SO. I've had this burning in my mind to say for awhile, and after thinking and praying and praying some more, felt like it was time to say it. The following is meant to provide some information, but it also has some of my opinion in there as well. My intention though is NOT to tell anyone who to vote for. That's a decision you need to arrive at for yourself after research, thought, and prayer. But in the interest of helping with that research, I wanted to provide some info.
I've had several conversations with people about how the main issue they care about is abortion, and the candidate they will vote for, regardless of anything else, is the "pro-life candidate."
BUT. It is one thing for a candidate - or anyone - to say they are pro-life, but what are they actually DOING to promote and protect life? ALL life. Unborn and born. This is an important question to ask ourselves if we say we are pro-life, and an important question to ask as we are looking at our presidential candidates and their policy plans, statements, and current and past actions.
Statistically, abortion rates have (wonderfully) gone down the past few years because of some basic improvements in women's access to healthcare. It is the presidents who have promoted basic access to healthcare and also reduced poverty rates who have been the ones to actually reduce abortions. (Statistically, it has actually been under Democratic presidents that abortion rates have decreased; they have increased or remained stagnant under Republican presidents). I've voted for both Republicans and Democrats - I do not consider myself part of either party, and am not trying to promote one over the other here. This is just important info to be aware of and consider.
In this election, from his actions, words, and the few policy positions he's stated, I think it is safe to predict (my opinion, but I think there is a lot of evidence to back it up) that Trump would actually cause abortion rates to increase rather than decrease. Trump changed his position to "pro-life" when he decided he'd have a better chance winning the Rep. nomination than the Democratic one. His whole adult life, he has been pro-choice. Based on his past actions, current comments and attitudes toward women, children and the most vulnerable, I believe he would do nothing to actually reduce abortions while he is in office. Neither candidate will be able to overturn Re v. Wade - and I don't think it's overturning Roe that will actually make a huge difference in the number of women seeking an abortion anyway. It is addressing the issues that cause women to seek abortions that will actually REDUCE abortions. I don't think we should be single-issue voters - there are a lot of other LIFE issues that are important as well. But if abortion is the issue that will determine who you vote for, it's important to not vote based off who SAYS they are "pro-life", but based off who has policies that will actually reduce poverty levels and increase access to healthcare - and who has a track record of actually DOING things that decrease the abortion rate.
Trump has no stated plans to to anything about poverty levels and better access to healthcare, especially for low-income populations. The few policy positions he has would actually hurt low-income women. Hilary is far from perfect of course, but based on her stated policy positions and track record in office, I firmly believe she will do much more than Trump to actually reduce abortions. She has, and I believe will continue to, push for policies and programs that assist low-income women, providing healthcare and education. Additionally, and very importantly, she also promotes policies that care for children AFTER they are born: parenting resources and education for low-income single parents; education equity for low-income children; access to healthcare and housing; job resources, and much more are all indicators that Hilary will actually do more to protect and promote LIFE than Donald Trump.
If we call ourselves pro-life, we need to be pro-ALL life and look at ALL the issues, and which candidate will actually do more to protect life across the board. For children who are in-utero and those who are outside the womb, for the most vulnerable in our society (who God repeatedly tell us throughout Scripture to especially look out for)- the elderly, the poor, the immigrant. Which candidate will lead us into the least amount of conflicts that will cost lives? Which candidate will do more to reform our education system so all children have a fair chance to break out of harmful cycles? Which candidate will allow us as followers of Christ to better further his purposes of justice and peace and redemption? No candidate should be looked at as our savior - but our true Savior does command us to further his work on this earth, so we should look at which candidate will enable us to best do that.
Lastly, this is something that hurts my heart, that literally causes me to weep with anger and sadness and frustration many days: for those of us who call ourselves pro-life - do we get as angry and torn up and heartbroken about our children who are outside the womb as those who are in it? Do we know that God values these little lives just as much once they are outside the womb? That these children also need a voice, someone to speak for them?
Why is it that people rush to the steps of the Supreme Court to protest Roe, but aren't rushing to their local social services office to foster or adopt one of the THOUSANDS of kids out of foster care that are currently waiting for a home? I can't put into words the heartbreaking life so many of these kids lead. Why is foster care not an equal pro-life issue that determines our vote? Why are we not advocating for THESE kids who are forgotten and overlooked and have no voice? I work for a child and family services agency and we get over 20 calls a day (no exaggeration) from the county, asking if we have beds for kids to sleep in - because there aren't enough families willing to take kids in. In DC, I saw firsthand children who were left in dangerous situations because social workers literally didn't have homes to put them in, so they marked their file "not quite bad enough to be removed."
Friends, this should make us WEEP. It makes my heart burn everyday. If we call ourselves pro-life, we must rush to our local social services offices, to our local school and shelters and struggling neighbors, the same way we rush to Facebook to defend the unborn. It is easy to say we are pro-life; it is harder to actually DO. But this is our calling.
And when we have two candidates who, in reality, are both pro-choice, we must look at their other policy positions and measure who will do the most to reduce the reasons many women turn to abortion -and who will do the most to protect ALL life, both born and unborn.
I know this is a tough election for most of us, and again, I am in no way telling anyone who to vote for. Besides our two leading candidates, there are several 3rd party candidates to look into (though I have some serious hesitations about voting 3rd party this election), and a lot of questions and factors we all need to seriously think and pray through for ourselves. But I'd be happy to talk with anyone about where I'm at and my own thought processes - I'm still very much praying and thinking through things, and welcome good discussion/questions/dialogue (I'd also be happy to provide resources for the facts I mentioned as well). Thanks for reading :)
I've had several conversations with people about how the main issue they care about is abortion, and the candidate they will vote for, regardless of anything else, is the "pro-life candidate."
