In his recent column, John Andrews, past president of the Colorado Senate, has asserted that the Republican Party should not abandon its defense of the unborn or its steadfast opposition to gay marriage, despite some Republican suggestions to the contrary. And he equated his position with Abraham Lincoln’s opposition to slavery (Anti-slavery then, pro-life now).
One of the principal reasons that I am not a Republican is because I disagree with Mr. Andrews’ positions on these matters.
These positions have their origins in the religious teachings of many religions and date back hundreds if not a thousand years.
But these are not the teachings of all religions or even of all branches of the three major religions practiced here – and we have freedom of religion in this country.
While Mr. Andrews and everyone else have the right to their religious convictions, in this country they should not have the right to impose them on the rest of us.
Some people of faith believe that life that must be protected begins at birth – not before – and that the unborn do not have rights superior to those who have already been born.
The Supreme Court of the United States has struck a compromise by holding that as a general rule, subject to exceptions such as the health of the mother, a fetus may be aborted during the first three months of a pregnancy but not thereafter.
The decision did not turn on morality but on the question of what is properly regulated behavior by the state. They decided that in this instance the country’s interest in preserving the potential life of an early fetus has to yield to the right of a woman to the privacy of her body.
In his column Mr. Andrews equated the abortion issue to the issue of slavery. In my view this does a disservice to the Republican Party.
Most American voters would not equate the right of a live (born) person to not be a slave with the “right” of a single cell zygote to not be aborted.
This is true even though it is possible that a zygote if left undisturbed might or might not develop into a fetus and might or might not eventually be born. Millions are not.
Religious views should stay with religions and not be politicized – especially when they conflict with other religious views. Politics should remain separate.
Abraham Lincoln was one of our greatest Presidents. Last time I looked he never said anything about abortion or gay marriage.
I think that the Republican Party would do better by concentrating on the legitimate functions of government and leave these moral and religious issues to the clergy.
Keith Spero lives in Edwards.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
