-life Democrat friends keep telling me), then why is NARAL Pro-Choice America celebrating Obama’s first 100 days in office? 🙂
Sadly, since NARAL is not a pro-life organization, I can not answer that question for them. Instead, I will be glad that we at least can agree in some areas!
Aaah, but we do not need to guess why NARAL is celebrating, because they tell us why at the link. (Pro-Choice Progress: A Primer on President Obama’s First 100 Days) They are celebrating because in his first 100 days President Obama overturned Bush policies that restricted abortion and instituted new policies that support and fund abortion services. But I also am glad that we agree in so many other areas.