This is Pastor Tim’s article which appeared in the Evening Leader on Tuesday, Oct 9, 2023
For today’s article, I’d like to introduce you to a new word to expand your vocabulary. The word I want to teach you is “obfuscate.” Interestingly, it looks just like what it means. “Obfuscate” means to intentionally make something confusing. It is often employed when someone wants to hide the true nature of something because being clear and honest about it would be shocking or disturbing.
For an excellent example of obfuscation, you need not look further than Issue 1 on the upcoming November 7 ballot. This is a textbook example of something being obfuscated. A “yes” vote on Issue 1 would make the right to terminate pregnancies a constitutional right in Ohio. Issue 1 is a prime example of obfuscation because it frequently uses the term “reproductive medical treatment.” Can you think of any other medical treatment where the intention is to end a healthy life? Another obfuscation used in the issue is the term “viable.”
Let me share a couple of lines from this exercise in obfuscation, taken directly from the ballot: “Establish in the Constitution of the State of Ohio an individual right to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion.” This sentence may sound appealing at first. However, when you decode it, it means unrestricted access to abortion. It grants mothers the right to terminate pregnancies with the approval of the State of Ohio.
Am I being too extreme? Consider the last line of the issue: “Always allow an unborn child to be aborted at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of viability if, in the treating physician’s determination, the abortion is necessary to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health.” Who gets to define what is “necessary to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health?” If the woman’s physical life is at risk and a difficult decision must be made, the choice should rest with the woman and her family. I support any decision made in such a tragic situation, including the termination of the pregnancy, followed by a compassionate and caring funeral for the child.
But, since the option of abortion in these dire situations is already 100% legal and supported by every compassionate person on Earth, it raises questions about why a constitutional amendment is necessary. Could it be because there are various interpretations of what is “necessary to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health”?
What this exercise in obfuscation does is enshrine abortion on demand in our state constitution. Approving Issue 1 would allow the termination of pregnancies for convenience. The way this issue is written might make it seem like it’s about preserving abortion rights based on the 1990s liberal talking point that it should be “legal, safe, and rare.” However, it appears that the focus has shifted away from “rare” to prioritize “legal,” with little emphasis on “safe.”
In our county, where the majority supports the right of babies to live, we need every single person to vote against this amendment to our constitution. I warned you that this would happen as soon as they obfuscated the last ballot, which aimed to protect our state’s constitution by changing the amendment process. I told you that abortion would be on the next ballot, and here we are, just three months later, voting on this contentious issue once again.
Don’t let anyone obscure the true nature of this issue. This isn’t just about a person’s right to choose; it’s about recognizing the intrinsic value of human life. Contrary to what Issue 1 may suggest, life is incredibly valuable. I urge you not only to vote against this amendment but also to pray that the people of Ohio can send a clear message to the ACLU that we do not want their involvement here.
While you’re at the polls voting against Issue 1, consider voting against Issue 2 as well. To its credit, Issue 2 does not obfuscate its intentions. It seeks to legalize marijuana, and it states this in the clearest possible language.