This week I wrote a letter to Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who has publicly stated that he will seek legislation that is in alignment with the Bible. This is a clear violation of our freedom of religion if we allow representatives to pass laws that violate the liberties and rights guaranteed by our Constitution. As citizens, it is up to us to insist upon our rights and not to assume that others will not infringe upon them. Join me in exercising our Constitutional right to petition our government while this right remains in place.
March 9, 2024
Dear Speaker Mike Johnson,
This is the first of several letters I plan to write to you regarding good public policy that fully honors the establishment clause of our Constitution and does not strip away the rights of citizens who live religious lives or secular lives, devoid of religion.
As a citizen of this country, I must exercise my civic duty to express my thoughts and ideas about how our nation is governed. I’m thankful that we have a Constitution that helps guide our public policy and laws in service all the people. As a Christian, I’m thankful for the establishment clause that clearly prohibits the establishment of a state religion and protects the free exercise of religion.
This means that I am free to practice my Christianity and to make personal decisions based on my religious beliefs and that no other religion has the right to impose their religious decisions on me. It also means that Christians do not have the right to impose our religion on others just because we take over state houses. My greatest fear is that you and Christian nationalists are trying to do just that.
With you as one of the leaders, I see Christians in our state and federal government trying to enact laws and public policy in accordance with their interpretation of the Bible as opposed to the actual Constitution that leads us toward equal rights and equal justice. The topic for this letter is abortion.
Although I have never had an abortion; I would not deny any woman the right to obtain one.
Religion should not have a say in this public policy or legal issue because people and religions disagree on when a human life begins. I happen to be a Christian mother and grandmother that believes that the Bible teaches that life begins at breath, not conception. I believe that a fetus capable of breath outside the womb is a life worth saving whenever possible. We can argue the Bible but ultimately you should be allowed to follow your belief as to whether or not your wife or your underage daughter can have an abortion, but not everyone else’s. No law should prohibit abortion for those who have different beliefs on the issue because of the establishment clause.
The reality is that 40-60% of fertilized eggs are naturally aborted through miscarriage. Some Christians must think heaven is full of non-viable fertilized eggs, unborn embryos, and fetuses. I don’t. I had a friend who gave birth to a baby with a beating heart and no brain. It never took a breath. Not every fertilized egg will result in a live birth because they are not all viable and some have the misfortune to implant in the Fallopian tube where they are destined to perish and will kill the mother if she doesn’t get medical care.
The issue is women’s healthcare as good public policy. It is good public policy to ensure that women have access to medical care that ensures safe and appropriate reproductive care. It is good public policy to ensure that women who give birth are emotionally ready to, are physically able to, and have the mental and financial ability to provide adequate care for those babies once they are born. It is good public policy to encourage adoption for women strong enough to give birth, but unable to care for the child. Being able to make the personal decision regarding abortion based on our own religious beliefs is good public policy and is in keeping with the establishment clause of the Constitution.