God's Plan for Rape Victims

Christian conservatives are either ignorant of the pluralistic society in which we live, or they simply disrespect others as they aim to make their way the only way.

By Roy Speckhardt, November 04, 2012

Women's rights have already played a big rolein the 2012 elections, and rightly so. More than half of our nation's citizens are women, and it's about time that government officials give proper attention to the largest traditionally marginalized group. Unfortunately, not all the attention is positive, or even supportive. Shockingly, after all these years, essential human rights, like autonomy over one's own body, are actually up for debate this election season.

The latest attack on women's rights comes from the movement's longtime nemesis, the Religious Right. Christian conservatives have made numerous offensive statements regarding rape and the right of the victim to end an unwanted pregnancy. For example, Indiana's treasurer and Senate candidate Richard Mourdock said recently that pregnancy from rape is "something God intended" as if that's somehow an appropriate and sufficient reason for not exempting rape victims from a complete abortion ban.

To read the rest of this Patheos article from AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt, click here.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bolan Meek on October 16, 2013 at 1:42pm

As long as so many of our citizens trust in a bronze-age "holy" book that subordinates women both to men, and to "divine" purpose, chiefly child-birth, and holds the supposed right to life of a developing fetus as greater than the right of bodily autonomy of its host, there'll be little movement to an egalitarian society, especially when half, or more, of those pious citizens are also the subjugated women themselves. Yes, we are trending toward less religious faith, but that is mostly among the young, who are generally not as politically motivated.

I think you underestimate both the numbers and political strength of the religious right in your Patheos article.

Permalink Reply by Reg The Fronkey Farmer on October 16, 2013 at 3:02pm