Dear Laura,
Thank you for contacting me regarding right to life and the issue of abortion.
I fully understand the controversy and diverse opinions surrounding this issue. My own views have been forged over a lifetime of raising a family and following the national debate. In all sincerity, and with due respect to the beliefs of others, I believe that life begins at conception.
Our founding documents establish that we have an unalienable right to life endowed by our creator. Because the abortion debate concerns more than one life, there is not a national consensus as to when life begins or when the life of an unborn child should be protected.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court in Roe v Wade imposed a judicial dictate that did not end a debate that would be better resolved through the legislative process. As a result, the controversy over abortion has raged for over 3 decades, and there will continue to be attempts to come to a better resolution of the issue legislatively.
I have cosponsored two current bills in the Senate that help define and resolve the issue. I support S. 91 that defines life as beginning at conception, and S. 906 that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for procedures that so many Americans strongly believe are morally wrong.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is important for me to hear the views and concerns of the people I serve. Since taking office, I have received over 300,000 pieces of correspondence and have had over 150,000 people participate in live forums and telephone town hall meetings. Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can further assist you or your family. It is an honor representing you and the good people of Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate.
Sincerely,Ron Johnson
United States Senator
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I received the above email this morning. I immediately posted it on Facebook and the comments keep coming.
I'm not sure which email Sen. Johnson is replying to here, but I am so appalled by his use of religious language in official correspondence that I have to share it.
I'm referring specifically to Sen. Johnson's candid mention of "our creator." As if everyone believes whatever Sen. Johnson believes. As if imposing his religious beliefs on his constituents is part of his job as a U.S. senator.
Regardless of "our founding documents," I am a strong proponent of separation of church and state. Everyone is entitled to their own religious beliefs or having no religious beliefs, but religion should have no place in government- in theory and practice.
Unfortunately, that's not the reality. After all, organizations like NARAL wouldn't have to exist if it weren't for the religion-politics crossover.
Although the majority of Americans identify as Christians, 3.9-5.5% identify as non-Christian, and 15% don't identify with any religion at all.
Furthermore...
- A recent Gallup poll shows that those who believe that abortion should be illegal in all cases are the minority;
- A Guttmacher report shows 78% of women who have abortions have a religious affiliation;
- And the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, for example, is made up of about 40 national religious and religiously affiliated organizations from 15 denominations and faith traditions
I expected Sen. Johnson's response to be anti-choice, but I did not expect such a blatant disregard for religious freedom and separation of church and state. Like many politicians, he is using "the issue of abortion" as a platform to promote his personal religious beliefs rather than to simply state his position.
Sen. Johnson's response illustrates that he is both out of touch and out of line.
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UPDATE 3/5/12:
In 2011, the Guttmacher Institute published an analysis showing 99% of all women of reproductive age who have had sex have used some method of contraception other than natural family planning. 98% of those women are Catholic.
Read it here: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/Religion-and-Contraceptive-Use.pdf
