Sanctimonious godbotherers, 40 Days for Life, are coming to the end of their latest prayerathon against abortion. They might seem fairly harmless as they kneel in vigil outside clinics. Don’t be fooled. In America this group has closed down services and stopped women from making appointments.
I’m a seasoned pro-choice activist and I’m also a Christian. I can maintain these two principles very comfortably; however it is very uncomfortable to be associated with my religion’s atrocious record on sexual and reproductive rights. Love, sexuality, family and relationships are the most meaningful and positive aspects of life, and I feel that as a Christian as well as a supporter of human rights. The idea of abusing these rights is perverse and completely contradicts my beliefs.
My Christian beliefs are just that; they’re just beliefs, they’re just mine. They don’t deserve special respect because they are rooted in religion. I shouldn’t expect anyone else to share them and I certainly don’t get to force them on people. When 40DfL demonstrate against abortion in the name of Christ, they assert that this is a Christian act (it’s not) and that this gives them authority to condemn women (it doesn’t).
Furthermore, 40DfL are assuming that Christianity is meaningful to the women they rant at. Has it occurred to them how irrelevant their beliefs are to someone who doesn’t believe in God? When they draw on references in scripture to advocate the sanctity of life, I guess they’re attempting to inspire women to accept their unplanned pregnancy as a little miracle, an unexpected gift from God. They are so righteous and convinced by their beliefs that abortion is a sin, that they cannot imagine how people see it any other way.
The women going into BPAS have already made their decisions; they're not looking for spiritual guidance. 40DfL would be in no position to offer practical support to a pregnant woman if she did turn around and ask for it. I think on some level these one-trick ponies know their protest is futile. They just want to hurt women for making their own decisions and not being slaves to controlling beliefs.
40DFL have every right to view abortion as a sin, but they cannot pretend that this is a widely held Christian view. If they want to end abortion they can lobby to change policy, but back off the clinics and stop attacking individual women. We pro-choicers know very well how important it is to accept that people hold a variety of views on abortion and should be allowed to follow their own conscience free from harassment.
As a Christian I find it horrible to see people holding up my scripture and using my forms of worship to try to shame women. If they want to pray to end abortion, then go for it, pray at home or in your church. Don't use those prayers as a way to bash women who don't think like you.
These actions misrepresent the majority of Christians who are pro-choice. It also leaves a lot of people assuming that Christians are anti-choice. The majority of us are not. Nor are the majority of us anti-contraception, anti-woman, homophobic or abuse apologists. It’s just that many of the over-privileged white men who represent us are. Sound familiar?
Katy has a website, it's here.
