Another Libertarian Response to the Texas Heartbeat Bill
By Dru Heaton
CHRISTIAN. PRO-LIFE. LIBERTARIAN.
I recognized the intellectual disconnect in the eyes of the gentleman accepting my handshake –I have many times.
The comment I hear more often than any other from my Republican allies is, “I’d be Libertarian if it wasn’t for your stance on abortion.” While most of these admissions come from people who personally know and respect me as a Christian, what they fail to realize is that I am a Libertarian precisely because I am Christian and Pro-Life. From those who know me less well or not at all, the eye of suspicion and repulsion for my political association is palpable. Rather than offended, I am deeply and profoundly saddened.
I admit. After reading the September 2021 AZLP newsletter [1] highlighting the TX Heartbeat Bill, I briefly felt out of place politically. For me, its reading was an empathic exercise eliciting physical pain. However, in the split second it took me to fully exhale a calculated and measured breath, my senses realigned with my mental faculties leaving me more convinced than before that I was and am in the right place.
If you ask one hundred Libertarians why they are in the party, you are likely to get one hundred different answers. By definition, we are the very antithesis of a homogeneous group. The only principle upon which we soundly agree is the exclusion of intrusive government intervention in our lives –and the lives of others. We practice the active defense of those with whom we disagree. That is the key –the key factor dissecting Libertarians from Republican, Democrat, or Green Party members with whom we would otherwise align. If that alignment includes aggression toward another, we categorically reject it.
We reject the additional trauma of government. I say “trauma” of government because government is force. Seen or unseen, it is the barrel of a gun or its equivalent aimed at your head. Force is: “Do this,” “Don’t do that” or we will alter, suppress, or take your life. We will take your life physically or in the form of your property. I say “additional” trauma because life has inherent risk that no well-intentioned government can erase.
As such, Libertarian ideology falls outside the attempted utopias of our political counterparts. Despite the criticism of each toward the other in instances involving the abuse of power, when it serves their particular purpose, Republicans, Democrats, and Greens alike embrace the opportunity, falsely, to tax our country into prosperity, to ban our country into safety, or to legislate our country into morality. Like remedies that merely suppress symptoms rather than seek a cure, the result is an ill and dysfunctional society.
FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY PLATFORM
1.0 Personal Liberty
Individuals are inherently free to make choices for themselves and must accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Our support of an individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices. No individual, group, or government may rightly initiate force against any other individual, group, or government. Libertarians reject the notion that groups have inherent rights. We support the rights of the smallest minority, the individual.
1.5 Abortion
Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.
The only disagreement I have with the afore-mentioned newsletter is the idea of maintaining the use of state funds for this procedure. My stance for the removal of taxpayer funded abortion is absolute. No one at any level should be forced to financially support a practice that goes against their conscience or belief system.
TO MY FELLOW CHRISTIANS
The remaining comments are not meant for the average or general Libertarian. I receive hardy criticism from a few Libertarian atheists who are intolerant of me for any expression I give of my faith. I will continue to give them time and space to practice and suggest they refrain from reading further if they anticipate an adverse reaction. These sentiments are not for them. This is an answer to anyone yet confused by my spiritual beliefs and my political association.
Appropriately, I am asked, “How can you justify the non-aggression principle [2] and abortion?”
My answer is, “I can’t.” I can no more justify harm against these innocents than I can justify that a loving God would allow the violent and brutal abuse of His innocent and Only Begotten Son. My response has nothing to do with an application of justice but rather extending the balm of mercy. I can think of no greater denial of the power of God than to hold a gun, a knife, or a stone to another person demanding compliance. If you are a Christian and feel so inclined, might I remind you that the only Being so justified to cast a stone did not. [3]
“I believe in God, but I detest theocracy. For every Government consists of mere men and is, strictly viewed, a makeshift; if it adds to its commands ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ it lies, and lies dangerously.” [4] –C.S. Lewis
I do not suggest there is no answer to protect the unborn lives of innocents, but I do reject that government force has ever been an effective solution. First, if Christians want to end abortion, Christians should stop having them. Well established statistics confirm that of women who go through with an abortion, 70% claim some denomination of Christianity [5]. Although Christian anti-abortion proponents acknowledge this to me personally, it is never brought up in their pro-government solutions as it is quite uncomfortably the elephant in the room.
