Where Do You Stand?

I wrote this post over 2 years ago on another blog site.  After reading it today, I found it worthy of a repost.

If you've spent any time around me, I'm sure you know that I am 100% pro life. I do not condone abortion for any one for any reason, even if it could save the life of a woman. (My "choice," remember?)

Over the past few weeks I've been doing lots of research on both the pro-life and pro-choice issues and I've learned a lot. If only the two sides could listen to each other for a little while, maybe there could be some solutions. But right now both sides seem to be caught up in their own platforms that they can't see the other side of the coin. I'm not saying they should AGREE with the other side, but they should LISTEN.

Maybe I can shed a little light on the subject. I'm a Libra, and we like to weigh both sides, make everybody happy, and avoid conflict. Once again, make no mistake, I AM PRO-LIFE. Let's think OUTSIDE the voting booth for a minute, ok?

First of all, I don't think anybody thinks it is okay to kill babies. And I don't think anybody thinks it is okay to deny women of their rights. That being said....

What are some reasons that women may want an abortion? In my brainstorm I came up with a few:

1. Teens - my parents will be very upset with me; my boyfriend will leave me
2. Students - (College or high school) - will interrupt my studies
3. Unmarried - will complicate my life; no spouse/no support; I like the party lifestyle
4. Finances - I can't afford to have a baby or provide for it
5. Rape - I hate the father; baby conceived of rape
6. Disease - I have a terminal disease and it will take too much of a toll on my body
7. Handicapped - my baby will be mentally/physically handicapped and I can't deal with that; I already have a handicapped child and can't take away time or resources from him/her
8. Adoption - I don't want to give my baby to a stranger
9. Age - I am too old to start over raising a baby
10. Family Size - I already have as many kids as I can handle
11. Career - a baby would prevent me from achieving my career goals I've worked so hard to achieve
12. Small House - Our family barely has enough room in our little house/apartment/trailer; we can't afford to build another room for another child
13. Health - I am too sick to carry a baby; I need to take medication but cant' do it during a pregnancy; I am a diabetic; I have cancer; I am on kidney dialysis

 

I would not want to be faced with any of the above situations. I'm sure many women have been faced with these issues and have found it very difficult, no matter what choice they may have made. It tears her up on the inside to feel that she has to "choose" between aborting a baby or one of the above alternatives.

If I had cancer and found out I was pregnant, I would have to decide whether to save my own life with chemo (and possibly cause a miscarriage), or have an abortion so that I could be treated with chemo. Either way, lives are in danger. What a gut-wrenching situation to be in, one that requires lots and lots of prayer.

Now let me turn the coin around.

Pro-Life advocates are generally Christians, which means they believe in Christ. Christ teaches us that we should help "the least of these," which, in some cases, may be the pregnant women whose babies are in danger of abortion. Perhaps we as Christians should spend some time thinking more about the women in these horrible situations and reaching out to them. Then maybe they would see that there are always alternatives to abortions. Instead of condemning women for their difficult choice, let's reach out to them and see what needs they have. If we are trying to get women to STOP having abortions, we won't be able to do it by putting them in a negative spotlight. After all, abortion is legal and many see nothing wrong with it.

As a matter of fact, our media does a great job of showing the world only a select few things about abortion - you know, only the stuff "they" want you to see, whoever "they" are.  It's far to controversial to show a surgical tray with tiny bits and pieces of an aborted baby's body parts, all laid out in order, just so the abortionist can make sure that all the "parts" were removed.  We never see the intact aborted babies whose skin has been burned with chemicals.  And we never, never hear from the women who have had abortions and experience grief and horror for the rest of their lives.

Until the pro-choicers and pro-lifers can come together civilly and really LISTEN to each other, the debate will remain, simply for the sake of debate.  I'm not debating. I'm flat out saying ABORTIONS KILL BABIES.  That being said,  I'd like to do something more than just state my opinion.  Maybe, just maybe, I can at least make some people THINK about the issue.

Whether they need medical care, counseling, parenting classes, job placement, education, YOU NAME IT, there is an agency that will help them. Some agencies include:

Option Line 1-800-395-HELP
Birthright 1-800-550-4900
National Life Center 1-800-848-LOVE
Bethany Christian Servies 1-800-BETHANY
Several Sources Foundation 1-800-662-2678
Crisis Pregnancy Helpline 1-888-4-OPTIONS
Abortion Recovery Help 1-877-HOPE-4-ME

If you or someone you know is contemplating abortion, I urge you/them to call one of the above agencies before making a final decision. There are always alternatives.

Many pro-choicers get very angry when pro-lifers try to convince a pregnant woman to NOT have an abortion. They say pro-lifers are taking away a woman's choice. Well, I'm a woman. What if my 'CHOICE' is to carry my baby? Than it is the pro-choicers who are taking away my choice. What are they afraid of? If you truly mean what you say and want women to be able to choose, than you have to give them more than one choice. You can't show them just one side of abortion.

Women need to know ALL the facts of abortion, including the risks and side effects, before they make their decision. What's the worst that could happen if they decide against abortion? They could decide to GIVE BIRTH. And what is the horror in that?

I pray daily for an end to abortion and that God use me as He sees fit to work for His greater glory.