Open Letter To President Obama

Dear President Obama,

Let me begin by saying, “Congratulations!” Although I did not vote for you, it was nonetheless encouraging to see how your election has broken down the invisible barriers that have divided this country for so long. I want to let you know that I’ve been praying for you and asking God to bless your administration. I also wanted to pass along how pleased I’ve been that you seem to want to put aside the petty partisan politics of the past and try to govern from the center.

In the interest of full disclosure, I wanted you to know that I’m a Southern Baptist pastor, and therefore I hold some pretty strong convictions on certain moral issues that often spill over into the political realm. It probably won’t surprise you to know that we have conflicting views on the issue of abortion. With that being said, however, I’ve been encouraged to see how you’ve shown an interest in reducing the number of abortions. That is at least one area where we can both agree when it comes to this polarizing issue. And I guess that is the reason why I’m so disappointed today.

I find it difficult to believe, after all you’ve said about the importance of reducing the number of abortions, that one of your first acts as President was to repeal a ban on federal funding for international groups that promote or perform abortions. You stated that:

We must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work; and to have no limits on their dreams. That is what I want for women everywhere.

President Obama, that is what I want for human beings everywhere, including those that are still in the womb.

I have no problem when you argue for equal opportunity for women in this country. But when we talk about abortion, we’re talking about no opportunity for those whose life is snuffed out before birth. No opportunity to get an education, have a career, and live out their dreams. No opportunity to possibly be the one who discovers a cure for AIDS, cancer, or some other currently incurable disease. No opportunity to grow and achieve their God-given potential.

Mr. President, it would seem to me that if you truly want to reduce the number of abortions, then the last thing you’d want to do is lift this ban, thereby making it easier to obtain an abortion. Do you really believe what you say, or are you just saying it to try and appease your opposition? I know many young evangelicals who supported your candidacy because they saw something different in you. They saw someone who they thought could bring folks together and find common ground where none has previously been found.

Today, I have a feeling that many of my evangelical friends who supported you feel like they’ve been duped. President Obama, is this really change we can believe in?

Sincerely,
Shane Lambert

P.S. One more question: Why should we seek to reduce the number of abortions? If you really believe that it's OK to keep abortion legal, then why bother trying to limit it? I believe if you could honestly answer this question, sir, you'd have to rethink your stance on abortion.