Pro-Life (Non-)Voting

I do not vote for politicians based on their stance on abortion for a couple reasons. I do not believe abortion will ever be made illegal by reversing Roe v. Wade in my lifetime, and even if a candidate is anti-abortion, I don't know that they are necessarily pro-life. (And can I say it really bugs me when people call a politician a "baby-killer" for supporting abortion? I have never heard a politician be pro-abortions. They are for choices.)

I have a hard time believing abortion will be made illegal in this country any time soon. Therefore, I do not want to vote based on an issue that I don't think has a chance to change. I do not think it will change because people have different ideas of when life starts. Not every American shares the thought that life begins at conception. And even if it is outlawed, abortions will still happen, although by having them done without trained professionals, the mother will often be hurt in the process too.

Secondly, just because a candidate is anti-abortion does not mean they are pro-life. Barney Frank, a liberal Democrat from Massachusetts once said, "the problem with evangelicals is that they think that life begins at conception and ends at birth." Author Tony Campolo explains it as, "to be pro-life is not only to be committed to protecting the unborn but also to protecting the child after birth." Shane Claiborne adds, "as Christians, we need to be pro-life from womb to tomb." Being pro-life means being pro-life for everyone. That involves not just abortion, but also euthanasia, the death penalty, war, health care, and education.

But if you are hung up specifically on abortions, I suggest rather than trying to get it outlawed, try to vote for people who will help provide for women who are considering an abortion. According to the Guttmacher Institute, almost 70% of all abortions performed in America are economically driven. Meaning, many women have abortions because they lack the economic means to take care of a baby. So if we can provide places for women in need and provide options to help them out. Make them feel like they have more options to help them get by.

So when a candidate says he or she is pro-life, I want to know that they mean it on more than just abortions if they want my vote. As it stands now, it just is not an issue that I will cast my ballot based upon.