Ep. 51 Abortion: Beyond Pro-Life or Pro-Choice w/ Gary Alan Taylor
Show Notes
Episode Summary
CW: We discuss abortion-related trauma and situations that might be triggering, please be advised.
The majority of Americans have consistently held nuanced views about abortion. However, in the early 1980’s white evangelicals suddenly discovered that the abortion debate could unify their movement and thereby secure political power for decades to come. Thus, the birth of the “pro-life” movement. Since then, the debate around abortion has centered around saving babies or killing babies, but is it really that simple? And why did white evangelicals suddenly become so avid in their support of the unborn, and what does segregation have to do with it? More importantly as Christians, what does the Bible really say about abortion?
The binary pro-life vs. pro-choice debate may seem like two clear-cut opposing sides, and many people find themselves agreeing firmly on one stance. However, these terms seek to implicitly portray the other stance unfavorably. Pro-life seems to imply that opponents are anti-life, or even “pro-death” and pro-choice insinuates that the opposition is “anti-choice” or favors coercion. The debate marginalizes women of color, poor women, and women from other marginalized communities because it does not take into account pre-existing conditions, such as financial incapability, harmful environmental factors and lack of social support, that restrict them from real choice to decide whether to have a child or have an abortion.
In this controversial episode, we attempt to reframe the abortion debate beyond the false dualism of pro-life and pro-choice. We listen to female pastors, politicians, and priests share their personal experiences as well as their concerns for what comes next in the Christian onslaught on culture. We look at the history of the abortion debate, uncover what the Bible actually says about abortion, reveal the hypocrisy of the Christian right, and discuss the implications of overturning Roe v Wade on the future of women’s rights, same-sex rights, and transgender rights. As post-evangelicals, how are we to approach this complex conversation? Is it possible to be both pro-choice and pro-life?
This debate isn't going away. I hope you will join us as we attempt to have an honest, practical, and Christ-centered conversation about abortion, the unborn, and female bodily integrity.
Bio
Gary Alan Taylor is the co-founder of The Sophia Society and the co-creator and co-host of Holy Heretics Podcast. Prior to launching this “exvangelical” space, he worked for over twenty years in conservative evangelical organizations, including Focus on the Family and Axis. Those two experiences revealed the underbelly of the white evangelical world, a world dominated by money, power, authoritarianism, male leadership, and a cult-like devotion to fundamentalist expressions of faith. Quickly labeled a heretic by his boss and co-workers for rejecting biblical inerrancy and homophobia, Gary Alan left Axis to form The Sophia Society where he now spends his time and passion creating conversations about ancient Christianity, mysticism, spiritual formation, deconstruction, the historical Jesus, and a way forward post-evangelicalism. He and his wife Jennifer live in Monument, Colorado with their three children and attend Grace and St. Stephens Episcopal Church, a progressive and inclusive community of faith.
Please follow us on social media (use the buttons below) and help us get the word out! (Also, please don’t hesitate to use any of these channels or email to contact us with any questions, concerns, or feedback.)
Support Us on Patreon
And get access to every episode 5 days early! In addition, your financial support gives us the time we need to be able to create and produce amazing content, including Patreon-exclusive content. Please consider joining our team of patrons by clicking the button below. Thank you!
If you prefer just giving with no strings attached, you can also just buy us a coffee! Any amount helps us cover the costs of creating this show.
Credits
This episode was produced by The Sophia Society and written by Gary Alan Taylor. Music is by Faith in Foxholes.
Don’t just reconstruct your faith, ReWild your faith by trading in certainty for wonder and literalism for mystery. This episode with Holy Heretics host Gary Alan Taylor is an introduction to spiritual rewilding through the re-introduction of indigenous spirituality and Creation-centered Christianity.