I have witnessed the lives of babies saved by the efforts of Hands of Hope and Pro-Love Tucson as a result of their Christian practice of extending unconditional love toward women and men considering or even participating in abortion by approaching each of them as a valued child of God.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
For every perceived “gain” celebrated by one political group over another, decades of multi-media in my lifetime alone have documented how inevitable and hard the swing of the political pendulum will be [6]. The rhetoric fuels and perpetuates retaliation leading to the further abuses of power in another endless war failing to accomplish its professed aim or resolution. Blowback. Why this continues to surprise anyone is a mystery to me.
A TIME TO HEAL [7]
I was profoundly honored when a friend asked me to attend a three-day weekend abortion recovery retreat [8] with her. That she even trusted to ask me continues to humble me at the thought. Mostly women and some men were drawn together in time and space to emotionally navigate and travel their unique paths that converged in a united grief. The following represents only a few of the experiences I heard: a woman driven as a girl to the abortion clinic by the pastor who raped her, a woman shamed out of a Sunday School lesson when she curiously entered a church hoping for healing, and a woman whose self-abortion attempt left her surviving twin daughter without a brother. Pain. Pain. Pain. The one thing the newsletter did not mention is any negative result from the procedure. I have met, listened to, and spoken with many who walk away from abortion with multiple deep wounds.
When I feel inclined to share this experience or insight with someone questioning my political position on this issue, I am frequently interrupted with the question, “But when do you believe life begins?” Rather than answer that I believe life does, in scientific fact, begin at conception, I query instead, “Do you believe God can forgive these women?” It is not only arrogant to dictate or diminish God’s power and/or ability, but we must also remember that Christ cautioned that our answer to the question about another’s redemption and salvation directly determines our own [9].
THE LIBERTARIAN PRESCRIPTION
The Libertarian prescription will not end abortion. Unlike my Republican allies, I never falsely claim it will. No prescription is absolute despite the collective conditioning that leads so many to believe in this fantasy. A prescriptive cure is a treatment toward a desired outcome of healing, not the actual healing itself. A surgeon may use skill to remove diseased tissue, a pharmacist may use knowledge to introduce chemical balance, and a chiropractor may use manipulative treatment to remove neurological interference, but the resulting, anticipated, and usual -although not guaranteed- response is a mystery we accept far more than a process we actually understand. We may influence a social or health outcome, but we cannot control it. What we witness is the residual signature left by the mechanism of an Invisible Hand [10] that conducts the unrehearsed orchestration of society just as we witness the healing of the body. Begrudgingly, perhaps, even atheists must admit that they do not cause their own hearts to beat.
CHRISTIAN PRACTICE IS THE CURE
I am well aware that not every woman or man who participates in abortion experiences the grief and pain I previously mentioned. As such, they become the excuse for the Christian legislative response. I often cringe at my fellow Christians’ conclusion that the state of the nation we are in is the result of the non-believers among us. I cringe because that is the opposite of what scriptural accounts actually teach us. In my faith tradition, we are taught that nations organized under God’s Natural Law should be ruled by the voice of the people because it is:
“…not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law –to do your business by the voice of the people.
“And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction…”[11].
Considering the state of our nation today, we need to humble ourselves and ask whether or not we “believers” are a significant part of the problem. I believe we are.
“…there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.
“…and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.
“…the example of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people.” [12]
Consequently, those who are continuing to legislate for God are the most self-professed believers among us. We are prideful. We need to humble ourselves and repent.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” [13]
Do we notice whom God is calling to repentance? He does not address unbelievers but His own people. We are called by His name, and yet He calls us wicked. It is humbling to think that our nation is in the state it is because of our own sin, is it not?
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils: and in thy name done many wonderful works?"
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” [14] –Jesus Christ
“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians — you are not like him.” [15] – Bara Dada
I may not agree with every word uttered by President John Adams, but I do agree with these sentiments:
“Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition, Revenge or Galantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” [16]
And though my Republican allies utter some form of this same quotation, by now you should understand that we completely disagree on its application. While I am sympathetic to the current outcry for an appeal to the law, I argue that the law is not worth the paper it is printed on. To John Adam’s point, the intention for this law was always for it to be inscribed in the fleshy tablets of our own hearts. That is the true source and manifestation of the law’s power. Repent.
