To the Editor:
The idea that life begins at conception is the primary argument against abortion from many Indiana state legislators and the governor. However, the claim that life begins at conception is a theological assertion that is one faith claim among many others. Not to recognize this as a theological claim is to privilege Catholic and conservative evangelical Christian positions as the truth. Yet, because there are many honest people with a different way to think about the issue, we must acknowledge that any theological assertion about what is true is only one perspective. No one knows when life actually begins. A heartbeat is not consciousness. How to determine when life begins is a debatable topic with many alternative answers.
It is clear from a survey of five religious’ perspectives — Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Progressive Christian — that all of them permit abortion either to protect the life of a woman or to give the pregnant woman the choice of whether to end a pregnancy. None of them consider abortion to save the life of a woman to be murder.
Many “Progressive” Christians, such as I am, understand that human beings have different theological perspectives — all of which must be respected. The way we respect other diverse positions is to recognize that they exist, even when we disagree. Indeed, the reason there are so many Christian denominations is precisely because we are human beings with different ways of understanding the world. If I do not like the theology of a certain denomination, I am free to choose another where I am more comfortable. The temptation is to think that my perspective is the only one, the right one. In fact, there may be multiple “right answers” or perspectives.
So, how do we deal with this annoying fact of being human?
We must respect and love those who do not agree with us, treat others as we would like to be treated, keep communication respectful, kindly and open. They have a right to their perspective just as we have a right to our own.
Precisely because there are several different perspectives on abortion from various religious and theological views, the right of a woman to choose is the only viewpoint that protects all theological constructions, all religions and the “free exercise thereof” as guaranteed in our constitution.
Bruce Roberts
Franklin
