Kathleen Parker’s column “Abortion chic” was one of the best written and on-point articles about abortion that I have ever seen. Her conclusion that education and truthfulness regarding the causes and effects of abortion would lead to a diminution of the practice was very insightful. I do, however, wish to make one point that she left out.
In the race to piety currently under way in our society, the consequences of “voting your religious conscience” are often ignored. If we make abortion, an inherently premeditated act, illegal, we will soon be sending desperate adolescent women who act in a moment of panic to the death chamber. (Of course, we must first presume that she survives the illegal abortion.)
If we remain consistent in our legal definitions under current law, abortion would be considered premeditated murder, a capital crime. The recipient of the procedure and the provider would both be guilty. With this in mind, we must realize that the only possible outcome of overturning legal abortion is to triple the death toll.
Before parents consider enforcing their religious beliefs upon our society at large by demanding that Congress enact a law favoring their particular establishment of religion, they should ask themselves a very personal question: If their daughter became pregnant and, fearing the rebuke naturally emanating from pious parents, had an illegal abortion in a moment of desperation, would they be at peace with their government and their God as they gave their own daughter up to the executioner?
Adam Nehr
Orlando
