Working for Sacred Ground

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Jillian Dworin participates in a protest against the abortion ban at the Capitol in Austin on Wednesday.
JAY JANNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

"Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help." (Psalm 146:3)

On Wednesday, Sept. 1,  I learned that the Supreme Court refused to block the Texas abortion ban, and I was so upset I could not sleep. I originally wrote this as a blog post, and then decided to submit it to the Austin Statesman. It was printed as an Op-Ed on Sunday, Sept. 5 and you can read it by clicking this link: The Disguise and Power Behind the Texas Abortion Ban

The following is my response to an American Statesman reader who sent me a thoughtful and  email asking a fair question. Why don't I write to create common ground between pro-life and pro-choice advocates.  Please note, I responded to him because he respectfully made his points based on the merits of his argument. E-mails that resort to name calling and personal attacks are deleted immediately with a prayer for God's peace.  

I appreciate the desire for common ground upon which people can serve despite their theological and political differences. Throughout my career I have worked with men and women from all walks of life to serve the greater good. 

However, it is impossible to find common ground during an assault. I wrote the column to support women who rightfully experience SB8 as a brutal attack. When someone is attacked, we don't sit back and calmly discuss what the victim and the perpetrator share in common. As concerned citizens, we scream. We fight. We call for help to stop the violence. SB8 bludgeons women. There is no exception for rape or incest. There is no provision to hold the father of the unborn accountable, only the mother. It also encourages citizens to turn against an innocent woman with its offer of a monetary reward without any proof of wrong --- this alone should horrify all of us regardless of our position on abortion.  
 
Since Jesus was always on the side of powerless women in a male-dominated world, my convictions are firmly grounded in the Gospel. Jesus wasn't known to look for common ground between those with power and those without it, particularly where women were concerned. He didn't look for common ground when the woman caught in adultery was thrown at his feet (John 8:1-11). Jesus didn't look for common ground when the Pharisees judged the woman who wept and rubbed his feet with her hair (Luke 7:36-50). He didn't look for common ground when he stopped the crowd to heal the "unclean" woman bent over from a lifetime of misery (Mark 5:25-34). He pushed back on the cultural hierarchies to give women enough space to rise.  

Instead of common ground, Jesus broke sacred ground by liberating the oppressed. Though it was wildly unpopular and highly criticized, Jesus empowered women to live fully, instead of cowering beneath men. He often forced his followers out of their comfort zones. Every boundary he crossed either enraged or baffled the men around him, including his own disciples. Christ set the example, and it would be a gross dereliction of my duty as a pastor to remain silent while my sisters are violently beaten back to the era of coat-hanger abortions. 

Perhaps the common ground we share is a desire to decrease the rate of abortions. A reduction in the abortion rate cannot be legislated with harsh laws against women that do not hold fathers accountable. Here's a link if you are interested in learning how to reduce abortion rates without violating women: http://bit.ly/2mJP0HW. For those who claim that the Bible condemns abortions, these two articles debunk that:  What does the Bible really say about abortion?  and  Does the Bible say when life begins?  

Keep the faith. 
Fight the good fight
a day at a time 
a step at a time 
a breath at a time.  






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