Lingering Questions on Trump's Abortion Position

By Kathleen Patterson, CP Guest Contributor Sunday, October 23, 2016

Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks as Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton listens during their third and final 2016 presidential campaign debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., October 19, 2016. | (Photo: REUTERS/Joe Raedle/Pool)

Did anyone else notice that Donald Trump, Republican nominee for President, hit a sour note at the debate with the pro-life conversation?

When asked by moderator Chris Wallace about a woman's right to abortion and if he would overturn Roe v. Wade, Trump did not specifically state that he would.

Kathleen Patterson, Ph.D. is a professor at the School of Business & Leadership, Regent University, and serves on the board of CareNet.

What Trump was trumpeting was "I would think that would go back to the individual states" — and then "If they overturned it, it would go back to the states" — , and finally he stated "It will go back to the states and the states will then make a determination" — not exactly a resounding end of Roe v. Wade. Turning the decision back to the states only let's states decide to continue to abort babies, it does not make abortion illegal in this country, therefore abortions will still continue to erode our nation of the potential of her future.

This track of response left a lingering question for me as a voter on whether he will have a commitment to overturn Roe v. Wade and end abortion in the United States.

Clintons' tune resounded more like the cymbals — a lot of talk and words as she continued to frame the pro-abortion movement as healthcare and a choice. Though more troubling was her no-limit philosophy of abortion before the child is born. Trump did challenge her on this — but did anyone notice he said "Doing that as late as one or two or three or four days prior to birth" — this lent to the idea that late-term abortions might not be okay, but perhaps early term abortions are?

This also left a lingering question for me as well. It could be viewed as an open door for early-term abortions, but a closed door on late-term abortions. Is that not just pro-abortion?

Lingering questions remain with both candidates on the issue of abortion, which is truly one of the greatest moral sins or our age. Future societies will look back on us and wonder what we were thinking and why didn't we step up on this horrendous issue.

I am not advocating voting for or against either Trump or Clinton, what I am advocating is for you as a voter to KNOW what you are voting for. So, listen to the tunes you are hearing and listen for the sour notes — whether from a trumpet or from cymbals — both seem to be making a lot of noise but not a lot of sense, at least moral sense.

Kathleen Patterson, Ph.D. is a professor at the School of Business & Leadership, Regent University, and serves on the board of CareNet. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of Regent University.