I am pro-choice. I am also pro-life. That's a hard concept to grasp, right? Well, let me explain.
The concept of being "pro-choice" is simple. As is the concept of being "pro-life." One agrees with the idea of allowing women to do with their bodies what they deem necessary, no questions asked. The other side agrees with the statement that life is precious, and all measures should be taken to preserve the lives of unborn children, due mostly in part to religious beliefs.
As a Christian, it is always assumed that you're pro-life. However, that is not the case in many instances. Though the preservation of life should be important to all Christians, the health and well-being of people is equally important to others. It is true that, as Christians, we are supposed to take care of others and show love to the innocent. The thing that makes me pro-life is not taking away a woman’s right to her own body, but the desire to love and nurture the innocent. Not a fetus, but those who are in unfortunate situations that cannot help themselves. Those, who for some reason or another, were not able to stay with their biological parents. They are the innocent we should be helping.
What makes me pro-choice is the notion that every person has a right to their own body. Man, woman, whoever. We do not judge people on such a large scale for the color of someone’s hair or the tattoos they put on their bodies. We do not judge based on the health care people need, whether they receive treatment for STDs or chemotherapy for cancer. Why are we judging people at all for their decisions? After all, God is the ultimate judge of us, isn’t he? The minute we begin to judge others for what they do with their bodies or personal lives is the minute we begin to lose our faith. That is the minute God begins to judge our character.
How can you call yourself a true Christian if you use the faith to harass, dehumanize, or bring others down? It baffles my mind that so many people do this on a daily basis.
Rather than bringing others down in such a troubling time in their lives, we should be lifting their spirits and reminding them that they will never be alone in this world. The assumption is that making the decision to end a pregnancy is done quickly and without thought. That is usually not the case. Women do not go around ending their pregnancy because it is easy; it takes time to come to the decision. Time that includes crying, rethinking, and often times criticism and hate from people they don’t even know. To treat someone with such hate and resentment saddens me and weighs heavy on my heart. Though I know there are many people out there who are willing and able to adopt children, the reality is there just aren’t enough.
At just 20-years-old, I have already made the decision to foster and adopt the children who need love rather than bringing more children into the world. I want to follow the value of helping others who cannot help themselves by taking in those who really need help.
I am both pro-choice and pro-life. It’s simple, really. Do not judge others based on their personal decisions, and help those who are alive and need love.
