Christian conservatives are either ignorant of the pluralistic society in which we live, or they simply disrespect others as they aim to make their way the only way.

By Roy Speckhardt, November 04, 2012

Women’s rights have already played a big role in the 2012 elections, and rightly so. More than half of our nation’s citizens are women, and it’s about time that government officials give proper attention to the largest traditionally marginalized group. Unfortunately, not all the attention is positive, or even supportive. Shockingly, after all these years, essential human rights, like autonomy over one’s own body, are actually up for debate this election season.

The latest attack on women’s rights comes from the movement’s longtime nemesis, the Religious Right. Christian conservatives have made numerous offensive statements regarding rape and the right of the victim to end an unwanted pregnancy. For example, Indiana’s treasurer and Senate candidate Richard Mourdock said recently that pregnancy from rape is “something God intended” as if that’s somehow an appropriate and sufficient reason for not exempting rape victims from a complete abortion ban.

To read the rest of this Patheos article from AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt, click here.