Why is Pro Life Considered Right Wing?
July 7th, 2006 by Stephen
I confess I don’t understand American politics.
It seems that if you try and talk about some political issue or another in America, what it all boils down to is “are you pro choice, or pro life?”. Witness for instance this thread: http://pandagon.net/2006/07/05/you-just-dont-want-to-die-of-starvation-because-youre-jealous-i-have-a-hummer-and-you-dont/, ostensibly about global warming - but really a dig at the so called religious right in America.
It seems that if you are a right winger in America you are not allowed to believe global warming is a problem, and you must be pro life.
Why?
I guess that an ideology that believes in small government, low regulation and the dominance of the mythical free market could have a vested interest in arguing that global warming does not exist. If there is no problem, we do not have to regulate it - and whilst we are at it, we can have a war or two to transfer money from the public sector into our more deserving private business interests!
But why is abortion a polarised political issue?
Some points to note:
Abortion is often a religious issue. But historical Christianity believes in ascetism, and is opposed to greed and materialism. Thus we should find many Christians who oppose the consumerist policies of the “free” market with the inherent beliefe that the generation of wealth is the greatest good. Thus these Christians should not be economic right wingers.
The dichotomy between pro choice and pro life is a false one. How many people that believe abortion is at least sometimes acceptable (thus pro-choice) would accept that they are anti-life? Many reasonable people find the truth somewhere in the middle of this issue, so polarisation into two opposing camps seems unhelpful
As the ethic of the right wing is built on the economic premise that the generation of wealth is the greatest good, I continue to wonder how this argues for a pro life agenda?
Of course, I have stereotyped a few things in this message. I am sure that many right wingers are not “pro life” (or at least, already do lie elsewhere on the spectrum between the two poles). I am fairly convinced that the belief that generation of wealth is the greatest good is so endemic in society (be it American, British or any other) that most people don’t notice it and just accept it whether they think themselves right wing or left wing.
But I wonder whether anyone can actually disect this question and tell me exactly what is right wing about pro-life and left wing about pro-choice? Or is it just historical accident that these issues have become the key questions asked of U.S. politicians (who cannot seem to reverse the laws in any case!)
Interesting, though you misunderstand what the American political Right is about. It’s not that “generation of wealth is the greatest good”. Rather, prosperity brings goods such as health and leisure time, and prosperity can only be promoted by allowing people to keep what they produce.
Still, an interesting post and I’ve added it to my blog roundup for the day.
For the most part, I think it’s a “chicken and the egg” type problem. Fundamental and Conservative Christians find that they have more in agreement with the Republicans and Republicans tend to cater to the Fundamental and Conservative Christians.
I think that you are mistaken in Christianity not on the side of capitalism. After all the term “Protestant Work Ethic” derives its idea out of a “just wage” (an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay). It is Protestantism that believes that you should be able to do hard work and be compensated, and that what you do benefits you and your family. So, at the root, Capitalism (though it can become a function of greed) is also a Christian ethic.
The Republican’s stand on many issues (school choice, pro-life, …) are rooted in the fact that the Christians are in the party and push these things, but also because they have a good side for Republican core beliefs.
School Choice– You should be able to choose your education, not have it forced on you.
Pro-Life– Need more kids to keep economy running: workers.
So, they’re intertwined.
In conclusion, Pro-Choice is really one of the few things the conglomorate group of Democrats has left in common with the others. They refuse to have leaders that are Pro-Life (or only for a tactical advantage) and so by that definition have made the Republicans Pro-Life.
Christina, many thanks for your comments and the pointers as to where I may have misunderstood the American right wing. I’ll keep trying to learn,
MInTheGap: Okay, the principle that a workman is worth his hire is biblical (a point Paul made, even though he accepted no money for praching the gospel). However, I think it is a leap from this to capitalism. An honest wage is necessary for a living which does not condemn the worker to poverty. However, the capitalist system does not reward people by the worth of what they do, but by the market value.
Looking at our capitalist systems, we have the rich for ever getting the richer whilst the poor struggle to mark time. The notion of trickle down effects fails to moderate this, and we have some crazy notions (such as production must minimise consumption at every stage until a product is passed to the consumer, who must consume it entirely).
I don’t think this is congruent with Christian ascetism.
Thanks for commenting,
Stephen
As a pro-lifer, I’m not so much right-wing as anti-socialist. I reject the notion that a government program is the solution to every problem. I reject typical leftist values, like moral relativism, equality of results, sexual “liberation” (re:fornication) and so on.
That being said, does that mean I support everything that occurs in a capitalist system? No. Does that mean that I don’t support government intervention?
I think I tend to side with the right more out of opposition to the left than identification with conservatism. On many issues, I don’t have any strong opinions, and I could go either way.
There are plenty of Catholics who are not fiscal conservatives who are pro-life. While I do believe the majority of pro-lifers are conservatives, left-leaning pro-lifers are not that exceptional.
Suzanne,
Thanks for that. In the UK we have socialists and liberals as two different entities. There are more options than left or right. However, it is interesting to hear that left leaning pro-lifers are not that exceptional, as I am not sure if I have met or communicated with any from the U.S. (Maybe one).
Thanks for your comments