My Beef(s) with SOME of the Pro-Life Movement
Ha! Thought that would get your attention. And I suppose it should be beeves, but let that go for now.
There are two sub-factions of the pro-life movement from whose philosophy I wish to divorce myself. I have no tolerance with the "we're fighting a war and abortion doctors who are killed are simply casualties" approach. This is not pro-life. You cannot end life to support life. There is no doctrine of double effect here--killing is killing. I also have little patience with the "love 'em and leave 'em" school of supporting the mother up to the time of birth and then cutting welfare benefits because she has more than two children. Another group, for which I have considerable sympathy but who I think are barking up the wrong tree are the "constitutional amendment" and "legislate it out of existence people." While I wish them well, and my heart goes with them, the fiercely practical side of my constitution says, "It ain't gonna happen."
As to the first school, the less said, the better. I repudiate them and all their glamours. Evil is evil. Murder in the name of a good cause is murder. I don't need to continue on this track, everyone who reads this could not but agree.
As to the second group--let's face it, the pro-life movement must be prepared to be sacrificial in giving. There may be some welfare moms who continue to have progeny to reap greater benefits; however, I doubt that is all that is happening. These people need serious help--counseling and deeply compassionate love. A woman who has five children by five different men must have some serious self-esteem issues. If she continually enters into relationships even for the momentary solace of sex, there is something fundamental missing at the core.
The welfare system of people depending upon the government for help is at best a flawed system, resulting from the fact that we have not been as responsive as we should have to the mandates of God's word. The Government should not have to care for the poor. We as individuals should be making sufficient provision for those around us that the government should not have to step in. Many of us do a great deal for the poor. But not all of us. Many of us have the attitude expressed by Pink Floyd's "Money." "Keep your hands off of my stash." While our first social responsibility is to ourselves and our families (thus not adding to the list of those needing help) our next must be outreach. In the case of a pregnant woman, it is outreach not only to the child in her womb, but to her. We must let her know that someone does care. And as I said, this can be a sacrificial act.
As to the legislate it out of existence crowd. I wish them well, and I hope with all my heart that they succeed. In the meantime, it seems we should be working hard to restore our society to a place where we have eliminated the root causes of abortion. In a certain sense we need to restore a sense of moral responsibility in which it is more desirable to have a lasting marriage that to entertain the notion of serial monogamies or endless one-night stands. We need education that helps young women know that it is right and proper to refuse the advances of any person, that it is right and proper to refuse to have sex until marriage, and that it is right and proper to accept children as the gift from God that they are. This is not taught through histrionics, endless shouting matches, and sturm und drang methods. It is taught by the way we conduct ourselves. It is taught when we turn off Friends and Ally McBeal; when we carefully monitor what we are watching, and when we choose to indulge in something that may present potentially morally difficult situations, we clearly discuss how we ourselves would handle such a situation. It is taught by how we treat others on a regular basis. It is taught when we do not casually accept those who have "chosen alternative lifestyles," but while we continue to love them, we explain why the actions are wrong. We love the person and hate the sin, and we really do that. Above all, it is taught by continual emersion in the life of prayer. Prayer must permeate all that we do however we choose to do it. Every moment of every day should be steeped in prayer, and thus in meaning. We should make clear that every decision, every action, should be preceded by, conducted in, and wrapped up with prayer. We have influence over a very small portion of the world. But it is the portion that we influence that becomes the tide that washes over the next generation. If we are not circumspect, caring, and involved in the lives of our children, we will never eradicate the scourge of abortion.
