On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled to enshrine a woman’s “right” to have an abortion. Ever since that ruling, advances in medical science cease to allow us to be blind to the fact that the being formed in a mother’s womb is a human being from the moment of conception. Even with incredible advancements in the fields of medicine, science, and technology, our culture hasn’t caught up to the truth. This month marked the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and 60 million abortions to-date. In the State of New York, that anniversary marked the passage of an extreme abortion bill permitting abortions up until birth and repealing any measure that would protect a baby if born alive during an abortion procedure. No words can describe how evil this is.
It is not unusual for the pro-life/ pro-choice debate to get most heated this time of year. In the same weekend, the March for Life draws hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters to Washington, D.C. to be a voice for the voiceless while the Women’s March draws a similar crowd fighting mainly for their rights to abortion. The debate becomes often its most vitriolic on social media platforms.
I recently saw a post downing pro-lifers and I had to break my long sabbatical of commenting on these types of things. (I typically refrain since typed comments are devoid of tone and Facebook arguments are notoriously never won.) The response shocked me. Someone assumed that the only reason I held my stance was because of my Christian beliefs. For a second opinion, I asked my husband why he thought I decided to be pro-life. I was disappointed when I heard the same sentiment.
Don’t get me wrong. I happily admit that my faith informs many (if not all) of my decisions. There are so many references to “life” in Scripture and Christ repeatedly says He wishes us to have “life more abundantly”. As a Christian called to love Creator and His creation, I am called to love all life from the moment each one begins.
However, I don’t even need my faith to know abortion is wrong. Medical science could not be more clear about when life begins.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work for and with organizations that do extensive research on this. I hate being wrong,ask my husband. I always back up my views with evidence-based research.. After seeing the science, stats, ultrasounds, procedures, and listening to the stories of those who have opted for abortions, I can come to no other conclusion that abortion is evil and ends a unique life. After almost five decades since Roe v. Wade, why are women being told that it’s just a clump of tissue when shortly after fertilization, it has a heartbeat? Or it’s ok to abort in the third trimester when we have the technology to likely keep that child alive outside of the womb? What about the array of resources available from womb to death (no doubt needing improvement but still available)?
Though all of this would be more than enough, my pro-life stance has been most cemented by the existence of my two children.
I wasn’t able to carry my first to term, and it was devastating. It’s still devastating. There’s no way I could convince myself that the baby I was carrying had no life. I saw the heartbeat. My body changed dramatically with both pregnancies as my babies grew inside me. In fact, with the first pregnancy, I continued producing pregnancy hormones and symptoms for a few weeks after my baby stopped growing, as if my own body wasn’t willing to let this baby go. By the grace of God, I carried my second child until he decided to come 5 weeks early. While there were a few things he was still developing, he was completely healthy. I was struck by the fact that even nature fights for our babies.
Both of my babies were wanted. However, that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t wracked with worry about my finances, career, relationships, and quality of life. Even pregnancy was far from pleasant. Now I’m hit with the challenges of raising a child. I can’t imagine doing it by myself, and I have new respect for the brave women who do.
At the same time, I have never felt more joy and happiness in my life. My son on Earth, Jude, gives me so much more purpose and confidence. My child in Heaven brought me understanding of our Father’s love for us and a desire for life after mortality.
Fear of the unknown can be crippling, but hope for the future can be world-changing.
Now, here is where my faith comes into play the most – how we treat those who face the challenges of bringing forth life.
We as Christians are charged to love one another. We must speak truth with love, not undermine God’s work with poor attitudes or hasty judgments. Jesus was stern with those who professed faith and gentle with those who didn’t. Take note.
Who needs our gentleness the most? Women who are faced with this decision. Everyone deserves life at every stage. Not just physical life, but a fulfilling life. Although we live in a world where this doesn’t happen for everyone, we also live in a world where you could be part of difference. What more of a difference could you make than raising your children to love and fight for the rights of one another even at the earliest stages, and love and champion those trying to do the same?
It is thanks to both my children, with all the challenges and joy they bring, that I believe we can only overturn the culture of death with both compassion and truth.
Even if you are already pro-life, I would encourage you to make sure you have not just the faith but the facts to back up your stance. 1 John 4:1 tells us to “…test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” It is easy to click “share” on a Facebook post or write a biting comment, but these are sad substitutes for the real work we should do if we hope to change the culture. After generations of babies being lost to abortion, the labor of love is worth it.
Tabitha Walter is a guest writer for Total Whine. She is a West Virginia native who now calls Alexandria, VA home. She and her calmer, and more calculated husband, Tom, are enjoying parenting their newest little one, Jude. She works part-time as Executive Director for a pro-family organization in DC. In her spare time, she loves to brush her teeth and shower… because pampering changes when you become a mom.
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