The "A" Word That Won't Go Away
A commentary by David Treybig
United Church of God pastor, St. Petersburg and Tampa, FL
When
it comes to moral values, the United States of America is anything but united.
The ongoing culture wars have once again erupted over abortion—the "A" word
that refuses to go away. Thirty-three years after the landmark Roe
v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1973 that made abortion legal,
Americans remain deeply divided over this intensely personal, emotional,
and gruesome practice.
The uneasy truce between abortion supporters and opponents broke wide
open on February 22 when the highest court agreed to decide whether Congress
can outlaw partial-birth abortions—a practice in which the skulls
of partially born babies are crushed. In agreeing to hear the appeal
of Gonzales v. Carhart, the high court will be considering a
lower court ruling that declared the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of
2003 unconstitutional. This congressional law has been struck down by
three federal appeals courts and has yet to take effect (www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/22/AR2006022202424.html).
On the same day the Supreme Court announced that it would review Gonzales
v. Carhart, South Dakota lawmakers "approved the nation's
most far-reaching ban on abortion, setting the stage for new legal
challenges that its supporters say they hope lead to an overturning
of Roe v. Wade. The measure, which passed the state Senate
23 to 12, makes it a felony for doctors to perform any abortion, except
to save the life of a pregnant woman." Other states, including
Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky, are also considering
measures restricting abortions (ibid.).
With two new appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court, conservative lawmakers
in many states believe the time is now opportune to challenge current
abortion laws. Their hope is that the new appointees will tip the divided
court in their direction.
While such news is encouraging to those of us who understand that life
begins at conception, we shouldn't get our hopes up that the gruesome
practice of abortion will soon come to an end. Recent events reflect
a challenge over not whether abortion will be legal but under what circumstances.
After decades of intense battle in which abortion proponents (who prefer
to call themselves the more psychologically pleasing term "Pro
Choice") have touted their position as the one respecting a woman's
right to choose and a woman's health, the majority of the American
public—including women—have not fully accepted this reasoning.
On the other side, those opposing abortion (who call themselves the psychologically
pleasing term "Pro Life") haven't managed to capture
a majority either.
Both sides are striving to capture the hearts and minds of Americans
who are both uneasy with abortion and uneasy with a governmental ban
against it. Many are sympathetic to cases of rape, incest, and when the
life of the mother is concerned. But when it comes to simply the choice
of the mother as to whether to have a baby or not after having had consensual
sex—which is the case in the clear majority of abortions—everyone
knows that the mother had a choice from the very beginning. And what
choice does the baby have? As advancements in knowledge continue to reveal
that fetuses are genuine humans—not just inanimate blobs of flesh
that only become human when the mother so designates them—these
same Americans are also uneasy with abortion as a method of birth control.
The bottom line is that a significantly large group wants abortion to
be legal but rare.
Based upon this reasoning, some predict the upcoming battles over abortion
will lead to a ban on partial-birth abortions and stricter laws governing
all abortions in order to lessen the number performed. Both sides in
this ongoing debate understand that the side that captures the legal-but-rare
advocates will have the best chance to create a majority that will control
future legislation.
In reflecting upon these conditions, many realize that human beings
and governments alike have great difficulty making moral decisions. Today's
reality is that we are stuck with difficult choices in an imperfect world
because all of us humans are imperfect ourselves.
  For
a refreshing solution to the "A" word, read about the
progressive legislation and practices that will eventually render abortion
obsolete. Simply request, download or read online our free booklets: The
Ten Commandments and Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension.
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