Abortion, Trump, Jesus & The 2020 Election
In a year of lots of downtime plus a Presidential Election, there’s never been more time to read or talk about politics. And I never thought I’d write about them, but here we are.
There’s no goal of writing this other than to gather some of my thoughts on why I am voting a certain way. And to clear up a few things I find are mis-communicated or commonly misrepresented. Maybe this won’t age well? Maybe it will? Either way, it will serve as a time capsule for what I was thinking during the 2020 election.
Let’s begin.
Abortion — Who Makes the Rules?
One of the biggest topics for voters in this election is abortion. It’s often a polarizing issue, with seemingly black and white stances. You either believe in women’s rights or in protecting the unborn. Because it’s debated so often, people can attribute to the President sweeping authority to impact abortion laws in America. But that’s not really the case.
Let’s start with the history.
In 1973, Roe v. Wade decriminalized abortions and affirmed that access to safe and legal abortion was a constitutional right.
From 1973 to 1992, Republican Presidents nominated seven Supreme Court justices, including the first female Supreme Court justice. Ronald Reagan nominated five and George H.W. Bush nominated two, giving the court a conservative majority (8 out of 9 justices) by the 1992 Supreme Court decision, Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Many thought this case would overturn Roe v. Wade, but Casey instead preserved the right to abortion. The decision removed the less restrictive trimester framework created by Roe v. Wade (which allowed states to outlaw abortions in the third trimester with exceptions for the life of the mother) and announced that state restrictions on abortion would be measured by the undue burden standard, not the harsher standard of strict scrutiny used in Roe.
Undue Burden defined by the court in Casey decision:
“An undue burden exists, and therefore a provision of law is invalid, if its purpose or effect is to place a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus attains viability.”
Today, the state’s power in determining restrictions is on full-display. Just a quick Google search on abortions and you will find guides, charts, and infographics all dedicated to navigating state restrictions.
Where you live geography matters tremendously. For example, in 2019, the Alabama Senate passed the most restrictive abortion bill in America, banning almost all abortions including incest or rape victims. One month later, the Governor of Illinois signed a law expanding access to abortions, making Illinois one of the most radical states for abortion access.
So does the federal government play a role in abortion law at all? Yes. The President can appoint judges, block funding, and pass federal abortion regulations.
But let’s talk about judges for a minute. There’s a common misconception that a majority Republican-appointed Supreme Court will overturn Roe vs Wade. The problem is, we’ve had a majority of Republican-appointed justices during Roe vs Wade and every year since…
I found it interesting that abortion rates have gone down every year since they peaked in the 80’s. Given all the attention on abortion, I thought that wouldn’t be the case.
It’s hard to pinpoint why that is. Some say it’s due to lower pregnancy rates overall, others cite state restrictions, but I found no evidence that it was a direct result of a Republican presidency. On the contrary, every president since Carter, including Clinton and Obama, has had a lower abortion rate when he left office than when he started.
Evangelical version of Pro-Life
In the Christian church, where Jesus offers new and abundant life to all, to be “Pro-Life” is reduced to protecting unborn children. It’s why abortion is such a hot issue in Presidential elections and is considered a deal breaker within the Christian and Catholic communities.
The Bible teaches that Jesus created each of us in our mother’s womb. We are given value before we are born because we are image-bearers of Christ, our Creator. It’s not earned or awarded, but given freely.
I believe we all have innate value. I believe abortions are evil and that life should be protected, yet I wonder why that mentality doesn’t extend to the lives of those already-born around us.
The response to an unborn child is, “protect them at all cost” but the response to immigration is fear, the response to white privilege is ignorance, the response to Black Lives Matter is “have you seen their bylaws?”
From my perspective, many Evangelicals are lazar focused on getting Roe v. Wade overturned. They want to shut down abortion clinics and March on Washington. They drive a bus around America petitioning for Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation (who paid for that?). And they are often single-issue voters.
You want babies to live? Great! You are now a Republican for the rest of your life. Just plug and play. Occasionally march for a weekend and post on social media. Keep doing God’s work and never look back!
But let’s imagine you have been pro-life in the above context your entire life. You are now in your 50’s and Roe v. Wade has finally been overturned. You’ve voted your entire life for this decision.
Does your life look any different? What about the world — are abortions done forever and you can move on now?
