On Theologica, my recent haunt of many a high-octane discussion, there’s a thread regarding Christian voting and the abortion issue. The question is if the issue is so central that it will decide your vote. Well me, most definitely. I will always vote against anyone who not only supports abortion but also plans to expand on it. Does that make me religious right? I don’t think and here’s why.

In regards to the economy I’m really behind how the democrats managed to clean house on the budge. In regards to the war in Iraq, I’m against it and think that it’s an awful thing especially now that there really was no weapons publicly announced as being found. I do think that we can’t just pull out of there without causing a lot of problems down the road for the Iraqi’s and for the rest of the world so we should be in there for the long haul (but I’m gritting my teeth typing that).

In regards to gay marriage I don’t think that there should be a constitutional amendment rejecting it specifically because I don’t think the constitution should be legislating what’s a state level decision. By pushing a federal ruling that defines marriage as male and female it’s just as bad as a federal level decision that allows the killing of children.

Not only do I think an amendment is wrong but I think that constitutionally speaking it’s wrong to deny gay couples tax breaks that married couples get when the tax breaks being received is from living together in the same home: not by the definition of their relationship. That being the case, I don’t have a problem with siblings who don’t marry, living together and supporting each other and getting the same tax breaks married couples get. It’s a tough world and it really winds up not being fair when you can’t afford buying a house on your own anymore.

In regards to poverty I think the government on the state and federal level should be more active in fighting it. In regards to tax rates I think the rich either need to be taxed higher not to punish them but to invest in the community of the United States. In regards to business practices I think corporations have gone too far and they need tighter regulation. In regards to energy I think we need to invest in cleaner, renewable energy instead of being addicted to fossil fuels.

I pretty much sound like a democrat save this: I refuse to support a candidate who says that killing of a person is allowable when the parent has sole control of the person. I think that abortion is the worst atrocity being committed in our world today not merely because it’s the ending of life but because life is being redefined to not be human and thus dispensable.

When we can allow that we can allow anything. Eugenics becomes a no-issue: we can do whatever we want when we make it.

Here’s where I sound religious right: from a Biblical perspective I see each human being as a living creature made in the form, image, likeness of God. A person who grows into a murderer they’re in the form, image of likeness of God but they have marred themselves beyond recognition: they’ve become a cruel parody of God. A child killed in the womb is still a being in the form, likeness and image of God but has been extinguished before ever having a chance to express him or herself.

If a woman has had an abortion, I will of course quickly extend arms of comfort and mercy: I don’t think that the decision to do this sort of thing is easily made nor does it come without consequences. But that being said I don’t think that it should be a decision that has to be made when society provides the proper support structure to welcome new members.