Mayor Pete’s Abortion Absolutism

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7 Comments for “Mayor Pete’s Abortion Absolutism”

  1. posted by Jorge on

    But because Buttigieg is a smart guy — a Rhodes scholar, even — I assumed that his religious politics at least included some kind of intelligent-sounding explanation for his position on abortion, his support for his party’s absolutely-no-restrictions line.

    After all, religious gays have perfectly intelligent explanations for why we should not only be permitted to leave, but have our marriages recognized by our churches.

    …

    Buttigieg offered such an explanation on the radio early this month. I want to quote it in full, because right and left have been arguing over what he meant.

    I think his answer is primarily an obfuscation. The bottom line is he is arguing that because every reader of the Bible has a different religious viewpoint, including on the moral and ethical question of when does life begin, that religious orthodoxy should recognize the diversity of religious ethics by letting the individual actor decide what the ethical choice is.

    It would make an excellent argument of the Democratic party’s absolutist legal position on abortion, and it’s also an excellent argument for cafeteria Catholicism. I only agree with it on the theological question, even though it sounds ridiculous. When it comes to the law, I don’t. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion for a reason. It is not appropriately read to guarantee the right to an abortion.

    I absolutely think women’s perspectives are not taken seriously on religious and ethical matters and that religious authorities should exercise a bit of humility in how lay people interpret their religious mandates (though I am never comfortable with over reliance on Biblical text to settle matters of doctrine). However, I think on ethical questions that have social consequences, we should come to a consensus about “where to draw the line” and enshrine that consensus into law.

    And yes, I think Pete Buttigeig is a theological hypocrite.

  2. posted by David Bauler on

    again. few people actually adhere to what the prolife or prochoice camps sell. Abortion will be legal in some cases, illegal im other cases.

  3. posted by mike king & David Bauler on

    BTW, the Bible does give instructions on how to perform an old fashion abortion….

  4. posted by Tom Scharbach on

    Mysticism aside, I am old enough to remember a time when libertarian-thinking Republicans held the position that the proper arbiters of the abortion decision were the individuals directly involved, not the government or the state, and that the government should be kept out of the abortion decision.

    Republican orthodoxy has changed that, of course. I think that it is a step backward, a step in the opposite direction of individual freedom.

  5. posted by Mike and David on

    You are suggesting that AnswersInGenesis is a legit resource?. Let us go to the actual source and see;

    If we look honestly at the Bible we do not see a prolife God.

    • A pregnant woman who is injured and aborts the fetus warrants financial compensation only (to her husband), suggesting that the fetus is property, not a person (Exodus 21:22-25).

    • The gruesome priestly purity test to which a wife accused of adultery must submit will cause her to abort the fetus if she is guilty, indicating that the fetus does not possess a right to life (Numbers 5:11-31).

    • God enumerated his punishments for disobedience, including “cursed shall be the fruit of your womb” and “you will eat the fruit of your womb,” directly contradicting sanctity-of-life claims (Deuteronomy 28:18,53).

    • Elisha’s prophecy for soon-to-be King Hazael said he would attack the Israelites, burn their cities, crush the heads of their babies and rip open their pregnant women (2 Kings 8:12).

    • King Menahem of Israel destroyed Tiphsah (also called Tappuah) and the surrounding towns, killing all residents and ripping open pregnant women with the sword (2 Kings 15:16).

    • Isaiah prophesied doom for Babylon, including the murder of unborn children: “They will have no pity on the fruit of the womb” (Isaiah 13:18).

    • For worshiping idols, God declared that not one of his people would live, not a man, woman or child (not even babies in arms), again confuting assertions about the sanctity of life (Jeremiah 44:7-8).

    • God will punish the Israelites by destroying their unborn children, who will die at birth, or perish in the womb, or never even be conceived (Hosea 9:10-16).

    • For rebelling against God, Samaria’s people will be killed, their babies will be dashed to death against the ground, and their pregnant women will be ripped open with a sword (Hosea 13:16).

    • Jesus did not express any special concern for unborn children during the anticipated end times: “Woe to pregnant women and those who are nursing” (Matthew 24:19).

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