I read a number of blogs of women who are ardently pro-choice. I don’t know why I read them. Perhaps it is just because I like to read the thoughts of people who have a radically different world view than my own. I am bored to tears reading the words of those who I agree with on most every subject. Especially if I disagree with the way the promote their ideas.
For some reason those who are pro-life have been labeled Super-Christians, murderers, haters, and so forth. I wish I could disagree with you, but when I look around I see much of the same even as a pro-life Christian. Here are some of my thoughts.
As a Christian you are called to love others. It is tough to do that standing in front of an abortion clinic holding a sign that calls scared teenage girls murderers.
As a Christian you are called to proclaim the good news of Christ, which is about forgiveness of sin. You are not called to convict others of their sin. That is the Holy Spirits job. You aren’t any good at it anyway.
Abortion is a sin…… So is hating someone. In fact it is the same as murder to God. I wonder if you are guilty of that. As you know, if you have broken just one of the laws you are guilty of breaking the whole law, hence the need for Christ and His good news.
Do I believe abortion is a good thing? No. But I believe as Christians we are fighting the wrong battle. Instead we should love those who are hurting, provide food for those in need. We should provide medical care for those in need, and show the lost world that there is a better way. Not doing so with an air of contempt, but with compassion and understanding.
Women who have had abortions have not done so on a whim, and many times they are hurting over the difficult decision. Standing in front of them calling them murderers is not what Christ would do. He would show compassion. Will you?
7 comments:
Amen.
I agree with you. Nothing good comes from the hate and anger on either side of this debate. And while some may disagree with abortion and consider it a sin, I'm glad that you point out that women don't just randomly decide to have abortions as if they're no big deal. They're not done on the whim. All too often people condemn others they see only as the action or the sin, but not as the human.
Ryan,
Thanks for dropping by. I hope you'll do so often. While I don't agree with abortion, and believe it is a sin, I believe those who protest usually do it with anger in their hearts. Which according to Christ is the same as murder.
There's something interesting in that concept that a sin is a sin, regardless of how one might seem much worse than another to us here on Earth. It's like people forget about the seemingly less egregious infractions while fighting the seemingly more egregious ones and in doing so, kind of miss the whole point of it all.
Great post and good points. I have never understood the disconnect between being religious and attacking others.
I don't know how many abortion protests you have participated in, but I have participated in several. All were peaceful and should great respect to the mothers, who are often just as much victims as the babies.
They are often pressured into this tragic "choice" by a boyfriend (often an adult man who has used them), their parents, a teacher or counselor, clinic staff, and the culture itself.
To the extent that some people protest abortion in a hateful way, I agree with you.
To the extent that some girls or women feel "hated" by pro-life people I do not. I think it is their own guilt speaking. Many pro-life people run crisis pregnancy centers to help the girls either raise their babies themsleves or give them to loving adoptive parents. I know several pro-life people who have gone with girls to talk to their parents, and even housed the girl during and after her pregnancy if necessary. People are doing the things you suggest: providing food, clothing, and love to girls and women in crisis.
I think a two-pronged approach is necessary. To the mothers we need to show compassion and helpfulness. To those who would exploit their crisis to make money, or to those who would pressure them into a choice they do not really want to make, we need to stand firmly and call it what it is.
Rguy,
I have not participated in any protests. I have however witnessed many. I can only speak to what I have seen, and in those cases I did not find the protest to be beneficial in anyway. I have seen signs calling mothers-to-be murderers, and signs calling doctors murderers.
Crisis pregnancy centers are a great alternative. Those who would show love to those who feel lost and hopeless are living as Christ intended. 3D ultrasounds are amazing tools utilized by many of these centers. As you know often times a mother will change her mind after seeing the face of the child insider her. We also need to consider those who have had an abortion. What are those signs saying to them. Nothing about forgiveness or the good news. No, only that they are murderers.
If you feel the protest you have been involved in are beneficial, then great. I have yet to see any show fruit in my area. They seem to only spark anger.
It is my belief that the fight against abortion can not be won in any court, but must be won in hearts of individuals who feel hopeless.
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