Abortion: It’s a Killer

Over a year ago I wrote a blog post that still gets attention. Just yesterday a woman thanked me for writing it and expressing her thoughts so well. That post, On Being (and Voting) Fully Pro-Life, still expresses my commitments and how I vote, how I advocate with elected officials and how I choose which nonprofits to support.

For instance, this week I signed this declaration that was presented today to our President and Congress, speaking my support for immigrants, Dreamers and refugees. I’ve called my representative and senators as well this week to ask them to support a clean DREAM act to protect DACA recipients.I’ve dropped all support for a charity whose leader has made appalling comments about the very refugees his organization supposedly helps. (I guess it’s okay to help them as  long as they stay in their squalid camps and don’t attempt to come to the U.S.) And I’ve begun supporting Preemptive Love, hard at work in the world’s tough places, and World Relief, which has been bold enough to speak against our government’s move to slow refugee relocation to the lowest level in almost 40 years.

Photo by Joey Thompson on Unsplash

So I was feeling pretty good about myself until I read this article from Ed Stetzer, “Dear ‘Whole-Life’ Progressive Evangelicals, Did You Forget ‘Pro-Life’ and the Unborn?” I hadn’t called my senators before the recent vote to ban most abortions after 20 weeks. Thankfully, both my senators—one Republican and one Democrat—voted for the restriction. Unfortunately, it didn’t pass. So better late than never, today I called the Democratic senator and thanked him for his bravery to vote against the majority of his party.

I have a close friend who has worked in crisis pregnancy centers, and she has done all she can to change the laws. But she will still tell you that working directly with a woman or a couple with an unplanned pregnancy is the surest way to prevent an abortion. I believe that when people know someone cares, someone will provide the support to get them through this situation and help them think clearly, babies are saved. But Stetzer reminded me that this truth doesn’t excuse silence on the laws of our land. It’s both/and, not either/or.

Sometimes I feel like there are plenty of people who make this their only issue and are speaking out loudly, so maybe I don’t need to. But it isn’t true.

A few weeks ago an article in The Guardian talked about how the Church of England fears new prenatal screenings could result in more abortions of Down’s syndrome babies. Will parents view the child as “defective” and choose abortion? As a beautiful (or sad) juxtaposition, today Gerber announced it’s first Gerber baby with Down’s syndrome. Lucas is adorable. The video will make you cry, but good tears.

 

Can anyone truly look at Lucas and call him “defective”? Would anyone say his parents should have ended his life in the womb?

The truth is that babies are precious gifts. Each is unique. Each holds the image of God. And so we fight for them. Yes, we fight for immigrants and children living in poverty and adequate healthcare and clean water. We fight for freedom for the slaves and homes for children in foster care. We fight to protect creation and ensure breathable air and against climate change. We fight for justice and against racism and xenophobia. And we fight for babies as yet unborn. Because each is a cherished creation of God.

Thanks for the reminder, Ed Stetzer.

3 thoughts on “Abortion: It’s a Killer”

  1. Sad that some unwed Moms to be are so very scared that their fear over powers them. And they try to rid a fetus and pretend it did not happen. No real answers on how to stop abortions. Very sad.

    Reply
    • Fear really does have so much to do with it, doesn’t it, Lynne. Solutions are hard to come by, hard to live out. Being present in people’s lives is key, I think. But then we need to speak out as well, I’m remembering, helping people see (hopefully) that killing a baby is not a normal or rational solution to our problems. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

      Reply
  2. Nice to meet you Carol. While I agree with you, it’s hard to care when so many others care. I don’t like being looked down on just because I don’t make anti-abortion my sole focus. I don’t think I need to care more about the issue, but I agree that I also could do more.

    Reply

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