Give Up the Fight?

I'm a Republican; largely due to tradition and stuborness. It was a group of Republicans in a Waldorf Borders that stirred up my interest in politics, I decided long ago that I identified more closely with the Republican Party, and I refuse to fall into the trap of thinking that only Christians who are democrats are truly carrying out Christ's command to care for the poor.

So, I had this conversation with a good friend last night. He talked about how he believes abortion is wrong, as do I. But he went further. He talked about how right-wing churches preach abortion is wrong and that there are other options, such as adoption. The problem, he says, is that those churches do nothing to make the other options more available. He can't think of any mid to upper-class conservative white people adopting babies from the ghetto, or babies with AIDS, or babies with birth defects.

It's true. So many Christians champion around teens who don't have abortions, but when they see a teen carrying a baby at the mall they just shake their heads in disgust. Shouldn't they be happy that they got what they wanted?? The girl didn't have an abortion!

There's a total disconnect. No one wants to help raise the child; babysitting for free, helping buy diapers, teaching women how to be better mothers. It's as if once the abortion doesn't happen, the baby is totally the girl's "problem." Don't get me wrong, I believe abortion is a sin, but what are we as churches doing to provide other options?

This post was originally going to be about health care and how I wonder if government-funded care is the best the poor of this nation can ever hope for. I think government-funded health care is some of the worst health care anywhere (those of you having experience with military doctors and hospitals probably understand). So the "Give Up the Fight?" headline was about my questioning whether I should forget thinking there is better care. I keep saying bad health care is better than no health care, but there has to be something better for the people of this nation. Like abortion, if I can't help provide those other options, why am I preaching against what IS available?

So should I give up the fight and support government-funded health care? Maybe I should.