As for my own political views, they're a bit nuanced. Liberals would likely say that I'm too libertarian. Libertarians would say I'm too conservative. Conservatives would likely label me as a post-modernist but still like having me around for my personality. I'd never call myself a centrist, moderate, or an independent because that's just code for a closet liberal. I'm anti-party and anti-politician. The former seems to do nothing but cause unnecessary divisiveness and the latter is a civil service, not a career path. I don't trust the government with my tax dollars because they frequently waste it on excess. Then there's the endless list of programs they want to implement because they're already so efficient at running even the most basic of services. This last part, in particular, is what inspired this blog post.
I'm pro-life. No exceptions. Or anti-abortion, if you're on the other side. Technically, if an abortion could be done without harm to a fetus or woman then I'd likely get behind that. As it stands now, I'm against abortion. I think it's barbarism masked as compassion and female empowerment. We de-humanize a life to be nothing more than the property of a woman. "My body, my choice," the pro-choice groups cheer. Substitute body with slave and you have a curious parallel with fetal value and the Three-Fifths Compromise.
It's at this point that the pro-choice movement will say something along the lines of, "Keep religion away from my decision" or some equally trite and simplistic bumper sticker slogan. My response to them is, "No."
Should religion have been kept away from slavery? The Abolitionists were a largely religiously motivated movement. Frederick Douglass and William Wilberforce were both passionately Christian in their convictions. They believed that treating others as property was a sin. What about the Civil Rights Movement? Martin Luther King was inspired by loving one's enemies and turning the other cheek, both principles of non-violence taught by Jesus Christ. Religion was clearly of benefit in reforming society and establishing human rights.
So you can be darn sure that my Religion will intrude on your decision if it is immoral. It will be done without violence. Christians can make their voices loud and their convictions louder. We can influence policy. Even with my skepticism of government efficiency, perhaps we need tax-funded day care centers. That right there is my Religion taking precedence over my political views. We should push for paid and extended maternity leave. Most importantly, the Church itself can provide aid in all its resources. The Body of Christ must lead the charge in helping those in need, not the government. However, that can't happen if we aren't willing to let our Religion out into the world to bring change.
-L. Travis Hoffman
12/16/2015
