The Republicans in Colorado have killed the program that reduced the teen pregnancy rate by 40% and the teen abortion rate by 42% by voting not to spend the $5 million necessary to keep the program going for another 5 years.

Why? WHY? What could possibly be their reason?  After all Republicans have said over and over and over again that they want to reduce abortions. And now that they have a program with proven and sustained results, what do they do? They end it!!!

I will tell you what their reason for ending this super successful, life and money saving program is: It is their belief that IUDs might cause abortions. Yes, you read that correctly. They stopped a program that decisively and dramatically reduced abortions because they believe one of the methods used might cause abortions in a small number of cases. Nevermind that this theory has been debunked by scientists. Nevermind that we can actually point to a 42% reduction in ACTUAL abortions. No, the Right-wing Evangelical Republicans have decided that the only acceptable way to reduce abortions is for people to just stop having sex.

Me: NEWSFLASH: Right-wing Evangelical Republicans, People are not going to stop having sex. Not all people have the same rules for sexuality that you do. Yours are fine. FOR YOU. But this is the United States and we have the freedom to make these choices for ourselves. Each and every one of us.

Oh I know, I know, you are worried that your taxes mean you are paying for it and therefore directly responsible for it. Let me ask you this? Did Jesus pay his taxes to Rome? Yes. I believe he did. Does that make him complicit in every sin committed using those tax denarii?

Well?

Does it?

[You may enjoy this post from a while back: Render Unto God that Which is Caesar’s?]

It seems to me that many of these folks would like nothing better than to legislate their own purity code where virginity (at least for women) determines their worth. NO abortion -AND- preferably NO birth control (at least not for single women). And God forbid, Absolutely NO free or low-cost birth control. Even-if-it-has-been-proven-to-reduce-the-number-of-abortions-which-these-same-people-say-they-want-but-really-only-want-if-you-reduce-abortions-in-a-way-of-which-I-approve-because-I-say-that-is-what-God-says-even-if-he-never-said-it-because-birth-control-didn’t-exist-in-biblical-times. I have two words for you: American Taliban.

Yes, I know that is harsh, but tell me what the difference is when both groups want to force compliance with their own religious beliefs?

Nevermind that these tactics don’t work. Nevermind the fact that Evangelical Christians have the same abortion rates and divorce rates as the general population overall. Never mind that the Bible Belt is also the Porn Belt (even Gay Porn), the Teen Pregnancy Belt, the Divorce Belt, and the Domestic Homicide Belt. Forget about all that. Dammit, what we say works even if all the evidence says it doesn’t work at all. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

UPDATE: Amy Schumer is hilarious and you should watch this video: