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The most recent political brouhaha has thrust religious communities around the United States into the uncomfortable position of having to ‘violate their conscience.’ Are we to numb ourselves to the real internal consequences of particular actions we find to be in opposition to Scriptural tenets under political pressure? Or is this a matter of little consequence to religious communities that value the sanctity of life?

Conscience should act like nerve endings. When we do something that is harmful to our bodies, we experience pain – messages from the nerve endings to the brain – so that we know that this particular action is something we shouldn’t do again. In the same way, when we do something that is psychologically or spiritually harmful, we experience pain through the conscience. The less pain you feel, the more likely it is that you will harm your body.

So should the government be forcing religious communities to ‘violate their conscience’ in order to provide abortion services? Pro-choice or pro-life, you’ve got to wonder what this means for American religious life. Have we minimized the role of conscience so much that it no longer is a motivating factor, but rather a political means to an end?