Life –from the womb to the tomb– is precious
If I hear one more Christian use the Bible to prove a point, I’m going to scream!
Yes, I said it! And that’s on my calling to preach the liberating gospel of Jesus, my credentials that affirms my call to do the work, and my community of faith, Black people, particularly Black women.
Those who used the Bible and Christianity to dismantle Roe vs. Wade done so with one goal in mind to maintain control of what benefits them. This is not a new tactic for it is the same one used to maintain slavery, patriarchy, and misogyny. As a card-carrying ordained Baptist preaching woman, quoting of scriptures out of context means nothing to me if they are not aligned with freedom and justice for all. Do not quote one verse of Leviticus to me if it does not line up with the red letters of the gospel.
With all my education and critical thinking skills, I’m baffled at those who worked feverishly to overturn Roe vs. Wade claiming all life is precious. Yet, they work equally hard to enact policies, agendas and laws that are in opposition. How can life be so precious in the womb and worthless on earth? Life can’t be that precious if people want to strip affordable health care that many poor children will need to sustain their lives. Life can’t be that precious if people are more concerned with their Second Amendment rights while ignoring the 14th Amendment. Life can’t be that precious if decent, safe, and sanitary housing is unavailable for Black and Brown families to bring their precious baby home.
The answer to my question is simple. Many of those who are proudly pushing out their religious chests at the dismantling of Roe vs. Wade are not pro-life. They are anti-abortion. They want babies to enter the world so that they can pick off the Black and Brown ones while ensuring that Anglo babies grow up to rule the world. In essence, let’s bring all babies into the world with the mindset that those babies who do not meet certain criteria will live in their graves the rest of their lives.
Just so no one comes for my credentials, let me show you that I do care about the Bible and the guidance it gives to living a prosperous, flourishing life. Let’s focus on the words of the One who came with the purpose of giving us an abundant life. Get your paper Bibles and turn to Matthew 25:35-46. Jesus, in this passage, is making clear that what matters most to him is how we treat the marginalized, including the hungry, the thirsty, the immigrant, the sick, the naked, and the prisoner.
How we treat the least of these is a great indication of how precious we believe life really is. Until we are ready to protect life from the womb to the tomb, we are not Jesus followers. We are simply Bible-thumping-Christians.
Rev. Sherri L. Jackson
Jozef Syndicate 
🙂