Thursday, October 20, 2016

Why I Do Not Believe Abortion Is Ever The Answer

     With the upcoming election and political debates going on the past few weeks, there has been so much talk about the issue of abortion and I feel like I need to speak out about this topic. Yes, yes, I know everyone and their mother has an opinion on either this topic or some other politically charged issue but that is not where I am trying to go with this post. This is not a political post but a spiritual one. I have heard many arguments (and even gotten into a few myself) on why this practice should be allowed and I'd like the time and space to explain why I do not agree. (Facebook to me just seems too hostile of an environment already and I've already stuck my foot in my mouth more than once on there anyway!)

     ****Disclaimer!! Let me just say, first off, that just because I do not feel the same way as you about an issue does not mean I do not love you. A person can love another human without loving their beliefs.****

      Like I said, I've heard many reasons why people think a woman should have the right to decide if the life of her baby should continue or not. I'd have to say the argument of "my body, my choice" is the one that gets me the most. Let me just say first (with as much love as I can possibly express through my keyboard), that it is NOT your body. Yes, there is a teeny, tiny human body inside of your body but that does not mean you get to do whatever you see fit with it. This human, while dwelling inside of you, is completely separate from you. Separate heartbeat, separate DNA....totally different being. So no, I'm sorry but it is not "your body" (I am going to attempt to leave out any description of partial birth or late term abortion here because 1. WHEN the abortion is performed has no bearing in my mind of whether or not it is ok and 2. It only seems to lead to more anger and division which is far from my intent here.)

     Friend, let me just stop and appeal to you here. Not instruct harshly or even "just say" while looking down my nose at you. But let me simply and passionately implore you because I love God and I know He loves you and He instructs me to do the same. That baby? The one that the world says is an inconvenience or a hazard to your health or career or whatever? That baby was created by a loving God who loves you and loves that little body inside of yours.
    
     Psalm 139 says that God weaves us in our mothers' wombs, with great care and wonder. He loves and cherishes every single life that He breathes into existence. And no matter what situation you are facing that has you thinking you have no other way out, I promise you - no, God promises you - He will never leave you. Deuteronomy 31:8 says just that. He will go before you, marching headlong in full battle gear into whatever sticky, messy or downright horrid situation you are facing. We never ever need to be afraid or feel like we have no other way out.

     Some would say "Well, what if a woman is raped?" Well, I have never been forcibly raped and I cannot begin to comprehend the magnitude of this atrocity against a person's body. But I have been taken advantage of before in vulnerable situations and I know that that in particular is even extremely hard to deal with. So, while I do not understand the effects rape, I do understand the feeling of having something stolen from you that you can never get back. Awful, tragic, and lasting are words that do not begin to describe the effects.

     And yet...I still stand firm on my belief that even in this tragic situation God would not want you to snuff out that tiny life. Here's why, friend. Once a woman has gone through that, it is there and there are no take backs on that kind of hurt. There will be years (and quite possibly a lifetime) of Skele-Gro type healing. (Skele-gro...think Harry Potter) But aborting the resulting pregnancy is not going to change what happened. In fact, I truly believe it would only add to the heartache, confusion, and pain.

    Some would say "How can I live with a walking, breathing reminder of the stealing of part of my soul around??" I get it. I truly do. Add to that the complexity and utter confusion of knowing that, in all natural terms, you are actually supposed to be loving this child with an unconditional love but mostly wanting to never look at them again?? I imagine the division of your mind and heart would be something likened to utter madness. Still...the bible also says that children are a gift from the Lord. What if, just what if, this child is a gift of healing? To help the mother by offering that unconditional love as children do best. Just what if out of the dark evil is born pure light-filled innocence? I'm not saying it would be easy but what if you tried? Worse....what if you didn't try?

    And still... there are other ways. There are many desperate, would-be parents in the world unable to conceive. The child could be given to loving parents and he (or she) would never even have to know the circumstances surrounding their birth. Yes, the pregnancy would be incredibly hard but, for me, the good that would come out of it would be at least a tiny bit of salve for my gaping wound.

     Paul said in his letter to the Roman church, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Yes, yes a million times yes, we should have the utmost compassion and tenderness with a woman who has experienced a rape but I do not for one second believe ending the life of the fetus inside her will help to ease her pain in any way. And, at the risk of sounding harsh, your pain does not give you the right to take a life. No matter who it is or how it came to be. The bible says in Deuteronomy 32:39 that He is the One who gives life and takes it away. It is His responsibility and right and His alone. The same goes for the woman whose health is in danger. Please friend, trust in God. He is near to the broken hearted and He will be with you!

    I am not saying, by any means, that if a woman is facing a rape or an unplanned pregnancy or health crisis that it should be a cut and dry, super easy decision for her. We are human beings for heaven's sake! We feel and bleed and hurt and love and every situation we experience changes and shapes us in innumerable different ways. I'm not saying it should be easy. But I am saying it should be painfully thoughtful and we should wrestle with it in prayer until we are too exhausted to stand on our own! I also think, as the church, we need to be coming alongside of these women and wrestling with them and just being a strong presence of support and deep caring. We are, after all, the hands and feet of Jesus. But I stand firm that I do not believe abortion is ever an acceptable option. Hard does not equal impossible. 

     And, because I feel like when people hear the words pro-life they get this image of a bible-wielding, red-faced, crazy-haired preacher on a mission I just have to inject this here: please know I am not at all judging you for your beliefs or even if you have already made this decision and acted on it (see: disclaimer!). I have committed a multitude of sins in my own life. And yes, He is a God of love and mercy and He is always ready to forgive us if we will only ask Him. But just because He is a God of mercy and forgiveness does not mean we should commit a sin just because we know He will forgive. Would you break your earthly Father's heart by running away from home just because you knew he'd take you back? 

     Let me just close with this final thought. I do not believe abortion is ever a viable option because it states in big bold black letters THERE IS NO HOPE. It sadly snuffs out the life because it believes that life has no value, no chance of being great, no possible way of bringing joy to other lives already existing. It says that God has failed and I know that my God NEVER fails. With God, there is always hope. Always possibility. Our God is the God of hope and I know if you are facing an impossible situation He can help you turn it into possible.

     In the end, after all the arguments and semantics have played out and the political debates have ended, it really boils down to this: God is the One who gave us life. He is the One who has the full right and responsibility to say who lives and who dies. It is not our right to take that away from Him. And if you are a woman in trouble and not sure where to turn I beg you to talk to someone. Heck, talk to me if you need to! I pray that this post does not hurt anyone who is already hurting with this type of situation. But as for offending.....well....at the risk of sounding harsh it is not me you are offended at it is God. (But He still loves you...and so do I!)



Peace and grace to you!!