Hey Christians, Abortion Isn't All Jesus Cares About /A.J. Hendry
Last week, representatives from several large and prominent churches in Aotearoa put out public statements condemning abortion reform and calling on the House of Representatives to vote down the current bill which is sitting before parliament. Following these statements several church leaders called on their people, and the wider Christian community, to come together and join in three days of fasting and prayer in protest of Parliaments action on abortion reform.
One particular statement claimed that if reform goes ahead that “the blood of the innocent will cry out against us…” and called on Parliament to acknowledge the rights of the unborn. Other groups, such as Family First, and Voice for Life have cried out against the huge human rights violation which they say will take place if abortion reform is actualized. Whereas other voices within the Christian community – such as Destiny Church and others – are calling on Christians not to vote for parties or politicians who have supported abortion reform, while others have questioned the legitimacy of those who identify as Christians while supporting or staying silent on the issue of abortion reform.
As a Christian myself, I understand the passion and concern that sits behind the anti-abortion movement. Christian’s regard themselves as staunchly committed to life, we believe that all human life is sacred, and though there is no one singular Christian view on abortion, many within the Christian community are against abortion due to the fact that they remain unconvinced that the line between when an unborn child becomes a person, and when they don’t, can be so easily defined. Now in saying that, there are an array of different views within the church, and many communities hold varying opinions on how these views should be held. Some disagreeing with abortion, though supporting a women’s right to choose, while others – safe to say the dominate view – is that abortion should be criminalized. Yet, across the spectrum, most Christian communities seek to hold to what we call a “consistent life ethic.” Which is to say we believe that the sanctity of life should be upheld, from the womb, to the tomb.
And yet, the issue of abortion highlights how utterly we fail at this commitment.
If there is an issue that Christian’s are known for opposing it is this one.
For many people, being anti-abortion, anti-gay rights, and anti-euthanasia, is synonymous with being a Christian.
Yet, how is it that this issue has become the defining issue of an entire faith community?
The uncomfortable reality of the Church in Aotearoa, is that it has been co-opted by the Neo-Liberal capitalist ideals of individualism and consumerism. Instead of carrying on in the footsteps of its founder Jesus, we have overly spiritualized our faith, making it about a super spiritual, personal relationship with the Divine. A faith which has become so concerned with personal piety and the individual morality of its neighbour, that it’s call and commitment to the primacy of love for that same neighbour has too often been forgotten.
Western Christianity long ago married itself to the power of empire, we clung to Imperial power for as long as it would have us, yet as the West has begun the journey towards secularization, the church has been discarded, and thus we have lost our relevance to society. This is felt keenly within the church, and is yet another reminder that the Christian values of dominate Christian culture no longer hold sway in the halls of power. And though some would call this a good thing, many within the church see abortion reform as sort of a final frontier, a battle for the heart and soul of the nation.
Yet, this mentality misses the very heart of our faith.
Our founder was not merely starting some sect within the Jewish religion. He was starting a movement. A common misconception about the message of Jesus is that it was solely interested in the internal and spiritual transformation of individuals. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The Christian movement was originally a movement of Liberation for oppressed peoples. Jesus, was a brown, impoverished Jew, living under the oppressive regime of the Roman Empire. His message was that God’s Kingdom was being established upon earth. This was a message that challenged the very powers and political authorities of his day. It was political and it was dangerous. There is a reason that Jesus was crucified and killed as a rebel. It is because his movement threatened the very legitimacy of Roman Rule. Jesus stood for the poor, he challenged the right of the rich to amass wealth at the expense of the people, he directly challenged the ruling authorities.
His was not simply a message of spiritual salvation, and life in the hereafter. His vision was of a world reborn in the image of God, where Love ruled, and discrimination and hatred was defeated. Where we saw each other as real people, where poverty was eradicated, and the walls of division that separate us were torn down. It is a message that still speaks to us today, and a message which is not simply religious, but which has political and economic implications. There is a reason that oppressed peoples have found in Jesus a model for hope and redemption. Jesus led one of the greatest liberation movements in history and inspired countless others, from Martin Luther King fighting to end segregation in America, to Gandhi resisting British Imperial rule in India, to Oscar Romera fighting for the liberation of the poor in South America, and our very own Te Whiti here in Aotearoa.
HIs message is dangerously political, with economic, as well as spiritual implications
And it is a message that the dominant Christian voice within Aotearoa has forgotten.
Now, to be clear, there are many Christian’s across this country leading social justice movements, working on the margins of our society, challenging the status quo, and devoting their lives to serving the poor, fighting alongside the oppressed, and resisting the powers that are oppressing our people.
Some of them would support abortion reform, others would not.
In light of our history, and in the spirit of the man who founded our movement, being engaged politically is an important part of how we express our faith.
Yet, if we’re going to be political, then let’s be political.
By all means, stand against abortion reform if you must, but don’t allow your political convictions to stop there.
Let’s march for welfare reform, let’s demand that the government tax the rich, and take care of the poor. Let’s speak with one voice against the shocking manner that unregulated greed has allowed our housing market to benefit the rich while leaving countless whanau either in unfit housing, or on our streets. Let’s speak up for the kids being abused daily and stand up for the rights of those with physical and intellectual disabilities. Let’s stand up against white supremacy, and with one voice, call on our Government and our nation to make space in our whenua for the refugee. And let’s champion the cause of Ihumatoa and use our platforms to hold space for tangata whenua, giving them the honour and respect, they deserve.
It is the height of hypocrisy to pour resources into challenging abortion, while ignoring the racism, white supremacy, and corporate greed which sits in our pews unchallenged every Sunday.
If we are truly to hold to a consistent life ethic, our outrage must not be constrained to advocating for the rights of the unborn alone, it most flow into every arena of political engagement.
We may say we “Love them both”, yet the uncomfortable reality is, that Love does more than speak.
Love acts.
A.J. Hendry