“We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.”
My father was an educator. He had shelves full of books, was an avid reader, and made sure to stay up on current events and issues. Being my father’s daughter, also having a love of books and reading, I happened upon a book on abortion that I’m sure my father didn’t realize was anywhere that I might be searching for something to read. I still remember the photographs of aborted babies that I saw on the pages of that book. He immediately got rid of the book as soon as it came to his attention that I had come across it, like any good father would. My family is religious, we are Christians, and to my knowledge all of us are pro-life and we were even then. Abortion was a raging debate and issue during those years, and I’m sure that my father was dealing with comments and questions from his students regularly about that issue.
I only bring this up to make my first point which is: To this day, I still find it unfathomable that anyone could be alright with abortion knowing what happens to the unborn babies in the process. Just knowing is bad enough, in my opinion. However, I can tell you that seeing those images is the kind of disturbing that stays with you the rest of your life. As I type that sentence, I automatically think and realize that those photos of life having been taken away will stay with me for the rest of mine. You see, it really is all about that word. LIFE.
I will not engage in the pro-choice pro-life abortion debate. Period. Full stop. That is not at all my objective or intention here. You see, it is a very touchy and difficult issue even for a pro-lifer like me. I am Christian. I am pro-life. I believe strongly the words of The Family Proclamation which state, “We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.” I also believe in a person’s right to exercise their own agency (as long as it does not remove the agency of another life in the process). And I believe in being a law-abiding citizen – recognizing the laws put into place by our governmental and judicial systems. Again, it isn’t my objective to debate or discuss in detail any of the finer points related to the issue. With the exception of one.
Sanctity of life. SANCTITY. OF. LIFE. What does that mean?
It’s very simple. It means that life and the creation thereof is sacred. Holy. Valued above all else, for those of you who are uncomfortable with religious references like sacred or holy. Whether you are religious or completely secular in your views, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, and unless you have absolutely no regard for human existence, I believe that all of us can agree that LIFE is valuable. It has value.
Now, I’m not going spend time on the ridiculous discussion as to whether or not an unborn baby is a life. The medical science is irrefutable. Just as science and medicine measure and record the ending of a life with the cessation of a heartbeat, science and medicine identify and monitor life in unborn babies by cell replication, heartbeat, movement, measurable growth, etc. Referring to the fertilized egg as a fetus rather than a developing baby does not negate the recognition of and the definition of LIFE by science and medicine. It does, however, help to remove some emotional attachment and some of the guilt that is usually associated with the decision to abort. I’m not talking about the guilt that is sometimes thrust upon women who have had abortions by angry or passionate pro-lifers. I’m talking about the guilt and/or emotional trauma that is automatically experienced by the majority of women who choose to have an abortion. There is an emotional and biological connection to the unborn baby that existed within the woman, whether or not she recognizes that life as a fetus or a baby…or even as a life at all.
I must also be clear in stating that I do believe that there are rare exceptions when abortion might be necessary, such as in instances where the life of the mother is at risk, or in cases of rape, for example.
Having said all of that, and having made my personal beliefs known, I will now get to the point I want to make here which is this:
IF it should be a person’s right to choose abortion, and…
IF we put our trust in medicine and science to determine what life is and when it occurs…
THEN isn’t choosing to have an abortion actually acting on behalf of someone else who is a recognized LIFE, but who didn’t have any choice at all?
FINALLY, shouldn’t we refer to that as a pro-choice/no choice position (if we’re really being honest with ourselves about it)?
FAMILY STRONG 