Woman who conceived son from rape responds to Bill Maher’s cruel ‘rape baby’ joke

Editor’s Note: Live Action works to maintain the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Live Action has looked into key elements of Ms. Christie’s testimony and personal story and has found them to be credible.

Earlier this month, Jennifer Christie of Love Louder posted a public Facebook response to comedian Bill Maher’s thoughtless ‘rape baby’ joke on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher.’ As Live Action News noted, Maher blamed President Trump’s 2016 presidential win on Green Party voters, thereby placing blame for the president’s selection of three Supreme Court justices on those who cast votes for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Maher crassly stated, “Once this new justice is seated, Obamacare is likely gone and after that Roe v. Wade. So I hope you enjoy carrying your rape baby to term. You can name it Jill Stein.”

Christie, a woman who experienced the degradation and trauma of rape resulting in a pregnancy, as well as the triumph of healing, began her post by extending grace to Mr. Maher, writing, “I forgive you. I forgive you for that moment last Friday when, with one sentence, you disparaged an entire people group. Mothers and fathers and husbands and wives, brothers and sisters. Children. With one sentence you showed contempt for human life based on nothing more than how that life came to be. On the enormous platform you have somehow been granted, you advanced the lie that pregnancy from rape is a tragedy. A sequel to the original nightmare.”

Recently, on his show "Real Time", Bill Maher blamed Green Party voters for the 2016 election results and the 3 Supreme…

Posted by Love Louder – Jeff and Jennifer Christie on Thursday, October 8, 2020

Jennifer then clarified, “I don’t know any woman who has had a ‘rape baby.’ I conceived my 6-year-old after a brutal assault, that’s true, but he isn’t a product or a punishment.” She went on, “He’s not a rape baby. He’s my son. He’s not a rape baby. He’s a gift. He’s not a rape baby. His name is Joshua.”

Calling out the lie that abortion is necessary for the “hard cases” of sexual assault, she countered, “What you’re really promoting is violence on top of violence as the solution to the ‘problem’ of life. You took a stand that furthers stigma,” she said, as well as “discrimination” and “hurt.”

She went on to offer a different thought path to Mr. Maher and others who believe as he does. “You made your statement,” she said. “Here is mine: Choosing life is choosing love and love never fails.” She closed with words, once more, of forgiveness. “In that spirit, in His spirit, I forgive you.”

READ: Bill Maher’s tasteless political joke: ‘I hope you enjoy carrying your rape baby to term’

Christie told Live Action News that her post went viral, and that she has received “only positive” responses so far. She shared several comments on various posts from her page’s moderator message thread on Facebook.

Chuck wrote:

Wonderful post. Your page here, is what changed my mind. I used to believe in exception for rape. Then I discovered your page and read. You opened my eyes and my mind. God bless you and your beautiful boy. The two of you are helping people to understand.

Mary wrote:

Your movement has been an incredible eye-opener for me. I am ashamed to admit that I accepted the rape exception as a moral solution. You (and all your beautiful friends) have opened my mind and my heart to the truth, and I thank you for that!!..

Kandice wrote:

I am against abortion but have always wondered about this type of situation. Hearing your insight is definitely eye-opening and I hope others like me who have had the same thoughts have the chance to hear your testimony….

Kelly wrote:

Any doubt I had about “the exceptions” to the pro-life rule just went away. I was “I don’t think it is right, but I can’t make someone else’s choice for them” pro-choice and over the years have progressively gotten more and more pro-life. But when someone brought up rape or incest I would get quiet. Thank you for sharing your story.

Reading or hearing negative and even nasty comments online can provoke a knee-jerk impulse to respond in kind amongst all of us. But Jennifer and Jeff Christie with Love Louder have found that speaking the truth in love instead changes hearts and minds on the “rape exception.”

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