Oversimplifying the Abortion Debate

The topic of abortion is becoming a top media issue in the presidential campaign due in part to recent statements made by Governor Palin. I received an e-mail from an evangelical Christian organization which basically said that if you are a Christian, you need to vote Republican since the McCain/Palin ticket is pro-life.

Personally, I am more in line with Sojourners on how to approach this issue than with what either the far right or the far left offers regarding the abortion debate. Knowing that this is a highly controversial and important topic, I invite you to read this recent message from Sojourners (see below) which in my view is in line with the stance of the United Methodist Church and with Wesleyan theology which embraces both vital piety and social justice. It's something worth keeping at the center of this important debate.

The Meaning of "Life": Seeking Common Ground to Reduce Abortions

Sojourners has advocated for a “consistent ethic of life” approach for years, and we believe our nation is ready for a new kind of politics and leadership on the issue of abortion.The majority of Americans believe that reducing the number of abortions is an important goal that people on all sides of the debate can agree on.

Recent research affirms that social and economic support for women and vulnerable families are effective solutions to lowering the abortion rate, including greater access to health care, poverty reduction, adoption reform, and pre and postnatal care.

Republicans and Democrats must learn to work together on this issue – tell the presidential candidates to lead the way for the duration of their campaigns. We must look forward to the day when both poverty reduction and abortion reduction are nonpartisan issues and bipartisan causes.