Willie Parker

This is a book that had been languishing on my TBR too long until the recent shitstorm of forced-birth legislation in the South prompted me to look this up at the local library. I was familiar with Parker only superficially as a doctor-activist in the reproductive rights community. While I feel the sub-title is a bit misleading (this is less a moral argument for choice as it is one man's personal/moral/religious journey around the topic of abortion), I found Parker's story so moving and show more interesting that I could hardly put it down.

Aspects of this book I particularly enjoyed/appreciated: the ways in which Parker's faith and morality have been guided by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other peace and justice activists, his "life is a process" position, and his careful dismantling of the ways we've come to view Christianity, conservative politics, and the cluster of positions often called "family values" as inseparable -- revealing all of these interpretations and associations as choices -- and giving thoughtful, moral, meaningful interpretations of those oft-referenced Bible verses and political positions. I especially appreciated his direct takedown of the "abortion is black genocide" propaganda.

I do disagree with a few of Parker's positions, but I respect the way he centers the women he serves and the Christian imperative to "judge not" in his decision making.

A compelling read. show less

I found this to be a compelling, passionate, clear-eyed story from a self-identified Christian who also happens to be a doctor devoting his life to providing abortions. He describes the medical process--which is missing from much of the public debate--and lays out an ethical framework--which is also missing from media coverage, in favor of covering the hysterical pronouncements and the bite-sized provocative misleading phrases. His description of how "liberals" often work against the actual show more moral agency of women--especially poor women--was enlightening. show less

(2) Wow - as an OBGYN and some one who attends a Catholic church but considers themselves pro-choice, this was really powerful. Written in unequivocal straightforward language about the reality of abortion and the history of the rise of anti-abortion politics, this book packs a punch. I loved the notion that conflating opposition to abortion with being a Christian is just flat wrong. He points out that if those of us who are pro-choice retain a scientific detachment and do not present an show more equally compelling, frankly, religious, argument for abortion, than the 'antis', as Parker call them, will always have the moral high ground. Parker is from the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama from a dirt poor African-American family, raised by a single mother. He achieved college, medical school, and a career as an OB/GYN with smarts, grit, mentors, and strength derived from his Christian faith. A self-described born-again Christian he did not train in or perform abortions until mid-career. He had a change of heart and is now an itinerant abortion provider in the Deep South - but, but -- he did not turn his back on his Christian faith in order to have this career change, In fact, his argument is, because of his Christianity, he could no longer choose NOT to be an abortion provider. Anyway, I read this essentially in one sitting, up way past my bedtime.

I pretty much agree with him 100% but hopefully people will read this book who don't agree with him and come away with a deeper understanding. One of the bravest things he says that I will perhaps remember more than the moral argument for choice is that liberal well-off (mostly white) Americans have fetishized motherhood to the point where women who make the choice not to become mothers are a priori villianized. Therfore many of the white privileged despite being pro-choice, are essentially part of the problem. Part of the reason why TRAP laws that chip away with access to abortion in red states are insidiously inserted and most people with resources look the other way. Bold, right? What obstetrician dares say there is nothing miraculous about motherhood - it is simply a biological fact - I love it! Frankly, as much as I love being a mother. . . these are not mutually exclusive assertions.

Perhaps not 5 stars as it was pretty slight and while he told about the sources he read that changed his ideas on religion and the God concept - I would have liked him to explore that maybe gnosis concept he seemed to be getting at a bit more fully. I also think he should of addressed partial-birth abortion and de-mystified that political ridiculous term for the lay population. But overall - a great read! show less

I come from a very different background and faith tradition from Dr. Parker, but his book deeply resonated with me. It is a political, moral, and religious explanation of his work as an abortion provider.

This book will not convince those who believe that abortion is murder and that is the end of the story, as the one star reviews here show. But many of us do not live in such a black and white moral world (and, Dr. Parker says, this belief is relatively recent for Protestants). I grew up show more believing, and still believe, that the Bible specifically says abortion is not murder, though it does not explicitly say if it is permissible or not. Instead, Dr. Parker believes in a theology of compassion for the women he treats, and an understanding that the Bible defends all manner of oppression against women that we do not accept today. In his view (and mine) a great deal of anti abortion activism today is based on sexual control of women. In my own experience, I have seen people opposed to abortion harden their hearts against the issues women face, and say they should have made better choices so they would not be in a position to need an abortion, or that their abortion is not truly necessary.

Dr. Parker's personal story is also well worth reading--his path to becoming a doctor was far from simple, and his decision to return to the South to serve the women there was not easy. It's a reminder of the many difficulties children, especially black children, face in order to succeed.

There were two specific small details that did not sit well with me. One was his assertion (repeated twice) that fetuses do not feel pain before 29 weeks. I don't know the science about fetuses in-utero and pain, but what I do know is that claims about pain have been used to deny that early preemies do not feel pain--and many NICU parents can tell you otherwise. I don't know if this is an error of science or phrasing, since it's clearly intended to apply to abortion and not to preemies in a NICU. Two, he slams perinatal hospice as a pro life front. Pro life activists may have latched on to perinatal hospice, and there may not be a defined medical protocol for it yet, but I have read about hospice programs that were helpful to families. show less