At the convention, NR's Byron York has been talking to folks about Bristol Palin's pregnancy:
I spoke this morning to Marlys Popma, who is the well-known Iowa evangelical leader who is now the head of evangelical outreach for the McCain campaign. Turns out Popma herself had a child out of wedlock nearly 30 years ago -- it's something she's talked about publicly in the past -- and it changed her life. "It was my crisis pregnancy that brought me into the movement," Popma told me. "My reaction is that this shows that the governor's family is just like so many families. That's how my first child came into the world, and I'm just thrilled that [Bristol Palin] is choosing to give this child life."I asked Popma what she thought the larger reaction among evangelicals will be. "Their reaction is going to be exactly as mine," she told me. "There hasn't been one evangelical family that hasn't gone through some sort of situation. Many of us are in this movement because of something that has happened in our lives."
Many on the left struggle to make sense of the Christian conservative response to the Bristol Palin pregnancy. They seem to think that the lack of strident condemnation is a sign of gross hypocrisy. If we Christians really believe what we say about teen sex and abstinence, then we should put a scarlet letter around Bristol Palin's neck. The fact that we aren't, but rather are praising the expectant mother for choosing life over abortion, is taken as a sign that we're willing to give a pass to expectant unmarried teenagers -- as long as they come from our side.
Let's concede that they have a point, though a weak one.
It is difficult to strongly stigmatize unwed parenthood on the one hand, but then when you find out that a teenager is pregnant, decline to stigmatize her, and in fact rush to help her. That seems illogical. It is, rationally speaking, contradictory. Conservatives are fond of saying that what you tolerate, you encourage. Are we not encouraging teen pregnancy by failing to condemn Bristol Palin?
There is that possibility, of course. But for Christians, at least, there is this thing called grace. Sex outside of marriage is morally wrong. It should especially be stigmatized for teenagers. But humans are weak and fallible, and they sin. Bristol Palin and the father of her baby sinned, and sinned seriously. Because of what they did, another human life came to be. Love has its own logic, and that logic commands us to love that unborn baby, and to love her mother through this crisis. It does not mean that what Bristol and the baby's father did was right, or trivial. It means only that the most important thing now is to help this young woman -- this young couple -- redeem the situation they've gotten themselves into.
For me, and I think for a lot of Christians, I would rather take the risk that taking a softer line on teen pregnancy will fail to discourage some teenagers from engaging in risky sex than take a hard line that drives teens to kill their unborn children via abortion rather than live with the stigma. Again, it's a difficult line to walk, being compassionate while also upholding moral standards. If my daughter got pregnant out of wedlock, or my sons were involved in an out of wedlock pregnancy, there is nothing -- there is nothing -- I wouldn't do to make that baby welcome into this world, even if the decision were taken to put her up for adoption. Nothing is more important than life. And there is nothing my children could do to separate themselves from the love of their father and mother. Period. The end.
If that doesn't make sense to folks, then fine, it doesn't make sense to folks. I can't help thinking that in the matter of Bristol Palin and her unborn child, many on the left simply can't stand it that conservatives are failing to live up to the malign stereotypes liberals have of them.
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Amazing how grace can be so selectively administered. Those of us on the left would not see the hypocrisy if there hadn't been such "strident condemnation" for others.
Has the right experienced some epiphany?
What an interesting dialog. This whole topic is TEAMING with so many issues that I am almost glad that the circumstances have raised it (unfortunate though it may be for the Palins and their daughter).
Firstly, her pregnancy is not "the end of the world" - she has a safety net to help her through it (her family). Likely the child will grow within a loving and caring family relationship.
Secondly, marriage at 17/18 - although likely fraught with many difficult issues, is not necessarily a disaster. We all know that there are so many OTHER issues in marriage that can lead to it being a disaster (as statistics prove). Plus we know NOTHING (really) about all the parties involved.
The topic DOES bring a focus to issues that seem to divide and clearly polarize both parties though. Unfortunately, I don't see ANY possibility for consensus. Those on the right will hold to their belifes without compromise and those on the left will continue to blast away at the "inconsistencies" they percieve.
The net result is no solution.
The current policies surrounding this issue (policies that have been in place for nearly 8 years) have failed... miserably. But then the policies that were in place in the prior 8 years also failed... miserably.
Here you are a country that is predominantly Christian (at least you say you are) and hold as your byword "Freedom!" But you tear on another apart (at least in your politics) over your desire to impose your viewpoint on each other.
You cry out against teen motherhood and single-parent families but then mostly ignore these problems once they have passed beyond the basic battle ground of abortion and abortion rights. In fact you put most of your money in to military exploits in your effort to bring your 'freedom' to others.
Ah well... at least it is good theater... carry on.
The MSM loves to use situations like this to get on their "abstinence only education doesn't work" soapbox. The problem is that to us Christians, pregnancy is not the sin. It's a consequence of sin, but there is nothing sinful about the pregnancy. Sex outside of wedlock was the sin. To say "don't have sex, but we know you are, so here's how not to get caught" is like saying "don't cheat on your test, but we know some of you will, so here's how to be sneaky about it." Granted, bringing a life into the world more long-term ramifications, but the point is we're trying to encourage people not to sin, not teach them how to skirt the consequences.
There is no hypocrisy or conflict in supporting somebody who is dealing with the consequences of sin. We are all sinners, and the price of our sin has been paid in full, but we still have to live with the consequences. The Palin family never said that Bristol screwed up, so she's being disowned as an additional consequence, nor did they say that it's no big deal because teenage pregnancy is becoming accepted in our culture. What they did say is that Bristol has a long road ahead of her and the family is behind her. I just hope and pray that Bristol's life remains private and Sarah can use this as a springboard for a real national dialog about teenage sexuality, not the celebrity tabloid version of the dialog.
Abortion has always existed. It hasn't always been easy or safe to get, or legal, but it's always been around.
Ok can I just say that I AM A TEEN MOTHER! And I am so sick of hearing that my child will most likely end up in jail, a prostitute, drug addict, or a teen mother herself. NOT all teens are so immature that they can't raise a child. Granted, there are some teen parents that still don't know their left hand from right unless they do the "L" with their fingers. I come from a middle class, well educated family, as does my daughter's father. I think all teen mothers that are making a life for their families would appreciate it if those of you who don't agree would chose your words a little more wisely. You never know when a teen in your family will become a teen parent... how will you feel???
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