The reality is most people who answer this question aren’t working at a pregnancy center. They aren’t supporting single moms or fostering kids. The only thing that would change in their life is a Supreme Court decision. The day-to-day wouldn’t miss a beat.
Would abortions be done forever? It’s impossible to say, but with modern medicine and technology, I doubt it. Today, 1/3 of all abortions are done by taking a pill, also called a medical abortion. Even though abortions are legal, we know abortion pills are sold on the black market. So if abortions become illegal overnight, they will still be performed on desperate women.
All this makes me wonder why someone would double down on a policy that doesn’t mean enough to them to make real, sacrificial changes in their life. And, furthermore, if that policy was over-turned, would have questionable impact.
Sustainable and lasting change will be the result of systemic changes in our society — things like birth control education, child-care support, and adoption and fostering reforms. The system will change when a woman finds accessible and culturally competent support whether she wants to keep her child or find a home for it through adoption. The alternatives have to become less threatening and more mainstream than going to an abortion clinic.
It will change when Pro-Life extends its definition to include all life.
It will change when the church wants to make abortions unnecessary more than they want to make them illegal.
Is Jesus Pro-Life?
In the Evangelical context, Jesus is Pro-Life because he is anti-abortion. He died so we could have life here on Earth and beyond it.
But I think Jesus has a more holistic view of Pro-Life. His view considers the entire human experience. It’s broad, but deeply personal.
Jesus wants life for the stay-at-home suburban mom in North Carolina and the milk delivery guy in South Brooklyn. The unborn baby to the walking toddler. His desire is not bound by country or nationality, wealth or privilege. It is not contingent on having a voice or being the loudest in society. It’s equal opportunity because it includes E V E R Y B O D Y.
There’s a quote that I read recently that I strongly resonated with:
“So here’s the hard truth about a Christian person’s idea of their “primary concern:” if you decide to venerate- or even just validate the assumed recorded words of Jesus the Christ, you are not allowed to decide that your primary concern is anything other than the stranger.”
Pro-Stranger isn’t the best tagline, but I think it represents the heart of Jesus and what should inform the heart of every Christian.
So is Jesus Pro-Life, yes. But let’s not put Him in a box. He’s bigger than that, and I think we should be, too.
Is Trump Pro-Life?
Two things Trump claims to be — Pro-Life and a Christian. Who knows if he’s a Christian. I guess I could talk about his primary concern — is it other than a stranger? Could it be himself? Or how he embodies the fruit of the spirit — greed, narcissism, lust — oh shoot, those aren’t on the list.
But honestly, I shouldn’t because I don’t “know his heart” as so many Christians love to say. So let’s just stick to asking if he is Pro-Life.
The answer to that is yes and no.
Yes, in the context of being anti-abortion. He talks about it, has limited federal funding to those offering abortions, and has appointed Pro-Life judges to the federal courts, including Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
But it’s no if we look at it like Jesus. If we’re talking about how well he loves the stranger.
If “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” then these words (three examples of many) give us a peek inside of Trump’s heart.
- Trump called undocumented immigrants “animals” at a meeting with reporters in the White House.
- Trump falsely suggested that Syrian refugees could be ISIS fighters in disguise.
- Trump called the impeachment inquiry against him a “lynching,” comparing the constitutionally sanctioned process to the extrajudicial murders of Black Americans following the Civil War.
More than just in speech, Trump has shown a lack of support for marginalized communities and has sought to discredit the struggle of Black and Brown lives in America. Where he could be a source of strength and unity, he has only added to the division.
One example occurred this June at a peaceful protest in Lafayette Square in Washington DC. People gathered to protest police brutality and the recent killing of George Floyd. So what did the Trump Administration do? It created a photo-op. You may imagine the photo op would be Trump with the protesters to show support for the cause, or to learn more about it to seek understanding. At minimum he could have been there just to support the First Amendment rights of the protestors.
Instead, protesters were interrupted by law enforcement officers in riot gear, using tear gas and rubber pellets to dispel the group. Why? So that President Trump could hold a Bible in front of St. John’s Church which is near the Lafayette Square.
The bishop of St. Mary’s, Mariann Edgar Budde, said Trump used the Bible and the church, which received no warning of the impending photo-op, “as a prop.”