BUT. It is one thing for a candidate - or anyone - to say they are pro-life, but what are they actually DOING to promote and protect life? ALL life. Unborn and born. This is an important question to ask ourselves if we say we are pro-life, and an important question to ask as we are looking at our presidential candidates and their policy plans, statements, and current and past actions.
Statistically, abortion rates have (wonderfully) gone down the past few years because of some basic improvements in women's access to healthcare. It is the presidents who have promoted basic access to healthcare and also reduced poverty rates who have been the ones to actually reduce abortions. (Statistically, it has actually been under Democratic presidents that abortion rates have decreased; they have increased or remained stagnant under Republican presidents). I've voted for both Republicans and Democrats - I do not consider myself part of either party, and am not trying to promote one over the other here. This is just important info to be aware of and consider.
In this election, from his actions, words, and the few policy positions he's stated, I think it is safe to predict (my opinion, but I think there is a lot of evidence to back it up) that Trump would actually cause abortion rates to increase rather than decrease. Trump changed his position to "pro-life" when he decided he'd have a better chance winning the Rep. nomination than the Democratic one. His whole adult life, he has been pro-choice. Based on his past actions, current comments and attitudes toward women, children and the most vulnerable, I believe he would do nothing to actually reduce abortions while he is in office. Neither candidate will be able to overturn Re v. Wade - and I don't think it's overturning Roe that will actually make a huge difference in the number of women seeking an abortion anyway. It is addressing the issues that cause women to seek abortions that will actually REDUCE abortions. I don't think we should be single-issue voters - there are a lot of other LIFE issues that are important as well. But if abortion is the issue that will determine who you vote for, it's important to not vote based off who SAYS they are "pro-life", but based off who has policies that will actually reduce poverty levels and increase access to healthcare - and who has a track record of actually DOING things that decrease the abortion rate.
Trump has no stated plans to to anything about poverty levels and better access to healthcare, especially for low-income populations. The few policy positions he has would actually hurt low-income women. Hilary is far from perfect of course, but based on her stated policy positions and track record in office, I firmly believe she will do much more than Trump to actually reduce abortions. She has, and I believe will continue to, push for policies and programs that assist low-income women, providing healthcare and education. Additionally, and very importantly, she also promotes policies that care for children AFTER they are born: parenting resources and education for low-income single parents; education equity for low-income children; access to healthcare and housing; job resources, and much more are all indicators that Hilary will actually do more to protect and promote LIFE than Donald Trump.
If we call ourselves pro-life, we need to be pro-ALL life and look at ALL the issues, and which candidate will actually do more to protect life across the board. For children who are in-utero and those who are outside the womb, for the most vulnerable in our society (who God repeatedly tell us throughout Scripture to especially look out for)- the elderly, the poor, the immigrant. Which candidate will lead us into the least amount of conflicts that will cost lives? Which candidate will do more to reform our education system so all children have a fair chance to break out of harmful cycles? Which candidate will allow us as followers of Christ to better further his purposes of justice and peace and redemption? No candidate should be looked at as our savior - but our true Savior does command us to further his work on this earth, so we should look at which candidate will enable us to best do that.
Lastly, this is something that hurts my heart, that literally causes me to weep with anger and sadness and frustration many days: for those of us who call ourselves pro-life - do we get as angry and torn up and heartbroken about our children who are outside the womb as those who are in it? Do we know that God values these little lives just as much once they are outside the womb? That these children also need a voice, someone to speak for them?
Why is it that people rush to the steps of the Supreme Court to protest Roe, but aren't rushing to their local social services office to foster or adopt one of the THOUSANDS of kids out of foster care that are currently waiting for a home? I can't put into words the heartbreaking life so many of these kids lead. Why is foster care not an equal pro-life issue that determines our vote? Why are we not advocating for THESE kids who are forgotten and overlooked and have no voice? I work for a child and family services agency and we get over 20 calls a day (no exaggeration) from the county, asking if we have beds for kids to sleep in - because there aren't enough families willing to take kids in. In DC, I saw firsthand children who were left in dangerous situations because social workers literally didn't have homes to put them in, so they marked their file "not quite bad enough to be removed."
Friends, this should make us WEEP. It makes my heart burn everyday. If we call ourselves pro-life, we must rush to our local social services offices, to our local school and shelters and struggling neighbors, the same way we rush to Facebook to defend the unborn. It is easy to say we are pro-life; it is harder to actually DO. But this is our calling.
And when we have two candidates who, in reality, are both pro-choice, we must look at their other policy positions and measure who will do the most to reduce the reasons many women turn to abortion -and who will do the most to protect ALL life, both born and unborn.
I know this is a tough election for most of us, and again, I am in no way telling anyone who to vote for. Besides our two leading candidates, there are several 3rd party candidates to look into (though I have some serious hesitations about voting 3rd party this election), and a lot of questions and factors we all need to seriously think and pray through for ourselves. But I'd be happy to talk with anyone about where I'm at and my own thought processes - I'm still very much praying and thinking through things, and welcome good discussion/questions/dialogue (I'd also be happy to provide resources for the facts I mentioned as well). Thanks for reading :)
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