Abortion is a symptom. Our relationship with God and thus our fellow man is the issue! Until God’s people repent and decide to restore Him to His proper place at the head of self-government, the protection of our right to life, of the born and unborn, our right to liberty to live and worship, and our right to private property will not be secure. We will continue to lose ground in legislation.
We Christians may be the only source of scripture some people will ever read. I pray that we will repent and “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s” [17] boldly professing and manifesting the law and love of God, using words only occasionally when absolutely necessary.
1. https://azlp.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/39/2021/09/8September2021-Newsletter.pdf
2. The Non-aggression Principle: a stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate… no matter if the result of those actions is damaging, beneficial, or neutral to the owner when they are against the owner’s free will and interfere with his or her right to self-determination or the principle of self-ownership…. in contrast to pacifism, the Non-Aggression Principle does not preclude violence used in self-defense or defense of others… NAP is the foundation of most present day libertarian philosophies.
3. John 8:2-11
4. Willing Slaves of the Welfare State: Is Progress Possible? Published in The Observer on July 20, 1958 C.S. Lewishttp://liberty-tree.ca/research/willing_slaves_of_the_welfare_state
5. Study of Women who have had an Abortion and Their Views on Church https://lifewayresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Care-Net-Final-Presentation-Report-Revised.pdf
6. House passes bill to protect abortion rights in response to restrictive Texas law
Published Fri, Sep 24 2021 11:59 AM EDT Updated Fri, Sep 24 2021 3:04 PM EDT
Thomas Franck@tomwfranck https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/24/house-passes-abortion-rights-bill-in-response-to-restrictive-texas-law.html
7. Ecclesiastes 3:3
8. Hands of Hope offers peer counseling support for women and men struggling with: a past abortion decision, pregnancy loss through ectopic/miscarriage/stillbirth, the loss of a child shortly after birth. It does not matter how long ago your experience was. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 520-622-5774, or email at info@handsofhopetucson.com. https://www.givehopetucson.com/programs/restoration/
9. Matthew 7:1-2
10. The “Invisible Hand” is a metaphor associated with Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, and in this context I use it to represent how God moves in mysterious ways.
11. Mosiah 29:26-27
12. Alma 4:9-11
13. 2 Chronicles 7:14
14. Matthew 7:21-23
15. Jones, E. Stanley. The Christ of the Indian Road, New York: The Abingdon Press, 1925. p.114. Bara Dada, Indian philosopher.
16. From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798, Founders Online, National Archives, Founders Online: From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798
17. Matthew 22:15-22
2. The Non-aggression Principle: a stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate… no matter if the result of those actions is damaging, beneficial, or neutral to the owner when they are against the owner’s free will and interfere with his or her right to self-determination or the principle of self-ownership…. in contrast to pacifism, the Non-Aggression Principle does not preclude violence used in self-defense or defense of others… NAP is the foundation of most present day libertarian philosophies.
3. John 8:2-11
4. Willing Slaves of the Welfare State: Is Progress Possible? Published in The Observer on July 20, 1958 C.S. Lewishttp://liberty-tree.ca/research/willing_slaves_of_the_welfare_state
5. Study of Women who have had an Abortion and Their Views on Church https://lifewayresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Care-Net-Final-Presentation-Report-Revised.pdf
6. House passes bill to protect abortion rights in response to restrictive Texas law
Published Fri, Sep 24 2021 11:59 AM EDT Updated Fri, Sep 24 2021 3:04 PM EDT
Thomas Franck@tomwfranck https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/24/house-passes-abortion-rights-bill-in-response-to-restrictive-texas-law.html
7. Ecclesiastes 3:3
8. Hands of Hope offers peer counseling support for women and men struggling with: a past abortion decision, pregnancy loss through ectopic/miscarriage/stillbirth, the loss of a child shortly after birth. It does not matter how long ago your experience was. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 520-622-5774, or email at info@handsofhopetucson.com. https://www.givehopetucson.com/programs/restoration/
9. Matthew 7:1-2
10. The “Invisible Hand” is a metaphor associated with Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, and in this context I use it to represent how God moves in mysterious ways.
11. Mosiah 29:26-27
12. Alma 4:9-11
13. 2 Chronicles 7:14
14. Matthew 7:21-23
15. Jones, E. Stanley. The Christ of the Indian Road, New York: The Abingdon Press, 1925. p.114. Bara Dada, Indian philosopher.
16. From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798, Founders Online, National Archives, Founders Online: From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798
17. Matthew 22:15-22