It was not long ago that I explained I do not think it is possible to understand the situation in Afghanistan after the U.S. departure without considering the theocratic Islam (i.e., Islamism). The Taliban reminds us why this is so dangerous and why theocratic forms of government must be prevented from taking hold. The threat to human rights is very real. To understand what is so bad about the Taliban, we must confront Islamic extremism.
With attention quickly shifting to the dire situation unfolding in Texas, many are asking similar questions (i.e., "What's wrong with Texas?") as we were recently asking about Afghanistan. And while the answer is not the same, it is very similar. I do not believe we can understand what is happening in Texas without considering theocratic Christianity (i.e., Christian nationalism). Those who passed the draconian law restricting reproductive rights in Texas remind us why this is so dangerous and why theocracy must be prevented from taking hold within the United States (and dismantled where it has been allowed to take hold). To understand what is so bad about Texas and many other states, we must confront Christian extremism.
Some will prefer to focus on other factors in Texas. This is the Republicans and their war on women. But would this be happening if it was not for the stranglehold evangelical fundamentalist Christianity has on the people who live there and those they continue to elect? I don't think so. I don't think we can understand the situation in Texas apart from Christian extremism. And much like the situation in Afghanistan, we are not hearing nearly enough about Christian extremism from our news media. This is a problem because the public needs to understand the dangers and their source; Christian extremists will restrict our rights in egregious ways if not prevented from doing so. We must work to oppose Christian extremism to maintain the basic rights most of us take for granted.
If Roe v. Wade falls, it will be because Christian extremism has taken hold and been allowed to flourish in large regions of the United States and because voters in these regions send representatives to Washington DC who pass laws and appoint justices. The notion that we'd all have to pay a high price for this is terrifying but not nearly as far-fetched as it might have once seemed. It is going to take some work on our part to remedy the situation, and I hope we are up for it. This is one of those problems that will only get worse if we continue to ignore it. I'd hate to think that we are prepared to allow our desire to respect "sincerely held religious beliefs" to lead to more restrictions on our basic rights and continue to jepordize our public health.
Take Action to Preserve Reproductive Rights
With that in mind, here is one easy thing you can do right now to help: contact your members of Congress and urge them to pass the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) to guarantee equal access to abortion care throughout the U.S.
Update: Sadly, this was a case of too little, too late. The Christian extremist majority that now controls the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022.
