Voting Our Conscience
  (by Steve Thrash)

I would like to take a few moments to explain why I voted Republican in this last election [Nov 2004], and will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future unless there are major changes made in the Democratic platform or unless a viable third party alternative emerges.

[NOTE: IN 2008 WE SWITCHED OUR VOTE TO THE CONSTITUTION PARTY - SEE HERE FOR DETAILS]

Problems with the Current Administration

Many Democrats expressed reservations about the war in Iraq. I did too. I fully supported the war in Afghanistan as it was in direct retaliation to an attack against us. I was, however, deeply disturbed about the idea of a "preemptive war". I stated before the war began that whether we found weapons of mass destruction or not, I didn't think we had the right to attack a country that had not yet done anything against us. Yes, I am glad to see Saddam Hussein out of power, but that is not equivalent to having agreed to the war. I was glad to see Bill Clinton out of office, but I would not have wanted to see him removed by force. That is not what our nation is all about.

Many Democrats express worries about deficit spending and running up the national debt again. These worry me too. I like big tax refunds as much as the next person, but not if it means that our country can't be responsible with its money. I believe in cutting spending, more than raising taxes, but I'm not going to go into that here.

Problems with the Democratic Party

As much as I disagree with the president on these issues, I found several other issues to be of far more importance.

I am a born-again Bible-believing Christian. When I look back to the Democratic and Republican parties of 50 years ago I could see having a less clear choice than I do today. I believe the liberal influence on the Democratic party has pushed them so far to the left that they do not understand or care about the values of the average American anymore, least of all churchgoers. I think the results of the votes regarding amendments to define marriage across the country speak as evidence for that as well.

Regarding Iraq, I don't want to see servicemen killed any more than the next person - my father was career Army and my brother-in-law currently serves in the Air Force. But when I compare the deaths of some 1000 volunteer servicemen in the past year in Iraq to the roughly 3000 helpless victims of abortion every day in this country it puts the importance of the issues in perspective for me.

At the risk of losing you, let me explain my reasoning in viewing abortion as legalized murder…

The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence states:

That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This document outlines the reasons for why our nation was brought into existence in the first place.

First off, this indicates that all men are "created" equal - not "born" equal. When is a child created? Obviously conception! Lest anyone attempt to argue that an unborn baby can not be considered a "man", remember that this statement applies to women and children also.

At one time this statement was not considered to apply to slaves, but our country realized the error of its ways in that one. Let's pray that the same happens with abortion.

The Bible

Some claim that the Bible is not clear on abortion. In the laws which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, which formed the basis for the Israelite society, the following is found:

"If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." (Exodus 21:22-25).

If God deemed that the punishment for third degree murder of an unborn child should be death, should we treat first degree murder more lightly?

Science and Reasoning

Development of sonogram machines has brought to millions vision of their children while still in the womb. Nobody could look at a baby in a sonogram and with any honesty declare that it is just a "piece of tissue".

Ask a scientist to look at the DNA and tell you if the mother is really making a decision about "her" body or somebody else's.

On a different level, how could anyone justify the determination that the passage through the birth canal somehow endows a "fetus" with personhood? Has science done anything to show that somehow a "fetus's" brain is transformed at the moment of birth? It doesn't even make sense.

Ask that same scientist to tell you by its DNA whether a baby has been born or not. The baby is human from the moment its DNA was established.

You don't even need to be a scientist - even a child knows that that is a "baby" in his mother's "tummy".

Incest/Rape/Health of Mother

These are the common "but what if…" scenarios raised. Let me address them too.

If you found that your coworker was the product of rape or incest, would that give you the right to kill him? Why then should we have this right to kill a baby for the same reason. Since when is anyone put to death for the crimes of their parents? For that matter why should anyone in this country other than a judge have the right to condemn anyone to death?

The argument about the health of the mother I find a curious one. How often is a woman in such bad shape that an abortion is the only way to keep her alive? When does this happen? Beyond that, even if it were the case is it a legitimate argument? If a woman with heart failure determines that her only way of remaining alive was to have her child executed and his heart removed and transplanted into her body we would think she was an evil murderess. If a woman decided that the only way she could escape a house on fire without being burned to death was to trample her toddler who was standing in her way we would call her a coward and possibly throw her in jail for it.

Parents give life to their children, not the other way around.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an unborn baby is still a baby and is human in every way. There is no excuse for taking innocent human life - not to save another life, not because of crimes of parents, and certainly not because the mother finds them "inconvenient" - which I believe is the case in the vast majority of abortions.

I can not support any candidate who supports the "right" for parents to kill their children.

 

Page created 11/11/04 by Steve Thrash
Last updated 12/28/08