She goes on to say,
“He used violent means to ask to be escorted across the park into the courtyard of the church, he held up his Bible after speaking [an] inflammatory militarized approach to the wounds of our nation. He did not pray, he did not offer a word of balm or condolence to those who are grieving. He did not seek to unify the country, but rather he used our symbols and our sacred space as a way to reinforce a message that is antithetical to everything that the person of Jesus, whom we follow, and the gospel texts that we strive to emulate … represent.”
Furthermore, if Trump really cared about life, it would have been obvious in his response to COVID. A global pandemic really sets up a President to show care and concern for the citizens.
To be clear, Trump is not responsible for creating Covid, but as President he does carry responsibility. I would say he carried his responsibility poorly by spreading misinformation, downplaying the severity of COVID, and boasting about his recovery.
So when Trump got sick in October, it was an opportunity to connect with so many Americans who have been sick or lost loved ones.
Instead, he used the moment to let everyone know it wasn’t that bad and to “not let it dominate your life.” To talk about feeling better than he did 20 years ago. How is that helpful to anyone? He let us know the drugs are “really great” but guess what — nobody has access to those drugs.
It’s the opposite of empathy, which a dictionary tells me is compassionless, indifferent, insensitive, callous, inconsiderate, unmindful, uncaring, blind, pitiless…
Trump is against abortion, but that doesn’t make him Pro-Life.
Trump & American Christian Church
Trump claims to be a Christian, but makes a mockery of Christianity. Yet, Christians defend him and his Presidency, turning a blind eye to his character.
I think many Christians see Trump as an answer to keeping “Christian” principles in America, but in reality the principles look more like wealth, comfort, power and favor. When they defend him they are defending their fear and love for the way things are. They are defending their wealth and privilege, their political relevancy that gives them power.
It’s starting to become clearer to me that Trump may not represent Jesus, but represents the American Christian Church and its priorities.
We can learn a lot from watching Jesus interact with others in the Bible. He preferred the company of the leper, the tax collectors, the lonely, and the poor to the shock and disgust of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The Pharisee’s were religious people and teachers of the law. Their religion was built around rules and regulations that made them live out of fear. They “love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues.” (Matthew 23). For all their “righteous” works, they never transformed inwardly, which is why Jesus called them hypocrites.
The Sadducees included high priests, aristocratic families and merchants, known for their wealth, corruption, and religious devotion. They saw the Temple as a means to holiness, which is interesting since they were associated with the leadership of the Temple. They were tight with the Romans since it afforded them a lifestyle of political power and wealth.
Where do we see religion based on fear, power, money, and position? Where do we see rules and regulations triumph over love and acceptance? Where do we see political alliances formed over money and power? Where do we see leadership positions and holiness as one of the same?
Does the American Christian Church’s relationship with Republican politics come to mind?
Who would fit in more at your church, Donald Trump or Jesus?
In Closing
It scares me how much Christians love Trump. How they have woven him into their Christian values, as if he was sent by God himself.
Where do I get the rose-colored glasses? Is it a BOGO with every lie he tells? Do you get them when you proclaim you “vote for Trump because of Pence.” For every “SAD” he writes on Twitter?
Why can’t I unsee the bullying, the name-calling, the divisiveness? Why can’t I put my faith in Trump after seeing him struggle to condemn white supremacy?
Why can’t I defend the President who’s had seven advisors or campaign workers criminally charged? That called Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas” and COVID the “Chinavirus.” The “Pro-Life” President that tore 545 children apart from their families at the US/Mexico border.
I’m not looking for a perfect President. She’s not on the ballot yet…(just kidding)…
I just believe Christians should hold politics loosely. We shouldn’t align with a party so strictly…there should be room for discernment. But that gets harder and harder when Jesus looks more like a rich, white, American, church-goer that hoards resources and money, than an a poor, brown-skinned refugee that gave his power and position away.
Many look the other way at Trump’s character, but toxic people have a way of infiltrating every part of your life, which first looks like access to power and privilege, and then feels a lot like being trapped in a world you don’t love but helped create.
There’s already evidence of this. Trump makes narcissism look normal. He makes lying, cheating, and name-calling look normal. He makes his version of reality normal and his version of being President normal. He makes being a Christian that looks nothing like Jesus…normal.
I don’t want Trump to influence our culture any further. I don’t want his toxic behavior representing America, and I definitely don’t want it representing Christianity.
