Offensive About Abortion
I try to stay away from controversial topics on here, but being pregnant has made me think about abortion a lot more than usual. I'm writing this post to Christians, but hopefully it's helpful to everyone.
In college I was really fiery about being pro-life. I did a speech in speech class including bloody pictures of aborted fetuses. I wrote "life starts at conception" on our dorm bulletin board, where people could draw pictures and write quotes. There was a girl in my dorm who was greatly offended by my message. It ended up being a big thing that our RA got involved in. I apologized to her, but the potential for relationship was already ruined.
Years later the thought occurred to me that she might have had an abortion.
I still consider myself pro-life, but my attitude is very different. The behavior I exhibited before was not a good representation of Christ. Jesus didn't shove pictures of people's poor choices (in my mind) in their faces and then expect them to join Him. He loved them in the midst of their poor choices.
When I was in my first trimester, I felt pretty sick somedays. I thought, "I could see why people would get an abortion." You don't feel like you're carrying a person; you just feel sick.
But once I saw Daisy in our 12-week ultrasound, I wondered about women who abort at that stage. When I started feeling her move, I wondered again. She keeps getting bigger and bigger, and I don't understand how someone could abort, knowing that it's a baby - or even the potential to be a baby, if that's how they think of it.
I've also never been in a situation where I would need to consider abortion. I have a healthy pregnancy, a great support system, and faith in Jesus Christ that He's going to take care of me no matter what happens.
I don't understand and I even think it's wrong, but it doesn't give me the right to judge women who choose to abort.
It also doesn't give me the right to be loose with my tongue when talking about abortion in public. The damage that occurs when saying offensive jokes can be done through a snide or harsh comment about abortion. The concept of God's unconditional love gets thrown in the dirt. Our strong negative verbal out-lashes towards abortion can cause a greater gap for building bridges of love with women who have had abortions, whether they are our sisters in Christ or women with whom we'd like to share Christ.
If I had an abortion, I would NEVER tell some of the Christians in my life for fear of being given a red "A."
I read this pro-choice 40-day of prayer pamphlet recently. It was written by religious people, but not followers of Christ (to my knowledge). Maybe our first reaction as Christians is to be offended, but the reality is that there shouldn't be a need to pray for this:
"Day 6: Today we ask for blessings upon the women who pass through hostile protesters on their way into an abortion clinic. May they be shielded from physical and emotional harm from those who do not know them."
Way to show the love of Christ, people! Not.
I'm not saying we shouldn't try to change abortion laws. I want to see more people choose life. I want to see more babies get a chance to become adults and influence this world. I can vote and give time and money to crisis pregnancy centers, but I can also choose to give my baby life and unconditionally love women who choose abortion.
God knows how many babies don't get a chance to live outside the womb. He knows the hearts of their mothers, and He loves them and values them. Let's try to be like Him and love them too.
In college I was really fiery about being pro-life. I did a speech in speech class including bloody pictures of aborted fetuses. I wrote "life starts at conception" on our dorm bulletin board, where people could draw pictures and write quotes. There was a girl in my dorm who was greatly offended by my message. It ended up being a big thing that our RA got involved in. I apologized to her, but the potential for relationship was already ruined.
Years later the thought occurred to me that she might have had an abortion.
I still consider myself pro-life, but my attitude is very different. The behavior I exhibited before was not a good representation of Christ. Jesus didn't shove pictures of people's poor choices (in my mind) in their faces and then expect them to join Him. He loved them in the midst of their poor choices.
When I was in my first trimester, I felt pretty sick somedays. I thought, "I could see why people would get an abortion." You don't feel like you're carrying a person; you just feel sick.
But once I saw Daisy in our 12-week ultrasound, I wondered about women who abort at that stage. When I started feeling her move, I wondered again. She keeps getting bigger and bigger, and I don't understand how someone could abort, knowing that it's a baby - or even the potential to be a baby, if that's how they think of it.
I've also never been in a situation where I would need to consider abortion. I have a healthy pregnancy, a great support system, and faith in Jesus Christ that He's going to take care of me no matter what happens.
I don't understand and I even think it's wrong, but it doesn't give me the right to judge women who choose to abort.
It also doesn't give me the right to be loose with my tongue when talking about abortion in public. The damage that occurs when saying offensive jokes can be done through a snide or harsh comment about abortion. The concept of God's unconditional love gets thrown in the dirt. Our strong negative verbal out-lashes towards abortion can cause a greater gap for building bridges of love with women who have had abortions, whether they are our sisters in Christ or women with whom we'd like to share Christ.
If I had an abortion, I would NEVER tell some of the Christians in my life for fear of being given a red "A."
I read this pro-choice 40-day of prayer pamphlet recently. It was written by religious people, but not followers of Christ (to my knowledge). Maybe our first reaction as Christians is to be offended, but the reality is that there shouldn't be a need to pray for this:
"Day 6: Today we ask for blessings upon the women who pass through hostile protesters on their way into an abortion clinic. May they be shielded from physical and emotional harm from those who do not know them."
Way to show the love of Christ, people! Not.
I'm not saying we shouldn't try to change abortion laws. I want to see more people choose life. I want to see more babies get a chance to become adults and influence this world. I can vote and give time and money to crisis pregnancy centers, but I can also choose to give my baby life and unconditionally love women who choose abortion.
God knows how many babies don't get a chance to live outside the womb. He knows the hearts of their mothers, and He loves them and values them. Let's try to be like Him and love them too.
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