Many anti-choicers try to claim that their opposition to abortion has moral standing. They like to claim that they are “pro-life” when we know that their actions do anything but support life — especially post-birth.
In reality, their fight to undermine Americans’ control over their bodies through eliminating reproductive choices is anything but Christian. Fortunately, there are Christians like Reverend Broderick L. Greer, an Episcopal priest, who know that the movement for forced birth is wrong, immoral, and, frankly, complete bullshit.
In an op-ed for Teen Vogue, Rev. Greer makes a series of wonderfully constructed arguments explaining why his position on abortion access is different from many (if not most) of his colleagues. What makes this piece a particular gem is that it isn’t just useful for Christians; the op-ed explains well why everyone — no matter their religion — should must be pro-choice.
The op-ed is so chock full of goodness, it’s very hard to pick a few quotes, so I recommend reading the whole thing. But I will definitely highlight this short, but spot-on paragraph that hits the core problem of the Republican Party trying to claim their abortion opposition is connected to their supposed high regards for the value of human life:
One isn’t “pro-life” if they oppose abortion, but support policies and politicians that promise to gut public education, repeal the Affordable Care Act, and beef up the militarization of local law enforcement agencies that disproportionately kill people of color in general and black people in particular. Being “pro-life” means nil if it doesn't mean being “pro-all-of-life”.
What I really appreciate about this piece is that Rev. Greer is aware of his place as a cisgender man writing about reproductive health access. The way he humanizes the fight for reproductive control makes me wish every male lawmaker could read this. Emphasis mine:
Is it helpful for me - a person who will never be personally faced with the complex question of whether or not to have an abortion - to form a rigid, moralistic opinion about the matter? A resounding “No” began to voice itself deep inside of me, a “No” that haunts me to this very day. I say “No” because in my work as a priest, I see myself less as a purveyor of pithy moral quips and more as a companion with people through life’s most challenging and complex seasons. The human dimension of reproductive health and justice is often what is ceded in culture wars over hot topic matters like abortion. People seeking out reproductive healthcare - not just abortions - aren’t an “issue” or a “question”. They are people with needs, desires, and a right to autonomy and self-determination in their reproductive decisions.
And that’s the point. Abortion access isn’t about differences in opinion. We have the data — facts are on our side. They’re simply being overwhelmingly ignored because a few rich men are so power-hungry that they are completely okay with using American lives as political pawns.