Chelsea Clinton: 'As a Deeply Religious Person,' Banning Abortions 'Is UnChristian to Me'
Chelsea Clinton has said that, as a "deeply religious person," the idea of America going back to a pre-Roe v. Wade society where abortions were banned is "unChristian."
In an interview with SiriusXM's "Signal Boost," on Thursday, Clinton said every day she makes the "moral choice" to be optimistic for her children when it comes to what she says is the battle for women's rights.
"That my efforts and my energies, particularly when I'm fortunate enough to be in partnership with fellow travelers, hopefully will make a difference," the activist and former first daughter said.
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"And when I think about all of the statistics that are painful of what women are confronting today in our country, and what even more women confronted pre-Roe and how many women died and how many more women were maimed because of unsafe abortion practices, we just can't go back to that," Clinton said, referring to the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the country.
"Like that's unconscionable to me, and also, I'm sure that this will unleash another wave of hate in my direction, but as a deeply religious person, it's also unChristian to me," she added, referring to her Methodist faith.
Clinton added that she has been receiving "a lot of hate" over the issue, and has been compared to slave-owners and Nazis.
Several conservative figures, including evangelist Franklin Graham, have recently taken objection to Clinton's continued comments on abortion. Back in August, she spoke at a pro-abortion event "Rise Up for Roe" in New York City against Judge Bret Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.
At the event, she seemed to suggest that the ability to have legal abortions has led to economic growth in the U.S.
Graham wrote on Facebook that such notions are a "lie," however.
"Hitler probably also claimed that killing the Jews would be good for their economy. Legalizing abortion hasn't added anything to our country, it has only taken away. It has cost this nation more than 60 million lives — lives precious to God," Graham said.
"Just think of the contribution these people would have made. There will be another high cost. I believe God will judge America for allowing the heinous murder of our own children in the womb," he added.
Clinton added in a subsequent statement that what she is saying is not that having an abortion is good for the economy, but that women were more likely to enter the workforce due to the legalization of abortion.
"From 1973–1985, American women's deaths from abortion declined 5-fold. Reproductive rights are also about women's economic rights and agency," Clinton tweeted.
Susan B. Anthony List, a nonprofit that seeks to advance pro-life women in politics, responded to Clinton's original comments on the economy and abortion by asking her to consider "the 60 million aborted babies who won't enter the labor force or pay into Social Security."
"Their parents won't purchase diapers, clothing, toys, cars or houses to accommodate them. ... Yes, abortion's had a huge impact on America's economy and it hasn't been good. Not only are we hurting economically, we're missing 60 million blessings from God and the good they would have contributed," Brad Mattes of the institute said.
Watch the clip of Clinton's interview with SiriusXM below: