Abortion is a problem for many in our society. It is a problem for those who oppose it. It is a problem for those who believe that only the woman who is pregnant should decide this issue. It is a problem for the fetus.
Why
do women get abortions?
Generally the reasons come down to the fact that the woman sees the baby
as a threat to some part of her life either physically, emotionally, monetarily
or mentally.
When we perceive that someone threatens a portion or all of our life we
would commonly identify this person as our enemy.
For whatever reason the fetus has become the enemy of the pregnant woman.
Jesus tells us to love our enemies.
He also shows us that we don’t love unless we are willing to suffer.
For this reason I don’t believe that someone who identifies herself as
a Christian can in good conscience have an abortion.
In no way am I condemning those who have had abortions.
Jesus did not condemn the woman found in adultery.
Condemnation does not lead to reconciliation.
I would guess that more often than not the women having abortions are
young and poor.
As Christians we are called to help free the poor from the injustices of
our society.
We should be doing all that we can to reduce the need for abortions.
We should be supporting sex education, contraception, counseling and
adoption.
As parents we should be living lives that show our children what it means
to love and be loved.
A society in which 20% of the children live below the poverty level does
not value children.
A society where an equal number have no health care does not value
children.
A society that is not willing to spend the money needed to educate them
does not value children.
A society that sexualizes almost all advertising does not value children.
A society that sends it’s young off to kill or be killed does not value
children.
Many of my progressive friends will not agree with me on abortion.
They see a huge amount of hypocrisy in a society that does not value
children but
wants to force women to have children against their own judgment.
I have also heard it said that 70% of those calling themselves Christians
and oppose abortion support capital punishment; 90% of them are said to support
war as a legitimate foreign policy tool.
Jesus said love your enemies.
He didn’t say love your enemies before they are born but it’s OK to
kill them after they are born.
The women struggling with the realities of their lives are being told
they must love their enemies.
But these same Christians are saying that they don’t have to love their
enemies.
A priest recently told me that since the people in Iraq are threatening
us it is OK to kill them.
I can see Jesus just sadly shaking his head.
A truly pro-life society would make the perceived need for abortion unnecessary.
Larry
Kerschner
POB 397
Pe Ell WA 98572
(H) 360-291-3946
(W) 360-291-3232