Dispelling myths about abortion

I was always a big fan of mythology. My particular favorite is Athena, also known as Minerva, goddess of wisdom. She is said to have sprung fully formed from her father Zeus’ head, which was probably a great relief for his wife Hera. Athena is the patron of Bryn Mawr College, and there’s a statue devoted to the goddess on campus.

At exam time, you can see her covered in offerings (I usually left Tastykakes) to invoke her protection.

Athena is a myth, but one that ironically calls us to examine the truth. Given what happened last week at the Supreme Court and its aftermath, I think it’s time to dispel some of the myths surrounding the pro-life movement. It’s the least I could do as a proud Bryn Mawrter.

PRO-LIFERS ONLY CARE ABOUT BABIES UNTIL THEY’RE BORN.

This is a myth that always crops up when those who support abortion rights try and take the moral high ground, pointing out that pro-lifers want to force women to have babies but provide them with no assistance during pregnancy, or afterward. It’s such an easy fabrication to dispel, given the long list of agencies that support pregnant women and children. Organizations like Birthright, A Baby’s Breath, Mother’s Home, Heartbeat International, Live Action, Project Rachel Ministry, Catholic Charities, and Carenet are easily accessed on the internet. Of course, those who support abortion rights don’t like to admit that these places exist, because myths are powerful.

MOST PRO-LIFERS ARE RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS

This is another popular idea, particularly since many of the most outspoken advocates against abortion come from the Catholic Church (except, of course, those notable “Catholics” Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi). And while it’s true that faith is a very strong aspect of the pro-life movement, particularly

among Christians, there are a large number of nonaffiliated folk who “trust the science,” as Dr. Fauci would say.

The first man of science who turned against abortion is Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who performed many abortions in his career before he realized that the procedure ended a human life. Abby Johnson is another person who was so convinced that abortion was a legitimate medical procedure that she became the head of a Planned Parenthood clinic, presiding over thousands of abortions. It wasn’t religion that changed her mind, it was the observation of an actual abortion that did. My friend Monique Ruberu is a pro-life obstetrician, who understands the science even as she honors her faith. I’ve been told personally by women who were previously pro-choice that experiencing pregnancy and watching the development of their unborn child convinced them that this was, indeed, a human creature.

MOST WOMEN SUPPORT ABORTION

Whenever abortion is in the news, the loudest female voices are the ones raised in support of “reproductive justice.” It’s only grudgingly that networks or newspapers seek out and promote the views of women who believe that abortion does great damage to both women and society. If we are asked for our opinions at all, it’s usually to act as the uneducated foil for the sophisticated and autonomous women of Planned Parenthood, et. al. Even if Roe is overturned, that dynamic won’t end any time soon. But the truth is very different from that myth of overwhelming female support for abortion rights. A recent NBC poll from 2021 showed that among women, 59% believe that abortion should remain legal, and 38% believe it should be illegal.

IF ROE IS OVERTURNED, ABORTION WILL DISAPPEAR

This isn’t so much a myth about pro-lifers as it is about the nature of Roe v. Wade. If Roe falls, the issue will go back to the states and their legislatures to decide whether women have access to abortion. If any “right” is being removed, it’s by your local legislators. But more to the point, there is no “right” to abortion beyond what Harry Blackmun and the other six fellows excavated from the shadows and penumbras in the Bill of Rights. It’s just not there. You can’t take away what you never had in the first place.

There are so many more of these myths, and so little space in which to debunk them. I’ll just leave you with this, in honor of Pallas Athena:

Myths are amusing. True wisdom is eternal, and dead serious. Be like Athena.