Last week on “The View,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg attempted to make a moral appeal to Christians and Catholics to remind them of what she viewed as Jesus’ thoughts on caring for women who want to end the lives of their preborn children by abortion — and naturally, the sentiment is that the only way to care for women seeking abortion is to essentially forget about the fact that a preborn human is killed by abortion.
These comments came about after the co-hosts discussed Melania Trump’s statements regarding her own support for abortion access. Co-host Sunny Hostin then remarked that although she herself proclaims to be Catholic and “against abortion,” she feels her own religious views shouldn’t inform others’ decisions on what to “believe” regarding abortion. Using Hostin’s statement as a a stepping point, Goldberg attempted to use something referred to by commentator Allie Beth Stuckey as “toxic empathy,” to call out religious parties on their apparent lack of care for women seeking abortions.
Addressing the “Christians and Catholics” watching, Whoopi not only seemed to suggest that there is no real empathy or care being shown to abortion-minded women, but that there is only one human being in an abortion situation that people of faith should be concerned about:
… if you are concerned about what this does to a human being in their life, is this the way Jesus wants you to be? Is this the way Jesus wants you to act? Doesn’t Jesus want you to be able to say to somebody, ’Come over here, I know you must be going through somethin’ tough.’ As opposed to what we’re seeing. This is insane.
Whoopi lectures “all of those Christians and Catholics out there” that the only “human being” impacted by abortion is the mom.
“Is this the way Jesus wants you to be? Is this the way Jesus wants you to act?”
She also suggests that religious folks don’t care about folks’ struggles pic.twitter.com/8L6JSg8hle— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) October 3, 2024
Stuckey’s definition of “toxic empathy” used in her new book by the same title is, according to the book’s pre-order website, “a tool of manipulation by left-wing activists who bully people into believing that they must adopt progressive positions to be loving.” Specifically, according to Stuckey, it is often used against Christians. Stuckey says that as Christians, our empathy must be submitted to “God’s definitions of love, goodness, and justice.”
Stuckey’s website states:
Progressives use catchy mantras to present their perspective as empathetic, like “abortion is healthcare,” “love is love,” or “no human being is illegal,” but in each case, they ignore the other side of the moral equation. For example, abortion is presented as compassionate for the woman, but what about the human life the procedure kills?
This tactic is used to gain support for one set of actions and beliefs while distracting from the other side of the argument that obscures an ugly reality. A common tactic in pro-abortion circles, this sort of “toxic empathy” is used to draw attention to the fear of women dying from lack of access to abortion, women suffering while carrying to term a baby conceived in rape, women suffering while pregnant and living in poverty, and so on, while ignoring the truth about the destructive nature of abortion and how it kills human beings.
Abortion advocates commonly claim that abortion would “alleviate” the tough situations in which many women find themselves — as Goldberg implies. The truth is that abortion doesn’t solve any trauma, rape, poverty, or other stress a mother may be facing or has gone through. Abortion kills an innocent human being that has done nothing wrong. This is the ugly truth that statements llike Goldberg’s are trying to hide. Abortion regret is real and haunts women in the very “tough” situations referenced on “The View.” And pro-lifers offer resources for women who are wounded by abortion.
Meanwhile, biblical principles have always taught that all humans are made in the image of God and are instilled with purpose and meaning from conception. This is seen all throughout the Bible, from Psalm 139 to Jesus’ own conception and birth and beyond. Embracing pregnant women facing difficult situations and offering real and practical aid is the pro-life movement’s foundation and always will be. Just as the Good Samaritan took the time to care for the injured man on the side of the road and tended to his wounds to help him heal, so the pro-life movement reaches out to abortion-minded women with real solutions and hope that doesn’t involve the killing of innocent babies.
Author’s Note: If you or someone you know is in need of pro-life resources or post-abortion healing, click here, or reach out to Option Line or Let Them Live.
