Doesn’t a woman have the right to choose what happens to her body? Yes, to an extent. But none of us can legally do whatever we want with our bodies. U.S. laws prevent organ sales, public nudity, and prostitution. We also aren’t only talking about the mother’s body. We’re talking about the baby’s body inside the mother. This amendment threatens the lives of both babies and mothers while hiding this truth behind a misleading presentation.
Abortion has likely been the most contentious and consistent conversation in American politics over my 45 years. As a pastor, I’ve never endorsed a candidate, and I’d imagine things would need to be either incredibly good or incredibly bad for me to consider doing so. Still, we have a responsibility to bless the cities we live in, and at times that requires us to speak out on moral issues like abortion, political as they may be.
I’ve walked with women (and men) as they wrestled through all the emotions that come both before and after an abortion. My church in Orlando shares Maitland Avenue with an abortion clinic. Abortion isn’t merely an academic or political discussion for me but one that hits close to home. With that said, Florida’s proposed Amendment 4 to potentially legalize full-term abortion without parental consent is as deceptive in its presentation as it is wrong in its ethic.
The Presentation
The title of the proposed amendment claims to “limit government interference with abortion,” but it essentially divests the government of its role to protect both the lives of the unborn and the health of the pregnant mothers. Florida amendments, with their short, attractive titles and brief descriptions, are notoriously easy to pass but hard to repeal. So let’s look at the brief description as it appears on the ballot.
“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion . . .”
Not only will this allow full-term abortions, but it presumably lifts basic safety regulations that currently protect the women getting abortions.
“. . . before viability . . .”
Conveniently, “viability” isn’t defined. Again, this opens the door to abortions up until birth.
“. . . or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, . . .”
What constitutes the patient’s health? Does mental stress, financial stress, or anxiety create a health issue that warrants late-term abortion?
“. . . as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”
This isn’t necessarily a doctor but simply a healthcare provider. Again, this puts women at increased risk of dangerous procedures.
“This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”
That sounds good on the surface. Parents will still be notified, but they aren’t required to consent in any way. Imagine being told your underage daughter is having an abortion, but unlike with every other medical procedure, you wouldn’t need to give your consent.