Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Politics and Religion
Children, Guns, and Abortion

Children, Guns, and Abortion

Last updated on: April 11, 2023 at 12:44 pm by Ted Peters

Children, Guns, and Abortion 2023-04-11T12:44:52-07:00 Ted Peters

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.

Children, Guns, and Abortion

Christmas card of US Rep Thomas Massie (R KY) From 2016 to mid 2022 the NRA contributed $153,815 to elect Kentucky Representatives. Thomas Massie denies having received such contributions from the NRA.

I’m confused about children, guns, and abortion. Perhaps someone can explain some contradictions to me.

Now, I happen to love children. I bet many of you readers do as well. I’ve raised children in a warm and exciting home life. I’ve got grandchildren whom I adore and for whom I have high hopes. I wish that every child enjoy a safe, affectionate, and healthy experience at home, school, and playground.

I even wrote a book titled, For the Love of Children. It deals with loving children in light of innovations in reproductive technologies. No, you don’t have to rush out and buy it.

What confuses me is the political debate in America between Republicans and Democrats regarding children, guns, and abortion. It’s become patently clear that Republican politicians receive cash incentives to distribute widely the kind of guns that murderers use to kill children in schools. Yet, those same Republicans pass cockamamie legislation to protect unborn children from abortion service providers. Can someone explain this seeming contradiction to me?

Now, the Democrats claim they want to protect our living children from military assault weapons and from Republicans who profit from their sales. Yet, when it comes to yet-to-be-born children, Democrats vehemently support abortion access. Even Planned Parenthood connects gun reform with reproductive freedom. Can someone explain this seeming contradiction to me?

For the sake of coherence, one would expect that gun rights and abortion rights would come together in a single package. But, they don’t. Can someone explain this seeming contradiction to me?

“Christians: when in God’s name are we going to end gun violence?” I get this. I understand this religious impulse. But, the political debate regarding children, guns, and abortion puzzles me.

Something else confuses me. It’s language. I get the feeling that language is selected to obscure the relationship between children, guns, and abortion.

Republicans obscure their willingness to allow living children to die by claiming to support the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Democrats obscure their willingness to allow yet-to-be-born children to die by claiming to support women’s health. We all support the U.S. Constitution. Right? And we all support women’s health. Right? Yet, I’m confused. Can anyone explain to me how to sort out the relationship between children, guns, and abortion?

Other attempts to sort out the confusion regarding gun control.

Gun Deaths in Ukraine and the US

Gun Safety Prevarication and Legislation

America’s Two Killing Fields

A Billion Bucks for Bullets and Blood

Two Mass Shootings Per Day

School Shootings Meet AR-15 Lapel Pins

One final comment about abortion. I’ve long thought that the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling should be supported, because it provided protection of the mother’s health in consultation with her doctor. To my reading, Roe v. Wade did not entirely forsake the dignity of the unborn child while registering concern for the mother’s health. Somehow this important factor has been obscured in recent public discussions. Why?

▓

Ted Peters

For Patheos, Ted Peters posts articles and notices in the field of Public Theology. He is a Lutheran pastor and emeritus professor at the Graduate Theological Union. He co-edits the journal, Theology and Science, with Robert John Russell on behalf of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, in Berkeley, California, USA. His single volume systematic theology, God—The World’s Future, is now in the 3rd edition. He has also authored God as Trinity plus Sin: Radical Evil in Soul and Society as well as Sin Boldly: Justifying Faith for Fragile and Broken Souls. See his website: TedsTimelyTake.com.

Watch for his new 2023 book, The Voice of Public Theology, published by ATF Press.

▓

General Christian

Politics and Religion

About Ted Peters

For Patheos, Ted Peters posts articles and notices in the field of Public Theology. He is a Lutheran pastor and emeritus professor at the Graduate Theological Union. He co-edits the journal, Theology and Science, with Robert John Russell on behalf of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, in Berkeley, California, USA. His single volume systematic theology, God—The World’s Future, is now in the 3rd edition. He has also authored God as Trinity plus Sin: Radical Evil in Soul and Society as well as Sin Boldly: Justifying Faith for Fragile and Broken Souls. See his website: TedsTimelyTake.com. Watch for his new 2023 book, The Voice of Public Theology, to be published by ATF Press. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

April 10, 2023

Afterlife? Really? What are the options?

Next Post

April 16, 2023 Abortion access for women’s health? What about the baby?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Afterlife America in Crisis Ancient Alien Apocalypse Art Artificial Intelligence Astrobiology Astrotheology Atheism Big History Buddhist Catholic Christian Nationalism Christmas Comparative Theology Death Ecology Ethics ETI Evangelical Evolution Existential Questions Free Will General Christian Hermeneutics Hindu https://www.patheos.com/blogs/allsetfree/2020/12/sins-we-need-to-talk-about/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Christians+For+a+Better+Christianity&utm_content=43&lct Interreligious Islam Jewish Justice Latter-Day Saints Literature Literature and Theology Lutheran Methodism Mormonism Nonreligious ontology Orthodox Pagam Prayer progressive Christian PT 6 Dignity Public Theology Race racial justice Religious Liberty Romance Satan Scapegoat Science & Religion Science and Religion social justice Spirituality SR 8 Transhumanism Systematic Theology Taoism Ted Peters UAP UFO Uncategorized War

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus do for Lazarus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fed him Raised him from the dead Made him king Healed his eyes