​OPINION: The Dereliction of Moral Duty by the Religious Community of New Mexico

By Bud Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico,

Albuquerque, New Mexico- New Mexico has borne the tragic reputation as the late-term abortion capital of the country and now in a post Roe v. Wade era, is becoming known as the abortion capital of the Southwest partially because of the moral dereliction of duty by the religious community of this once great state. In addition to the notorious reputation we have for abortion tourism, New Mexico consistently ranks at the bottom of national statistics for education, child well being, and quality of life.

New Mexico is consistently one of the poorest states in the nation and has a low median income for families. Crime is rampant while drug use and homelessness is out of control.

A quick inquiry by Google AI confirms these tragic statistics:

Education
• New Mexico ranks last in the nation for Pre-K-12 education 
• Some say New Mexico's education system is underfunded and not designed for multicultural students 

Income 
• New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the nation
• New Mexico has low median family income

Quality of life
• New Mexico has low school test scores and high crime 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for child wellbeing 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for quality of life metrics 

Other rankings
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for public safety 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for raising a family 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for business 
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Where is the New Mexico church leadership in the midst of these realities? Surely more can be done collectively to turn these tragic statistics around.

According to Google AI, while the Catholic Church maintains a slight majority of religious adherents in New Mexico, Protestants are catching up. 

 Overall, 63% of all adults in New Mexico identify as Christians.
 
In summary:

New Mexico has a significant Catholic population, making it one of the most Catholic states in the U.S.. While Evangelical Protestants make up the largest segment of the Protestant population, overall, the state also has a considerable number of residents who identify with other Protestant traditions. The overall Christian population in New Mexico is substantial.”

​How do we reconcile the majority of adults in New Mexico identifying as Christians and the overwhelming religious majority identifying as Catholics, with a Democratic trifecta of total political power in the state by a party that is considered “At Odds With Christianity”!? 

In his article titled, "No, Christians Cannot Support The Democrat Party", Pastor, Seth Brickley emphatically states, 

No political party in American history is more at odds with biblical Christianity than modern-day Democrats. The party has enshrined the ritualistic child sacrifice of abortion in their party platform. Scripture teaches that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16) but the Democrat Party advocates for abortion at every moment of pregnancy, with the vast majority of Democratic leadership also advocating for even killing children post-birth in cases of botched abortions. In January 2023 almost all House Democrats voted for this evil.”

Why do the majority of New Mexicans continue to vote for political leaders who abandon their Christian values while in office and are rarely held accountable by the religious leaders and constituents of the state?

The building blocks of a stable community are engaged leaders within the family and religious leaders that will utilize the pulpit to sharply remind political leaders of their moral obligation to enact legislation that will curb the moral degradation of our society," stated Bud Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico. 

Abortion Free New Mexico leaders Bud and Tara Shaver are prominent pro-life missionaries in New Mexico. They are known for their strong opposition to abortion, especially late-term abortions, and have actively sought to restrict abortion access in the state. The Shavers' efforts have made them a focal point in the debate surrounding abortion in New Mexico, which remains a state with relatively few restrictions on abortion access.