DOMA and Texas Abortion Bill
Today the Supreme court ruled part of the DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) of 1996 unconstitutional. For states that allow same sex marriage, the couples are now able to receive the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples.
Last night in Austin, TX, democrat Wendy Davis spoke for 10 hours in an attempt run down the clock to have a bill killed that would ban abortion after 20 weeks and require abortion facilities to upgrade their facilities. Thanks to a loud mob at the capitol, the bill was killed, but it is already being suggested that it will have another hearing.
It is interesting that these two issues are in the news on the same day and it causes me to wonder about the cultural implications of these rules.
The first rule suggests that all people should be treated as equal, while the second treats unborn children as less than human….essentially removing all of their rights.
Abortion is not as black and white an issue as many would like to think it is. And while banning abortions over 20 weeks is not the most desired ruling, it is a step in the right direction, at least for Texas.
When will people see all human life as the same equal? When will pro-choice individuals realize that the unborn life has no choice? When will the world see that all people are to be valued regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, vocation, education, and economic status?
Humans are created in the image of God. God created humans to care for his world, and he loves humanity. Because God loves humanity, all humans are intrinsically valuable to God.
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About The Author
Dr. Scott Shiffer
Dr. Scott Shiffer has a Ph.D. in Christian Theology from the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute and has been teaching religion classes since 2006. He leads Transformation Media Ministries, an organization to help believers think biblically about culture in America. Scott has given numerous presentations including one at Oxford. He has spoken at church retreats, youth retreats, conferences, and has taught discipleship classes for over 10 years. Scott is married and has three children. He has a heart for helping believers draw closer to God and for aiding them as they are faced with new challenges in America every day.
So well put Scott…I totally agree and I was just discussing this with my cousin yesterday. You put into words exactly what I was trying to say.
Thanks Sarah, I really appreciate the feedback.
Abortion isn’t a black and white issue, but what if a woman is unable to have a child? What if she cannot, because she is underage, or it would affect her health? What if it were life-threatening to her, in re Savita of Ireland? What if the child were conceived out of incest or rape? How do you balance the rights of one person against another – and which is more important, when?
Dear Anonymous,
Thanks for the questions. I believe that each case must be looked at individually. There is no answer that applies in all circumstances. However, in cases where a woman cannot have the baby such as in an ectopic pregnancy, then aborting the baby is the only way to preserve the life of the mother. However, a person being underage does not seem to me to be a reason why she could not have the baby (even if a c-section is the only way to safely deliver). What she could do is give the child up for adoption. I believe adoption would also be a good option for cases of incest or rape. The fact is that all human life matters. The person who is pregnant should not end a potential life out of convenience, but the person does not have to keep the child-especially if they are emotionally unable to do so. The case of Savita is tragic indeed. It seems that her life was in danger. In the case both Savita and her unborn child were lost. As Christians we are about preserving life. If the options appear that the only way to save the mother is to lose the child then as undesirable as it may be, the difficult decision must be made to either chance the life of the mother or lose the life of the child. Perhaps different people would make different choices, but unfortunately there is no easy answer here.