Religion continues to poison abortion debate
Georgia state Rep. Doug McKillip boasts on his website that in the past few years, he has been through a major transition in his faith, accepting "our Lord as [his] personal savior." Recently, he introduced a bill that would force the mothers of stillborn fetuses to continue carrying their dead child for the whole term, as a cow or pig would.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry avowed in a campaign ad that he is "not ashamed to admit he's a Christian." He signed a bill into law that would require women seeking abortions to see an ultrasound of their unborn child beforehand. He declared it an "emergency item."
In a speech, Kansas Rep. Lance Kinzer asked, "As Christians how are we to view the purpose of politics in relation to our fundamental obligation to give glory to God?" He authored a bill that would allow doctors to lie to their patients in order to prevent an abortion.
This is the evangelical wing of the Republican Party at its finest. It is a faction that wants to turn America into a theocracy and turn religious fervor into secular law. It sounds like a country in the Middle East or Africa. It sounds like some extremist version of Shariah law. But this isn't Egypt or Iran or Sudan. The country that wishes to do these things is the United States.
This is unacceptable. It is no longer about Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. Legislatures across the country are attempting to strip women of basic human rights that we have enshrined as American principles expressed throughout the Charters of Freedom as well as international treaties like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
One hundred and fifty years ago, slavery was justified because the imported Africans were considered something less than human. A mockery of the Christian faith was used to dehumanize these men and women until they were simply property; chattel was to be handled as the owner saw fit. The same bastardizing of religious doctrine is being used today to dehumanize women for wanting control over their own bodies. It has to be stopped.
The president's's recently released budget shows a clear need for fiscal conservatism. The country needs the Republicans to act as a balance and bring spending under control. Until the party can regain control from these religious extremists, this cannot happen; independents are scared away from the Republicans who support these insane bills. These laws distract from the real problems facing America.
There is nothing wrong with being a person of faith — Christian, Muslim, Jew or Eastern faith. Religion can provide guidance and purpose to their followers. However, religion is supposed to be about love and togetherness, and these people calling themselves Christians have taken everything good about the teachings of Jesus and corrupted them.
More Like This
Trump accepts Republican presidential nomination
By Ben Turner | July 23, 2016