Fierce Love on the Way to the Election
Choice Matters
“One must choose the lesser of two evils.”
–Pope Francis
While on a plane recently from Asia to Rome, Pope Francis told reporters that he has problems with both candidates for President of the United States. Without calling names, the Pope said, Vice President Harris (“that lady”) and former President Trump (that gentleman) are “both against life.” Further, he said, “Generally, it is said not voting is bad, it is not good. One must vote, and one must choose the lesser evil. Who is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman. I do not know. Each person must think and decide according to their own conscience.” That “lesser evil” comment really irked me. Are both candidates evil? No, I do not think so.
The Pope has a larger congregation than I do; though he is Catholic, and I am Protestant, we are both in the same vocation. We are called to preach, teach, write, and speak in the public square to help people who practice our faiths live lives of compassion and moral courage.
When I watch the link of the Pope’s conversation with reporters—and I have several times now, I see and hear the Pope offering theological reflection on real-life events that affect the globe. The reporters are listening to the Pope translate what he deeply believes to be theological truths—the Word of God for the People of God—through his heart, soul, mind and being. Is the Pope Catholic? Yes, he is, and as the Chief Preacher of the Catholic Church, his views matter to Catholics all around the globe.
Spill tea with the Pope
I wish the Pope, and I could sit in his office or mine and have a cup of tea, share stories, come to some understandings about this moment in global history. On that plane, the Pope offered reflections on how one should treat migrants, strangers, widows, and orphans that are straight from the mouth of Jesus, who we both follow along The Way. If we were sitting together, I would say, one preacher to another, “Love, do you really think Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are the same kind of person?” I would start right there.
I wholeheartedly agree with the Pope that the gospel of Jesus Christ calls all Christians—no matter our denomination – to have mercy on the marginalized and to love the stranger, the alien, the foreigner, and the immigrant. In fact, Jesus was an immigrant; his parents took him to live in Egypt to avoid an infanticide. The call to Christians to care for immigrants is Holy work. At Middle Church, we are working with partners to welcome “new” New Yorkers and have been to the Tex Mex border several times, advocating to keep families together and for compassionate policies.
I strongly disagree with the Pope’s characterization of abortion as “assassinating” a baby. I am not a scientist, but my research shows that the Pope was not accurate when he said at one month, a fetus has all the human organs. Most of the science says 12 weeks (about 3 months); and that a fetus is viable at 22-24 weeks (about 5 and a half months). You can look that up as well as I can, BUT I am not making a scientific argument.
I am talking about faith and politics here. I have never had an abortion, but I believe fervently in a woman’s right to choose what she—cis or trans—needs to do with her body. Our government has no business in that conversation. Frankly, I do not believe the church belongs in that conversation unless invited by a pregnant person for counsel, prayer, or support.
What faithful folks think about abortion
The anti-abortion movement’s use of Christianity in arguments against abortion might create the impression that broad swaths of religious Americans do not support abortion rights. But a May 2024 report from Public Religion Research Institute shows that Americans of various faiths and denominations believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Some 22,000 U.S. adults surveyed showed 93% of Unitarian Universalists, 81% of Jews, 79% of Buddhists, and 60% of Muslims also hold that view. In fact, many parts of Judaism require an abortion in some cases. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg does important work on this subject.
Researchers also found that most people who adhere to the two major branches of Christianity — Catholicism and Protestantism — also believe abortion should be legal, save for three groups: white evangelical Protestants, Latter-Day Saints, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Historically, the Catholic Church has opposed abortion. But the poll found that 73% of Catholics of color — PRRI defines this group as Black, Asian, Native American, and multiracial — support the right to have an abortion, followed by 62% of white Catholics and 57% of Hispanic Catholics.
Polls do not decide what is moral or ethical behavior. But the breadth of religious views on abortion reflects the breadth of religious diversity in our nation. And some parts of the Christian faith community want to impose what they consider to be moral and ethical on the bodies of people who are not even Christian. Women—cis or trans—should have the right to choose what they do with their bodies when they are pregnant. I say that as a Christian clergy who loves children, values the lives of all children, AND the lives of the pregnant persons who get to make these decisions.
The lesser of two evils or the greater good?
When I say the Pope and I have the same vocation, some of what we are called to do, as we point God’s people to the Realm of God on Earth, is to help them see where evil is at work wreaking havoc on our lives. The “lesser of two evils” frame casts both Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump in the same role: “evil.”
Harris’ pro-choice ethical stance affirms that women have the right to choose what they do with their bodies. She is not assassinating children and that characterization is dangerous. She is being faithful to separating church/faith and state. She understands that her religion should not dictate the health decisions for the citizens of this nation. She is trying to build a nation with policies that work for most of us. She understands that her religious background—Baptist Christian raised with Hindu influences now married to a Jew—should not be forced upon the citizens of our nation, as she helps create policies for a just society. Agree or disagree with her policies, the Vice President is not planting seeds of evil; she is working from a place of love—Just Love. As Catholics listen to the Pope; as a global neighborhood listens to the Pope—his words about the Vice President “evil” advocating for “assassinating” babies is quite dangerous. I am sure the Pope does not mean it that way, but the net result for Black women and all women of color is that it takes extraordinarily little to smear us in a world already leaning away from our humanity, intellect, and giftedness.
On the other hand, Trump’s behavior is vile. Bragging about grabbing women by the genitalia. Having affairs on his wives, one who accused him of rape. Clearly a sexual predator, who lies more often than telling the truth. An election denier who caused pain and heartache for election workers and who promises to dismantle our justice system if elected, behave like a dictator, and go after anyone who has crossed him. I do not wish Trump any harm, but this man is not a good human. In my opinion, his works are evil. My faith calls me to pray for God to touch his heart, and heal him from his racism, xenophobia, and misogyny. We should pray for him, but Trump is not good for most of us.
When the Pope puts Trump and Harris in the same boat, that is a mistake. It glosses over the extremely different moral and ethical assessments we can and must make about them. And in a racist sexist global neighborhood, hanging “assassination” around the neck of a Black woman puts her in danger.
The idiom “the lesser of two evils” can be traced back to ancient Greek philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle. Aristotle introduced the concept of “choosing the lesser of two evils” as a means of ethical decision-making. However, the exact phrase itself gained popularity in English literature during the 19th century. It was used by various authors and thinkers to describe selecting the option perceived to have the least negative consequences when faced with two unfavorable choices. The lesser of evils falls short of my vision for this nation, it is not ambitious enough in these perilous times.
We are going to have to examine our ethics on the way to the polls, because we have reality-shifting choices to make. What is good? What is right? What is just? We must ask ourselves what kind of freedoms we want for ourselves and for our neighbors. For those of us who are Christian, we might have to ask ourselves, ‘What would Jesus do?’ For those of us practicing any of the major religions—each of which calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves—’What does our neighbor need? Can pulling this lever help all of us thrive?’ And for those of us driven by the greater good, we might ask, ‘What is the greater good, and what does love have to do with that? What will we choose?’
I am writing, preaching, thinking, praying, and teaching about love-driven politics in these weeks.
If you are curious, follow me on all the places @RevJacquiLewis. And if you have Pope Francis’ email, please forward this to him. Tell him I say, “Let’s talk.”
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