What Would Jesus Do?
The Reverend Dr. Kent L. Poindexter
We live in a country that boasts that it is a reflection of a “true democracy” and that, overall, it reflects a strong sense of “Christian” values. Over the last 15 years, it has become clear this is not the case. The loudest voices proclaiming their faith guides decisions about how we should live are those who have determined that they have the right to force everyone to believe in God exactly as they do. There is a major contradiction here—what happened to the idea that “all are endowed with certain unalienable rights . . . among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” How is it that, on the one hand, the Constitutional conservatives believe that life begins at the point of conception and that they must protect life, yet on the other hand, they determine that people have the right to own guns which are being used to take away life? How can people call themselves “Pro-Life” when they only value certain lives and knowingly support the notion of allowing anyone to decide when they have the right to take a life?
These contradictions should be a sign to those who desire consistency in the interpretation of laws and rights in our country. They should open our eyes to the fact that the Dobbs vs. Jackson decision over abortion rights does not reflect concerns about whether abortion is moral. Ultimately it turns decisions about abortion rights over to state governments, thus allowing the states to be arbitrators of people’s rights. This decision has set a precedent for states whose legislatures and leadership lean toward being part of the so-called “Moral Majority” to impose their will on people. Even before this decision, states had begun to redraw voting districts to favor this group and to, in effect, disenfranchise millions of people who take seriously the words of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s Constitution, which provide for every citizen to have a voice in the nation’s affairs. Just as the Moral Majority has never represented the “majority” of voters in the country, neither does the “new school” of conservatism, which has its sights set on determining exactly what rights are “unalienable” and who is truly entitled to enjoy such rights. Dobbs vs. Jackson is the opening to taking away those “unalienable rights” and potentially turning our democracy into a dictatorship.
As we reflect on what decisions made by the very conservative wing of the Supreme Court mean for the country (one justice has indicated that Dodds vs. Jackson provides an opening to look at other decisions by previous courts which allow people the freedom to make decisions about their lives), it seems that we who profess belief and faith in Jesus Christ should be asking ourselves “What would Jesus do?” What would the “Original Revolutionary” have to say about a government that claims to be “of the people, by the people, and for the people” and yet seeks ways to decide when the people’s voices matter? What would Jesus say about those who say that they heed his call to “pick up their crosses and follow” and yet decide that it is okay to hinder people from having “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? What is Jesus saying about those who will not stand up and speak truth to power in these difficult times? What would Jesus do?
