Consistent Life & Abortion

• I embrace the ethics of “consistent life.” A consistent life commitment means I am dedicated to protecting life on the planet. It means I am devoted to ending and mitigating the things that are threatening this life; war, poverty, social and cultural inequity, environmental degradation and global warming, racism, capital punishment, abortion and euthanasia. It is a consistent policy that challenges those who believe they can voice both a “pro life” and “pro capital punishment” viewpoint and still be considered a viable participant in the discussion.


• Most people agree with all of these things ethically, but there is great contention and difference of opinion when it comes to the subject of abortion. I believe that although there is a divide on the issue of abortion, we can work on the common ground that bridges the divide. Yes, there actually is common ground.


• I believe the issue of abortion is not about the unexpected or inconvenient conception of a child. It’s about economic and social forces in society that make mothering and supporting a child in pregnancy, infancy and beyond, a hardship. The hardships reach beyond the mother. They can and often do extend to the father, the family and the societies that must support all of these lives. There is much work to be done addressing the forces that drive many women to make, what for them, is a choice of desperation.


• When the economic and social barriers to pregnancy, childbirth and child-raising are seriously addressed, then the legal standing of abortion can begin to be discussed with some hope of consensus. Abortion will be undesirable and unnecessary when we truly have a culture dedicated to the preservation of all life on this planet. Until then, and as we strive and devote our attentions and our actions on the road to this goal, we must work to support choices and opportunities that lead these women toward an option that supports the preservation of life.