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Lauren Allenbaugh

Gina Perkins

Composition II -- ENGL 1302

02 February 2023

Religious Clinics?

“Healthcare's Future?..” A political cartoon, from The Seattle Times, shows a woman who

seems to be in a medical room, maybe a gynecologist or a regular doctor looking annoyed at the

man, whom one can only presume is the pope or another religious speaker due to his outfit, over

her shoulder. We can see that the woman in a doctor's coat is giving the man a hard side eye and

as stated before looks very annoyed by his presence, and with how he seems to be breathing

down her neck with how close he is. The other woman, in the hospital gown, who appears to be

the patient, looks shocked that he’s seven in the room. Because of her wide eyes and mouth

hanging open and the phase of “why is HE in here with us” showing that she doesn’t expect what

the audience perceives as a religious figure, in the room at a hospital or OB/GYN. The religious

figure, however, looks to be staring directly at the woman, with his lips in a line and a blank star

as almost as an intimidation strategy.

Using outside information with the cartoon, we know the catholic church does not support

abortion, and holds room for error when the case of an abortion comes up. And sense the man

whom we can only assume is the pope or a religious figure is giving her a blank stare, almost to

say, ‘what are you going to do with me in the room?’ Like an imitation tactic, saying it's the old

times where if a woman shows any independence or bad mouths the church will persecute her. In
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addition, he also stands out, he’s wearing red and every other color is a mute version or a badge

color making him stand out, suggesting he isn’t supposed to be there. The contrast of a somewhat

beige looking room to a bright red coat leaves the viewer's eyes to move towards him.

With all that's happening in the real world, in the concept of abortion, there has been

conversation in which politicians do not separate church from state. Making their opinions based

on religious beliefs instead of looking at scientific facts. People aren’t trying to stop people from

having religious beliefs itself, but stop people from persecuting others based on their beliefs.

Politicians shouldnt care what a “mythical book has to say about these very real political issue.”

(Kasparian) Acationaly there have been politicians saying religious ideologies while talking

about very real problems regarding women's bodies.

When looking at the dialogue going on in the political cartoon, the woman asks, with not

only a question mark but also an exclamation mark as well, “Why is he here.” The illustrator

underlines ‘he’ because they are making him know, pointing out that the women didn't even

know he was going to be there. But the medical professional, who looks very annoyed that he's

there, saying “he owns the hospital.” Implying that this religious professional is in charge of a

church as well as a medical clinic. To be fair it does say in the “HeathCares Future” implying

that it hasn't happened yet, but it's a possibility in the near future, that the catholic church will

soon take over women's healthcare.

This cartoon is speaking from ethos, taking the views of ethical reasoning into the

conversation. When someone hears that people are bringing their religious beliefs into a political

conversation, it is seen as unethical, because not everybody lives the roles of that one belief
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system. The cartoon is basically villainizing the christian church to the point where they want to

end up controlling women's bodies, whether they believe in christ or not.

The cartoon implies that the christian religion is trying to take over the womens healthcare

industries, and control what can happen in the clinics they ‘own.’ The right of religious freedom

and women's rights are completely different but should hold the same standards in government.

Both should hold the definitions that it's every individual's right to choose what they want in life,

whether it is religion based or a choice on one's body. What's also frustrating in this topic is that

Cristanity is not the only religion that is in America. With politicians bringing their religions into

political topics they shouldn't just bring their own but everybody's, especially when someone is

making a political decision that affects lots of people. If the catholic church were to take over

women's medical clinics there would be an uproar in activists, and from thoughts on social

media, some women would stop going to appointments. This is due to it being an infringement

on women's rights and the separation from church in state.

In conclusion, if the merge between church and medical practices were to ever happen, it

would not be good. No one should be shoving their religions down other peoples throats, because

they believe the ‘fetus’ is going to the next president. Someone should never be allowed to tell

someone else what and what they're not allowed to do with their bodies due to beliefs. Even in

religions there are different opinions on topics, abortion being one of them, so saying that all

christians themself believe abortion is wrong is not right, but saying that most, especially those

in politics show and say that it's murder, can be right. Of course, everyone has their own opinion

on everything but it does not mean that the opinion is right and that others are wrong, it's an
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opinion for a reason, and if someone wants to have their opinions respected they must first

respect others.
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Work Cited

Kasparian, Ana. “I Don't Care What The Bible Says | Ana Kasparian.” YouTube, 3 May 2022,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQOyx0k6YG8. Accessed 23 February 2023.

Horsey, David. "Healthcare's Future?..." The Seattle Times,

https://www.usnews.com/news/cartoonsLinks to an external site.