The “Blessing” of Abortion

Just when I thought I’d heard every positive spin used to justify the practice of aborting babies, I cracked open this week’s edition of WORLD magazine. Marvin Olasky’s article, “The ‘Blessing’ of Abortion,” left me speechless. Olasky presented several excerpts from a speech given by Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale in Alabama. I think you’ll agree Ms. Ragsdale is about as far to the political left of the spectrum as is humanly possible.

For starters, Ragsdale doesn’t agree with Hillary Clinton’s popular pro-choice worldview that believes abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” Far from it. Ragsdale believes abortion is always a “blessing”; it’s not just reserved for the so-called “hardship cases” of rape or incest. Here’s how Ragsdale, the former chairperson of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, put it:

“When a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion—there is not a tragedy in sight—only blessing. The ability to enjoy God’s good gift of sexuality without compromising one’s education, life’s work, or ability to put to use God’s gifts and call is simply blessing.”

Put another way, if a baby gets in the way of your educational plans or career path, Ragsdale believes aborting its life is actually a blessing. What kind of thinking could be more twisted—or dangerous?

What’s next? If we accept her notion that the pursuit of our hopes and dreams trump the value of life in the womb, what about the children you currently have? What if they get in the way of pursuing your career aspirations? Should society allow us to terminate them, too? Here’s another excerpt from her speech:

“I want to thank all of you who protect this blessing—who do this work every day: the health care providers, doctors, nurses, technicians, receptionists, who put your lives on the line to care for others (you are heroes—in my eyes, you are saints); the escorts and the activists; the lobbyists and the clinic defenders; all of you. You’re engaged in holy work.”

Heroes and saints just “engaged in holy work”?

Unbelievable.

Olasky had the same reaction. He writes, “… calling abortion ‘holy work’ seemed so over-the-top that WORLD called Ragsdale to ask whether a fanatic had taken her name in a variant of identity theft. Ragsdale acknowledged that the words were hers and that she still identified abortion with ‘blessing.’”

As her speech came to a close, Ragsdale energized her troops with this chant: “Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Let me hear you say it: Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.” While her message is two years old, her views remain unchanged.

Why do I highlight her radical beliefs?

Last month Ms. Ragsdale was named to become the new president of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., a position she fills in July. Consider the irony of that appointment. According to their website, the mission of this Episcopal seminary is to “educate lay and ordained leaders for Christ’s Church and for the world who serve and advance God’s mission of justice, compassion, and reconciliation.”

If there’s one thing the scripture is clear about, it’s the care for “the least of these.” That would include the unborn who have no voice, no defense, and no vote. How, then, will this soon-to-be seminary president, who believes abortion is always a “blessing,” advance the cause of justice and compassion for the gift of life fashioned in the womb by the hands of God Himself?