Pro-Abortion Pastor Raphael Warnock shared his life experiences, juggling both works as a minister and politician ahead of the release of his new book "A Way Out of No Way: A Memoir of Truth, Transformation, and the New American Story."
In his interview with Religion News Service, Warnock shared that it was disruptive for him to run for the senate at first. He explained that he enjoys being a pastor because it was his identity essentially since he was a child of two pastors.
He said that his book title came from a popular African-American expression "A Way Out of No Way," which depicts the resilience of people amidst hardships and trials. Warnock explained he believed in the existence of darkness "but the light shines in the darkness and the darkness overcomes it not."
Dubbed Himself As Pro-Choice Pastor
The 11th Black senator in American history explained his healthcare agenda on Capitol Hill such as pushing to expand Medicaid access and setting a price restriction on insulin was motivated by the suffering he has witnessed. He said that providing healthcare to people was a human right and he intended to fight for it indefinitely.
Warnock, the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, said his advocacies on healthcare were drawn out of him being a preacher. He claimed that he spoke every Sunday morning in commemoration of Jesus Christ who spent much of his ministry healing the sick, including those with pre-existing illnesses.
However, after dubbing himself a "Pro-choice Pastor," he received backlash from many pro-life advocates. Warnock said in his Twitter post, that he believed in pro-abortion slogans that women had a choice over their bodies. He pledged to protect this right permanently.
As a pro-choice pastor, I’ve always believed that a patient's room is way too small for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government.
I'll always fight to protect a woman's right to choose. And that will never change.
— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) May 3, 2022
Black NFL Coach Tony Dungy, a Christian conservative, questioned Warnock's theology in his post. Referencing Psalm 139:6, he asked what his Bible tells him because Dungy believed that life inside the mother's womb should not be ended.
Though the pastor said in his interview with RNS that he strained to convey the same kind of conviction and commitment to the issues that he argues about on the Senate floor which he deems moral issues like voting rights, health care, and a whole range of issues.
Also Read: Here's How A 'Pro-Choice Pastor' Should Teach Christians To Beware Of False Prophets
Warnock Shares Experiences As Parent, Pastor, And Senator
In his position juggling different roles, Warnock told RNS that as a father, he stated that he wanted to leave his children a country and a world that were both sustainable and defined by peace and fairness. He said, "For my children to be OK, other people's children need to be OK."
As a Pastor, he prepared his sermon by being attentive to the lessons that the Holy Spirit was leading him. Warnock said he learned through one of his parishioners to become the sermon himself.
In his work as a Senator, he shared that he liked when people at his work asked him for prayers or what was the Sunday sermon all about.
He was also asked how he would handle the next polls since many were turned off by his "Souls-Polls" initiative, he said he would encourage individuals to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Warnock also hoped for every faith group in America such as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs would focus on their values and traditions that will encourage them to vote.
Related Article: 'Pro-Choice Pastor' Sen. Raphael Warnock Blasted Anew For Defending Abortion
