This observation from Amy Davidson on Representative Todd Akin’s bizarre remarks regarding rape and pregnancy are spot-on:
Beyond that, there is a notion, common in conservative rhetoric lately, that desperation is always elsewhere, and that the crises in ordinary lives do not need to be contemplated or worried about—not by nice people. They are rare; something has gone wrong; maybe the complaint isn’t legitimate; maybe it’s their own fault. That indifference goes beyond the question of rape and abortion
I’m sure there are a significant number of evangelicals and social conservatives who find Akin’s comments laughable, but their silence on the matter makes it that much easier for the media (and a good chunk of the left) to lump them together with the true cranks. Aren’t people of faith tired of a few eccentric and ignorant politicians anointing themselves as spokespersons for millions? One can be staunchly pro-life and still acknowledge that pregnancy can result from rape. From a Christian perspective, don’t we live in a fallen world? And if that’s true, why do some Christians put so much effort into glossing over those instances when our fallen nature inflicts misery on a fellow human being?
