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A lot of evangelicals are now single-issue voters, and that issue is abortion. But that was not always the case. In fact, for a great deal of American history, abortion was largely seen as a Catholic issue. There are, of course, exceptions. But most evangelicals and Protestants were divided on the subject, even favoring abortion when it came to preserving the health of the mother, or in cases of rape and incest.
On this episode, Chris interviews historian and author Daniel K. Williams about the history of the abortion debate in the United States. A major turning point was the availability of elective or "on-demand" abortions in places like New York. As evangelicals grew more upset with the moral decline of the country, they lumped abortion together with gay and lesbian rights fights, the proliferation of pornography, and decided that it needed to stop. Plus, big money through New Right PACs entered the field, and politicians were soon chosen on their allegiance to pro-life legislation.
Sources:
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Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade by Daniel K Williams
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Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
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The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
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Romper Room on YouTube
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CBS Sunday Morning excellent story on Sherri Chessen
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Article on thalidomide
- Oyez.org for the Supreme Court cases
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Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley
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American Experience article on Comstock Laws
- New York Times video on the Population Bomb (good stuff!)
- The US Constitution
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Frances Shaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins
Discussion Questions:
- Why was abortion considered a Catholic issue in the mid-1900s?
- How did the Griswold case impact the Roe case?
- How did changing sexual mores contribute to the pro-life movement?
- How did the 1970 opening of New York to elective abortions impact public opinion? What is "abortion on demand"?
- How did Reagan's endorsement of the HLA shift Republican politics?
- Was Reagan successful in helping the pro-life movement, or was he merely throwing them a bone to get votes?
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