The recent column “Evangelicals endanger women’s rights” labeled several politicians as religious extremists and claimed pro-life Christians dehumanize women in a comparison to slavery. The author failed to realize he was dehumanizing evangelical politicians through name-calling and advocating their removal from office.Throughout history, Christians have held political office and in America have the freedom to openly discuss and act on their beliefs. Rep. Lance Kinzer asked the question, “As Christians, how are we to view the purpose of politics in relation to our fundamental obligation to give glory to God?” Pro-choice supporters claim their main concern is protecting women’s rights. Evangelicals are also concerned with protecting women’s rights, specifically the rights of the estimated 25 million American women who have been aborted since Roe V. Wade.
The highest concern of any Christian politician is enacting legislation that brings glory to God. In relation to abortion, this is nothing new. Constantine, Rome’s first Christian emperor, considered infanticide a crime in A.D. 318. He also enacted the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313, which encouraged religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire. The belief that no person has the right to end an unborn life is not an attack on women, but a matter of conscience.
Instead of claiming Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Lance Kinzer and others are trying to turn America into a theocracy, one should recognize that these men were elected by a majority and represent a large part of the American populace. Western history is full of deeply religious men in democratic government who have brought positive changes to society.
— Andrew Lynch, fourth-year finance student