Republicans in the House announced yet another plan to ban women’s constitutional rights, and like everything driving the GOP’s war on women, the assault serves Christian extremists’ lust for control and dominance over women’s reproductive health. Although there is nothing in the Christian religion justifying these relentless attacks on women’s reproductive rights, Republicans all but admitted this is simply remuneration for the evangelicals’ electoral support.
The legislation, the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” written for the anti-women’s choice sector by Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ) is founded on Vatican dogma, not science. It is another attempt to ban abortions after 20 weeks. The legislation does provide exceptions (with conditions) only “to save the life of the pregnant woman” or in the case of “rape and incest.” However those exceptions are only applicable if the woman “obtains counseling and treatment” for rape at least 48 hours prior to the procedure. There is no provision to “counsel, punish, or treat” the rapist.”
Standing alongside the proud religious Republicans during a press conference announcing the vote next were anti-women’s choice, and rights, group leaders. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-women’s group Susan B. Anthony List was joined by National Right to Life’s Jennifer Popick who boasted that the religious legislation is a replica of her evangelical group’s model legislation attacking women’s rights.
The bill, although a wet-knicker experience for Dannenfelser, is likely not biblically severe enough for her liking. During the House GOP fetal pain attempt in 2015, Dannenfelser was appalled at the rape exception. She said it was “abominable” and “regrettable” thatRepublicans included it for “reasons of political feasibility.”
She wanted a bill that hewed more closely to the religious Republican assertion that “the method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life” in the attempt to ban abortion. An Oklahoma religious Republican went a step farther and said“god uses rape to bring beauty from ashes” in his argument that there can never be an exception to abortion bans.
Dannenfelser did what the religious right typically does and lied by claiming her advocacy against women’s reproductive rights is helping women, but in order to really help “the woman” the anti-women’s rights movement really needs a law for the children. She said:
"We want to be there for the woman, and we know we need a law to protect the children.”
This author is getting damn sick and tired of reiterating that a fetus, an embryo and a zygote are not “children;” regardless what the Vatican or religious right says. And to repeat for the ten-thousandth time; according to the religious right’s holy bible, there is no child, no infant, or no “living being” until the fetus exits the womb and breathes air sans medical or mechanical intervention.
This entire issue is another religious attempt to control women and it is founded on an oft-debunked claim by evangelical know-nothings who claim a fetus feels pain at 20 weeks of gestation. That is literally and physically impossible. According to decades of medical and biological science, anatomy, physiology, and scientists who actually know of what they speak; a fetus at 20 weeks cannot possibly feel pain. Simply because the neurological development to sense pain does not occur until “about’ two months later, at 27 weeks. Still, a bunch of religious fanatics have convinced Republicans that they are better qualified than the preponderance of pathological evidence and the science.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said it considers the case to be closed as to whether a fetus can feel pain at that stage in development.
Kate Connors, a spokeswoman for the ACOG, explained what medical professionals and scientists have know for ages: “The science shows that based on gestational age, the fetus is not capable of feeling pain until the third trimester." The third trimester begins at about 27 weeks into the pregnancy.
Now, the religious right, the “Christ-centered”personhood movement, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) representing the Vatican all claim science and medical professionals are wrong. Their claim is not founded on their bible, but on the 1968 papal encyclical on life, physiology, and apparently gynecology, “Humanae Vitae;” a document they believe supersedes all known medical science and physiological facts because god.
Anti-choice religious extremists damn sure couldn’t use their ‘holy bible’ as evidence to support the claim because their god says there is no living being until the fetus exits the womb and draws breath under its own power. If their god says there is no living being until after birth, then why are these vicious and unrelenting religious attacks on women continuing unabated? Because Republicans, like religious right extremists, want women where the religious right says they belong; birthing little Republicans, cleaning a man’s chamber pot, and remaining silent like the religious right’s bible commands.
A fair share of the blame for these unconstitutional attempts to legislate the establishment of religion on women’s rights belongs to Democrats, the media, pro-choice organizations, women’s advocacy groups, and Americans terrified of using the word “religion.” Oh, opponents of these horrendous attacks on women’s rights come up with all the popular and politically correct reasons to oppose these religious impositions, but not one of them ever cites the only reason they exist – evangelical extremist religion. If those opponents weren’t cowards, they would tell the people Republican legislation is precisely what the First Amendment of the Constitution unconditionally prohibits: legislation establishing religion.
Even the man proudly announcing the anti-woman legislation didn’t dare admit it is founded on a bastardized version of Christianity or a 1968 papal encyclical. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) could have been honest and said the purpose of the legislation was to punish and control women on behalf of the religious right; instead he said:
“Not only will passing this legislation keep a promise we [and Trump] made, but all the work is for the same goal: ending suffering and helping people live.”
The legislation will levy a penalty, including a fine and up to five years in prison, on any woman even “seeking” an abortion after 20 weeks; the medical professional performing the legal medical procedure will face the same punishment.
It’s possible these religious attacks on women will never cease; religious extremists never relent or ISIS and the Taliban would be long gone. However, it is damn high time that Democrats, women’s advocacy groups, pro-choice organizations, women and the men who care about them start calling these Republican attacks what they are; unconstitutional legislation imposing an extremist religious dogma.
Maybe if the Republicans were exposed as a religious extremists attacking American women, the population may take countermeasures to put a stop to a nasty theocratic takeover. But if these religious Republicans continue being allowed to establish religion unimpeded, American women will have a legitimate reason to commiserate with women in Saudi Arabia, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and ISIS. The only difference will be American women will complain about life under an evangelical theocracy dominated by radical “Christian” extremists.