The Freedom of Choice Act and Other Thoughts

Al Mohler:

Anyone who takes the issue of abortion with moral seriousness should look closely at Professor George's essay, for it makes his case convincingly, adding many points of argument and evidence to those cited above. Beyond Professor George's essay, take a look for yourself at the Freedom of Choice Act [FOCA] Sen. Obama has pledged to sign (my comment: click here to watch the video of him saying so) -- even as a first act in office as President.

Anyone who takes the issue of abortion with moral seriousness should look closely at Professor George's essay, for it makes his case convincingly, adding many points of argument and evidence to those cited above. Beyond Professor George's essay, take a look for yourself at the Freedom of Choice Act [FOCA] Sen. Obama has pledged to sign -- even as a first act in office as President.

The FOCA establishes the right to an abortion as a fundamental right, ensuring that abortion rights would remain in force even if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned. The act would also repeal provisions that limit federal funding of abortion, strip doctors of "conscience clauses" that allow them not to perform abortions, and nullify state provisions that allow for waiting periods, counseling, and parental notification when a minor is involved. Support for this provision would alone suffice to characterize Sen. Obama's position as radical and to sustain Professor George's argument.

The fact is that Sen. Barack Obama has never voted to support any measure that would, in itself, lead to any reduction in the number of abortions performed. He also appears never to have failed to support any provision -- however radical -- that would expand access to abortion. He even opposes a ban on partial birth abortions.

For all you who say you don't like abortion, you HAVE to admit that you see a fundemental disconnect here, right? It would be like me saying, "I completely believe that we should pull out from Iraq immediately" and then voting for a guy that thinks we should bomb Iraq again, move on to Iran and then proceed into China bent on complete world domination.

???

Christian Obama voter, I greatly encourage you to think through your motives for voting. Is it your pocketbook? McCain seems too much like Bush? McCain is too old and might die and then we have Palin? Does the horror of 45 millions babies literally pulled apart factor in there greatly? Shouldn't it? What other political issue compares to 45 million babies being pulled apart, burned alive, or having their brains sucked out with a vacuum.

Dr. Mohler continues with some wise words for those of us with "fetus fatigue":

The fact is that Sen. Barack Obama has never voted to support any measure that would, in itself, lead to any reduction in the number of abortions performed. He also appears never to have failed to support any provision -- however radical -- that would expand access to abortion. He even opposes a ban on partial birth abortions.

Some now argue that pro-life voters can nevertheless vote for Sen. Obama. As Professor George argues, this is delusional.

There are signs of fatigue among Christians on this issue. Some argue that the sanctity of life issue is simply one among many important issues. Without doubt, we are faced with many urgent and important issues. Nevertheless, every voter must come to terms with what issues matter most in the electoral decision. At some point, every voter is a potential "single issue" voter. Some issues simply eclipse others.

This is the case with the sanctity of human life. I can understand the fatigue. So little progress seems to have been made. So much ground has been lost. So many unborn babies have been aborted. The culture has turned increasingly hostile to this commitment, especially among the young. There is a sense that many want to get on with other issues.

There is fatigue and frustration with the Republican Party and with limited progress. There is frustration with mixed signals and missed opportunities. There is the acknowledgment that we have too often been told what we want to hear and then ignored.

There is the sense that the battle has grown old -- along with those who are fighting it. There are signs that the culture is closing its ears. We all have other concerns as well. Can we make any progress on those if we remain tenaciously committed to opposing abortion?

Yet, there is the reality that we face a choice. This is a limited choice. And we cannot evade responsibility for the question of abortion. Our vote will determine whether millions of unborn babies live or die. The Freedom of Choice Act, if passed, would lead directly to a radical increase in the numbers of abortions. The abortion industry has told us that themselves.

The question comes down to this: How many lives are we willing to forfeit -- to write off as expendable -- in order to "move on" to other issues of concern? There is no way to avoid that question and remain morally serious. The voting booth is no place to hide.