12 Provocative Questions to Uncover It

Who Are You in the face of Roe v Wade?

That’s Tantric answer, hiding there in a question. When it comes to abortion (or any issue), the tendency is to take sides, to align ourselves with a “right” answer and villainize everyone in the “wrong.” But the way of the Tantrika isn’t to take sides militantly, but rather to work toward unity, recognizing everyone is a manifestation of the Divine. The only way to do that is to have a thorough understand of who you are, what you believe, and how you want to show up–especially when it come to explosive issues. While Tantra can’t tell us if pro-lifers are right or pro-choicers are right, the answer it does give is far more useful: what is your sat nam? That is, Who Are You?

It’s not always easy to know who you are when the volcanic issue of abortion erupts and carries you away in its passionate current. So I’ve compiled a list of questions to help you figure it out.

The following was originally posted in the Living in Tantra Meditation Club private Facebook page on Sunday, two days after the Supreme Court’s overturn of 1976 Roe V. Wade case, which guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. The overturn sends the decision to each state to decide the procedure’s legality. At this writing, approximately half of the states have banned abortion.

My dear friends,

I’ve been lying low the past few days from shock, rage, sadness and fear at the main headline. I wasn’t sure how to bring the headline into the Club, given how divisive it is. Divisiveness is not emotionally safe, and one of the tenants that sets our Club apart is this is a safe place for all members. On other threads, I haven’t entirely respected safety, and I feel ashamed of turning my words into poison as I was sucked into faceless, heated debates. It was too easy there to forget my belief that God is You As You, and see instead a bunch of poison-deserving pricks. I had forgotten my sat nam.

Tantra teaches us sat nam requires being in full self-awareness with no self-judgment, and, that poison can turn to nectar.

So in looking at my behavior, what I realize this morning is, part of what makes issues so divisive is people either don’t know or just forget Who They Really Are as passion overtakes them. Tantra then, is well-suited to exploring how you want to show up when the issue is divisive.

I have some questions for you to help you explore your sat nam around the overturning of Roe v Wade. Please remember our Club is a safe place: talk about your own sat nam only, and refrain from commenting as others as they explore theirs. This is NOT A PLACE TO DEBATE ISSUES. Remember as you ask yourself these questions, be in full self-awareness with no self-judgment.

Who are YOU in the face of the overturn of Roe v Wade?

  • When the choice is between a mother’s freedom and the unborn’s freedom, which takes precedence in your mind? Why?
  • Is it more important to you to create a tribe of like-minded people around you, or to listen to the reasoning behind an opposing viewpoint? Neither or both?
  • Which feels more authentic to you: “I find areas of unity between me and someone who disagrees with me.” Or, “I stand loud and proud for what I believe is right.”
  • Does your belief about abortion come primarily from your ideology? Or from personal experience (i.e., you or someone you love has had an abortion)?
  • Have you researched how many women seek abortion every year, how old they are, what their lives are like, what their circumstances are for seeking abortion? Is knowing these statistics important to you as you form your beliefs about abortion?
  • Do you feel men are qualified to contribute to the abortion conversation? Why or why not?
  • Do you feel men who create pregnancy have a financial, emotional, legal, and/or moral responsibility? For the mother? Or the unborn child? Or both? If your answer is yes, do you think the father should be subject to the same legal penalties as the mother in states where abortion is a criminal offense?
  • Is it a woman’s responsibility to safeguard she doesn’t become pregnant if she isn’t ready for it? What if the woman is a minor?
  • Are your beliefs about abortion in alignment with your community/church/family? Why or why not?
  • Do you believe women have a right to seek abortion? Why or why not?
  • If you believe abortion should be illegal, what is your solution in terms of rape, incest, dire economic circumstances, mental health issues, physical health issues exacerbated by pregnancy, physical/emotional abuse, lack of adequate healthcare, lack of job training/education, or the inability to raise a child? (These are some of the reasons women seek abortion.)
  • If you disagree that a fertilized egg has a right to life, what is your answer to the sanctity of unborn human life? Is there any point in gestation in which the unborn has a right to be born?

There are no “right” answers to any of these Roe v Wade questions, only your sat nam. May peace be with you this troubled time. May all peoples everywhere feel deeply loved and cared for. Even in the face of divisive issues, may we once again be the truly United States of America.

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