The Sanctity of Whose Life?!

The United States Supreme Court made the news this week by means of a controversial decision. In the decision, the majority of the Court denied the Constitutional right of convicted prisoners to have access to DNA testing evidence that might clear them. The court case was brought by representatives of Mr. William G. Osborne, who over ten years ago was convicted in Alaska of rape and battery of a prostitute. In the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts acknowledged the unparalleled power of DNA testing to exonerate the innocent, yet stated that the granting of the right to such exoneration was a matter “best left to the States.” (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/us/19scotus.html?_r=1)

The trouble is that there are four states which do not have laws granting prisoners access to DNA evidence or testing in order to prove their innocence. Alaska is one of these states. Any state therefore which decides to deny due process to wrongly convicted people can now do so, with the Supreme Court's official blessing. The five Supreme Court justices who formed the majority opinion – Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas and Alito – were all appointed by conservative, right-wing, supposedly “Christian” Presidents. Scalia and Kennedy were appointed by Ronald Reagan. Thomas was appointed by President Bush (the First). Roberts and Alito were appointed by G.W. Bush, who brought us the second Iraq War along with Guantanamo and waterboarding.

This is all very interesting, as it reminds me of the arguments often used by the American Religious Right to try to induce all Christians to support the Republican Party and American patriotism. I heard such arguments again recently from people who are upset that Obama won, saying such things as “I don't see how a godly, biblical Christian could vote for Obama!” They get on the soap box of how only the Republicans are willing to defend the sanctity of human life, and they point to traditional Republican opposition to abortion. Then they point to pictures of Republican candidates at religious conventions or at churches, and say, “See? These are God-fearing, church-going men!”

This is garbage. Utter nonsense. As a Christian, I also oppose abortion, and I stand for the sanctity of the lives of the unborn. But regard for the sanctity of human life extends to those who have already been born and who are walking on the earth now. The Religious Right and the Republican Party claim to have concern for all life, yet they show a curious lack of concern for the lives of the people jacked, ripped off and taken advantage of by them and the corporate interests they represent. They are especially callous in their treatment of the poor, the foreigners, and the non-white. (Note the skin color of Mr. Osborne.)

“But ah,” said some during the last election. “We acknowledge that 'mistakes' were made by President Bush. But McCain is not Bush! He will be different! And Sarah Palin is a God-fearing, loving, Christian mother!” But Sarah Palin is also the Governor of Alaska, the state that fought Mr. Osborne's petition for enhanced DNA testing, even though Osborne was willing to pay the cost of the testing himself. The prosecutors for Alaska even acknowledged that this testing could have cleared Mr. Osborne's name once and for all. Sarah Palin is also a Republican politician, and has probably benefited greatly along with other Republican politicians from generous campaign donations from the private prison “industry” and the prison-industrial complex. (Source: Looking for the Next Mr. Goodweimer)

Is it true then, that all it takes to get the support of mainstream American evangelical culture is to host a few photo-ops in a church while holding a Bible? Or while on one's knees, eyes tightly closed and face contorted in an expression of “serious” prayer? How gullible and stupid we are! Will we traipse along behind any liar promoted by the mouthpieces of the Religious Right, just because we see their campaign ads on the “Fox Faith” network or we see books in the local “Christian” bookstore talking about how “godly” these people are? What happened to our Lord's warning, “You shall know them by their fruits”? Those who continue to support the Republicans as the party of “godliness” are neither wise as serpents, nor harmless as doves. Rather, they are so gullible that they shouldn't be let outside their homes unsupervised – especially if they have money in their pockets. Of many of the Republicans, the Good Book says, “They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.” (Psalm 94:21, World English Bible) Godly? Hah! Gasoline has a better chance of surviving hell unburnt than some of these people.