Earlier this week, the Tennessee legislature held hearings about Senate Bill 1236, which would ban abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat… which, as we should all know by now, would effectively ban all abortions before some women even know they’re pregnant. This is the same bill filed by a lawmaker who said he’s doing it because he’s “against Satan.”

One of the speakers in favor of the bill was Pastor Randy Davis of the TN Baptist Mission Board, who delivered all the anti-abortion talking points we’re all used to. He said Roe v. Wade led to our society adopting a “culture of death” and that abortion was a “violent form of birth control.”

But the highlight came when Democratic State Sen. Katrina Robinson asked him how many women held leadership positions in the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

“None,” said Davis.

Watch the video below just to see Robinson’s glorious raised eyebrows right after that moment.

NEW: “How many WOMEN senior executive pastors do you have in your convention?” “NONE.” Senator @katrinafortn asks Randy Davis of @tnbaptist if the ideology that keeps women out of leadership is why they don’t want women making their own reproductive decisions. #TNAbortionBan pic.twitter.com/8lkAmY649P — The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) August 16, 2019

ROBINSON: How many women executive pastors do you have in your convention? DAVIS: How many women executive pastors…? ROBINSON: Or senior pastors. DAVIS: None. ROBINSON: So is it the same ideology that restricts access to women being able to lead a congregation that leads you all to support women not being able to make a medical decision about their body? DAVIS: I don’t think the biblical interpretation of the leadership of churches has anything to do with the question before us.

He could’ve stopped after “I don’t think.”

Of course there’s a connection. When you don’t think women have a right to certain positions in church by the very nature of their gender, it’s not a far leap to think you have the right to control their bodies, too. (It’s telling that the advocates for the bill invited five men and no women to speak on the issue.)

But this is Tennessee, a deeply red state. This bill will likely become law. Women will inevitably suffer because of it. And men like Davis won’t give a damn because giving a damn about women doesn’t mesh with his interpretation of the Bible.

(via TN Holler)

