“Hi, my name is … nutrition?”

Last updated on: January 26, 2013 at 1:33 pm by Libby Anne

“Hi, my name is … nutrition?” 2013-01-26T13:33:52-04:00 Libby Anne

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Hemant Mehta has an article today about atheists who are anti-abortion. Hemant’s piece includes this quotation from a member of the group Secular Pro-Life:

“When the sperm meets the egg, a genetically complete human being is formed, and all that is required for maturation is time and nutrition.”

Yeah…

Nutrition. So that’s what they’re calling women now.

Sure, you could say the statement is technically correct, though overwhelmingly simplistic. The problem, though, is that the framing of the statement leaves out any mention of the woman involved, except to use the word “nutrition.” This sort of rhetoric fits a long pattern of the “pro-life” movement erasing women from discussions of abortion. The thing is, zygotes don’t exist in some sort of vacuum.

But hey, maybe we should count our blessings here. Admitting that a zygote needs “nutrition” is at least better than Timothy Dalrymple’s failure to remember that growing a zygote into a baby actually even involves a woman’s body.

But really, this just goes to show that you don’t have to be religious to play the erasing women game. And honestly? It’s a game I’m getting a bit tired of, because they do it again and again and again. It seriously gets old. Been there, done that, so over it. And on that note, I’m going to finish by quoting from a previous article I wrote on this topic, because I really don’t need to keep writing this same explanation from scratch every time I see this being done.

Note to pro-lifers: STOP ERASING WOMEN.

Because that’s the problem, isn’t it? If zygotes didn’t live inside women’s bodies, this wouldn’t be an issue. Sure, keep the zygotes alive! Care for them until they’re fully mature, put them up for adoption! Great! Who would oppose that? The trouble is, zygotes aren’t some sort of physically independent entity. Rather, they have to live inside of and feed off of women. If you want to legislate that all zygotes must be allowed to develop into the physically independent entities we call babies, you have to come to terms with the fact that that intimately involves women and their bodies. And yet, pro-lifers can’t seem to do that. Or, when they do admit this, it’s to offer pregnant women free cribs. And baby clothes. Or, you know, to talk about how women are supposed to sacrifice.

If someone wants to make a case against abortion, they need to actually address the reality that this discussion involves women’s bodies in an intimate and completely invasive way. They need to stop pretending they can talk about zygotes and fetuses without mention of women. They need to listen to women and understand what is involved. They need to realize that “saving babies,” if that is what they must call it, involves convincing or forcing women to allow the zygote or fetus to physically occupy their bodies, turning their lives upside down for nine months. Maybe if they actually act like they understand what it is they are asking, maybe then we can talk about it. Until then, I can’t. I’m too angry.

Pregnancy and abortion intimately involve women’s bodies. You can’t separate that out of the equation and just talk about zygotes and fetuses. It’s time pro-lifers realized this. I am tired of being erased. Enough is enough.

For more on this topic, see Abortion: No Women Involved and The Pro-Life Movement, Erasing Women Edition.

Feminism

abortion

erasing women

Previous Post

January 25, 2013

CTBHHM: Be Afraid, Very Afraid

Next Post

January 26, 2013 Women's Bodies Are Not Male Commodities

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atheism Evangelicalism/Fundamentalism Family Feminism Homeschool Meta Parenting Patriarchy Politics Purity Quiverfull Social Justice Uncategorized Worthwhile reads

Select a Month February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What happened to the golden calf?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Set up for worship Burned, ground to powder Taken to Canaan Hidden