Grad student essay contest 2024 — 7th place: Ellie Henry

FFRF awarded Ellie $750.

By Ellie Henry

At my Catholic middle school, we were required to write a “Right to Life Essay” yearly in religion class. The activity culminated in attending the anti-abortion rally at our state Capitol.

We were indoctrinated to advocate for policies that were harmful to ourselves and the greater society. I never bought into the rhetoric and phoned in the essays.

To counter the vitriol fed to me at school, I devoured Friendly Atheist’s YouTube videos and podcasts in my free time. It didn’t make me popular, but it did start my fire to advocate for reproductive freedom. Through my alternative studies, I learned that Christian nationalism is the practice of imposing Christian doctrine on a secular world, violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. As a future social worker, I believe the integration of Christian ideology in the public sphere is the greatest impediment to our country’s democracy, health and well-being.

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, conservative states have been wreaking havoc on the reproductive rights of their citizens. I am now most concerned about cruel laws restricting bodily autonomy based in Christian nationalism. In Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas, there is no abortion exception for rape survivors. The denial of abortion rights for survivors is especially vile, forever tying them to their rapist. Christian nationalists insist that “the gift of new life” is worth the pain of unplanned childbirth, financial ruin and even rape. This belief is rooted in patriarchal interpretations of Christianity, in which women must submit to God, the church and men. Their aim in enacting abortion bans is maintaining control of people who can get pregnant and limit their agency. Democracy hinges on informed choice. Without the option to protect oneself from pregnancy and the associated financial, physical and emotional risks, true democracy is only afforded to a small few.

As a rape survivor, the overturn of Roe v. Wade was retraumatizing. No one should be forced to continue a pregnancy, especially in the case of assault. People who can get pregnant should not have to live in fear of pregnancy and rape ruining their lives. Those experiencing unintended pregnancies are at higher risk of poverty, mental illness and further trauma without the option of abortion. While Christian nationalists use “the right to life” as a talking point, they do very little to improve pregnant people’s quality of life with their policies. Pro-life politicians seldom address access to affordable prenatal and mental health care, child care or food security. The hypocrisy is enraging, and the attempts to erode religious freedom are blatant. It can be hard to keep hopeful in the face such a powerful and immoral opponent.

The antidote to despair is action. To combat Christian nationalism, it is important to donate to Planned Parenthood and other local reproductive rights organizations. There are also many places to give mutual aid for those needing travel and health care funding, especially in states with bans. Lastly, voting for pro-choice, secular politicians who advocate for the separation of church and state is essential. From my place as a future social worker, I will advocate for an expansion of reproductive freedom and further funding for social services.

Bodily autonomy is a human right, and we must organize as freethinkers to protect our laws from the Christian nationalist influence.

Ellie, 25, attends the University of Washington, working toward a degree in social work. “I have been engaging in secular activism since I was 13,” Ellie writes. “I cofounded a feminist interest group in high school and worked to create survivor support programming in undergrad. For two years, I was an advocate/mentor for students with neurodevelopmental disabilities. My current passions are LGBTQ-plus rights, disability advocacy and trauma-informed care for survivors of religious abuse.”