It’s no longer a man’s world…

Dear Editor,

This letter is a response to Mr. Noland’s recent missive regarding women’s reproductive rights. His extensive use of New Testament scripture to back up his opinion is impressive. I am surprised, however, that he fails to recognize Christianity’s widely accepted Golden Rule: “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you;” (Matthew 7:12).

I’m wondering whether, as a Christian, Mr. Noland would apply this Biblical mandate to himself and agree to women having a voice in his reproductive healthcare decisions in the same way he wants a voice in theirs? Would he agree to his reproductive health being governed by public policy in the same way he, as a man, is insisting women’s reproductive health should be a matter of public policy? Does he support men being legally taxed to help support the children he believes women should be legally forced to have, whether or not they can care for them? How about being required to have a vasectomy after age 45, insuring he cannot father more children, thereby controlling his reproductive choices by the same means he argues women’s reproductive choices should be controlled? Is what’s good for the goose also good for the gander? My guess is the answer to all of these questions is a resounding no.

It also appears that the Old Testament perspective of an eye for an eye – a tooth for a tooth emerging from the Code of Hammurabi (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21) has slipped the minds of Mr. Noland and other, like-minded men. Applied to this situation: You mess with our reproductive rights, and we’ll mess with yours probably isn’t too appealing to those men who believe scripture allows them to think they are entitled to rule over women’s reproductive lives. Perhaps they are willing to agree to having done to them what they are trying to do to women, but so far, I’ve seen no evidence of this.

There’s another Golden Rule, commonly known as the Good Neighbor Policy, that doesn’t appear in scripture but honest people of good will nevertheless live by: Care about your neighbor, even if you disagree with him or her, then mind your own damned business. With this in mind, my response to Mr. Noland and to all men who have the mistaken idea they can tell women how to manage their reproductive choices is this: Women’s reproductive health care choices ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, the government’s business or institutionalized religion’s business.

Women are living by the Golden Rules that command us to treat others as we wish to be treated and minding our own business, which includes making our own reproductive choices. We aren’t demanding the right to control men’s reproductive lives; we’re, and the men who love us, are only fighting to control our own.

Christianity promises its Golden Rule protects against evil perpetrated by others, and this no doubt includes the evil perpetuated by foolish men trying to control women. Sooner or later, this will catch on, but in the meantime, sorry, Adam – it’s no longer a man’s world (the gospel according to Eve 1:1).

Paula vW. Dail, PhD

Emerita Professor of 

Social Welfare and Public Policy

Spring Green, WI