Faith's Venting

By Faith Chatham Nov. 6, 2016
I am disgusted with cloaking public policy in religiousity. Neither the so called "pro life anti abortion" camp nor the "pro choice" camp are black and white positions. Making abortion illegal does not prevent abortions. It is probably more of a position in favor of returning to the world of 'coat hanger abortions" than it is an abortion prevention reality. Only a very small percentage of those who support "a woman's right to choose" are actually "pro abortion."

Very few of those who call themselves "pro life" actually support public policies which help children after they are born, so they are not, in my opinion, truly "pro life."

Hearing folks who consider themselves "Christian" call women who have spent their lives fighting for Civil Rights, Women's Rights, and for better education for children, and fighting childhood poverty as "babv killers" is distasteful and inappropriate in society, let alone in "Christian circles."

In Tyler last month I encountered a volunteer in a Roman Catholic booth at the Smith County Fair who claimed that "Hillary Clinton had killed thousands of children!" I'm very Catholic in my religious expression. I was an Anglican Franciscan Oblate Sister for 15 years. I was appalled with this encounter in Tyler. What children has Hillary Clinton killed? How many has she saved? I suspect she is responsible for saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in various ways. Such a bigoted and unsupportable statement coming from a volunteer who thinks she is representing Christ troubled me.

In the 105 Texas House Race in Grand Prairie/Irving, Rodney Anderson's canvassers are calling Terry Meza a "baby killer" because Meza, like many women in American, favors funding Planned Parenthood. Family planning and screening services by Planned Parenthood have contributed to the health of hundreds of thousands of women. The best way to prevent abortions is informed fact-based access to birth control. Terry Meza is my friend. I know that she still mourns the loss of the daughter she miscarried almost 30 years ago. Baby Killer? Absolutely not. Those who are spreading these inflammatory claims on the campaign trail think that they are being "Christian". I think they are practicing misguided cruelty.

In 2014 we witnessed Wendy Davis being dubbed "Abortion Barbie." Wendy has a tubal pregnancy which cost her a child she dearly wanted. Another child had a serious neurological deformity. Wendy deserved to be able to keep both losses private. Eventually she shared them because the name calling escalated to such proportions that it negatively impacted her children. Many of those who hurled the accusations at Senator Davis thought they were expressing their religion. I think it distorts religion rather than expresses it.

When a legislator votes against food stamps, education, health care or job training and claims to be "pro life" for voting against funding for Planned Parenthood, I do not see them as truly being "pro life."

Religious supported hospitals which have policies which require saving the unborn even when it costs the life of the mother are not "pro life." Difficult choices are usually not "one size fits all." They should not be dictated by politicians. They should not be imposed in top down policies which override the decisions of physicians and their patients.

My mother had a very difficult pregnancy with me. Many doubted that she would safely carry me full term. Speculation was that the baby would be greatly deformed because of her participation in a medical trial before they knew she was pregnant. More than one physician considered terminating her pregnancy. My parents were not given the facts and allowed to make a decision. I think they should have been. Obviously, I am thankful that I am here, but i do not think that saving the unborn baby's life should have outweighed saving the life of a 30 year old mother of three small children.

This is nothing new on the campaign trail. When Dick Army was running against Congressman Tommy Vandergriff in the 1980s Army's campaign released a coloring book calling Vandergriff a baby killer for his pro choice position. Vandergriff was a Sunday School teacher at First Methodist Church in Arlington, and the accusation cut deeply and was unfair. Army won the election and rose to Speaker of the House, but those of us who knew Tommy Vandergriff remembered that coloring book and Army never gained our respect.

Is saving one life more "pro life" than saving another? I don't see a black or while clear line here. Grey's count too and hurling names at people is not compassionate or constructive.