Roe v. Wade Anniversary

On Christmas Day 2007, two Albuquerque clinics that provide abortion were attacked - one was firebombed, the other was vandalized. This was the third attack in a single month in the state — a reproductive health care clinic in Albuquerque was firebombed just 20 days earlier.

Violence and access to reproductive health care have been so inextricably linked over the last 20 years that news accounts of firebombs at clinics barely make the headlines. Often violent opposition to abortion access is wrapped in religious belief, and its leaders claim priesthood. Extremist Joe Scheidler sometimes led prayer groups in front of clinics that his followers were violently invading and vandalizing. The late Congressmember Henry Hyde was a staunch supporter of Scheidler, even literally standing by Scheidler as he was convicted in federal court of over 100 acts of violence. President Reagan welcomed Scheidler for a private meeting at the White House, and a few months ago President Bush awarded Hyde with a Presidential medal of honor in part for his anti-abortion advocacy.

Today the Trinity Institute in New York begins an exploration of Religion and Violence. Some of the world’s leading thinkers on the subject are in attendance, including Islamic scholar and author Tariq Ramadan, who says this about the apparent religious inspiration for violence:

“It’s not religiously inspired. It’s that we are using religions when we are dealing with power - when we are dealing with denomination. This is really why we need, from the very beginning, to understand that there is no true religion without effort, discipline, and education. Because if you are confusing your religious commitment with emotions, your emotions can be blind. And it comes to violence.

The difference between spirituality and emotion is very deep. Spirituality is what you get after a very deep education, at the bottom of your heart. And emotion is at the surface of your being. And you have to be cautious not to confuse the two. And sometimes violence is exactly in between.”