This is a widely shared goal, within and beyond faith communities. But it’s hard to achieve. I served on a task force to reduce abortions that disbanded after two meetings because some believed that contraception itself was immoral, while others couldn’t imagine how to achieve the goal without it. We were stuck.
We’re still stuck, partly because of the polarizing language of moral rights. The lingo is familiar: The fetus has a right to be born vs. the woman has a right to choose. But into the chasm between these two claims falls the status quo - an abortion rate in the U.S. of 21 abortions for every 1,000 women (aged 15-44) - one of the highest in the developed world. (See www.guttmacher.org for all statistics used.)
How about gathering in the middle, affirming the value of both the fetus and the woman. Both are sacred. Don’t tell me that a fetus has no greater moral claim than the tip of my little finger, as one writer asserted. Anyone who has heard a heartbeat in utero knows better. But don’t insist that the fetus trumps all claims of the woman, either. She is a moral agent faced with difficult and sometimes tragic choices.
Can we get practical? Focus on what works. Restricting access does not. Although Montana has none of the legal restrictions other states have (parental notification, mandated waiting period), our abortion rate is 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women - significantly less than the U.S. average of 21.
In countries with liberal access to abortion, the rate is even less: eight in Germany, nine in the Netherlands. Where abortion is outlawed, it still occurs - only at higher rates - 56 abortions per 1,000 women in Peru, 54 in Uganda.
Worse, where abortion is illegal, death rates soar. When abortion was banned in Romania, it didn’t stop - it just killed a lot of women: from 20 deaths per 100,000 births per year before the ban to 150 after. Legalized again, the death rate plummeted. So if we support maternal life, keeping abortion legal is essential.
Likewise, if we support fetal life, contraception is essential. Reduce unintended pregnancies and we will reduce abortion. Abstinence for teens is good advice if they would follow it, but insufficient even if they do, since adult women have four out of every five abortions. Making contraceptives widely available, easily affordable; their proper use well-understood and socially affirmed will reduce abortion. We know this. Can we work on it together for the sake of life?
Jean Larson is the pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 8985 Highway 200 E., in Bonner. Contact her at oslcbonner3@bresnan.net.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)