by Shelbi Kepler

Created on: March 09, 2010   Last Updated: March 11, 2010

"...Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God... the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions..." writes Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802. The sentence continues to declare a freedom of religion and a separation of church and state, but that is not of concern here. In this matter, Jefferson uncovers the reason why Christians can still support Roe v. Wade: It is a matter of political legislation, which means this matter lies between man and his country. Everyday moral decisions, such as choosing to receive an abortion for oneself, may be taken up with the Lord and scripture texts; however, when voting for legislation that affects the entire country, every citizen has an obligation to refer to the Constitution. 

It is possible, and even obligatory, that Christians look at the responsibility our country and our constitution has to uphold our natural rights and keep promises already declared. A Christian can and should be able to look at Roe v. Wade objectively and recognize that embedded beneath the emotional images of abortion clinics, there is an inherent privacy violation occurring. The court ruled that the Ninth Amendment of the Bill of Rights protected a citizen's right to privacy and that extended to her right to chose whether or not to have an abortion. Christians may say that the Bible argues differently, that they must protect that human life, but those Christians are voting with their religion and not with their citizenship. 

Christians firmly opposed to abortion still retain the right to protest and spread their platform's opinion to the public. Should a Christian believe the action is morally wrong he/she can express the religious views and arguments to the public but just as that: religious views. A Christian can simultaneously retain both religious and political views separately. A Christian has a responsibility to his/her country to vote and judge in accordance with our legislative texts, not with religious. This civic responsibility does not prevent them from spreading their religious views outside of the courtroom. 

Many might argue that a Christian cannot separate his/her beliefs in such a way as to be able to vote in favor and protest against, but those people simply have not yet recognized the importance of separating church from state. This is one of our country's founding values and must be expressed in all political activities, including individual voting. A Christian can certainly support Roe v. Wade because constitutionally, it was the United States as a government agency was required to make. 

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