OK, my four cents. It has to be four cents because I feel kind of like I've got a split personality on the issue and two cents just won't do.
I am wholeheartedly against the idea of abortion for any purpose except one (I'll get to that). The only difference between the fetus and a baby in the crib is time and nutrition. The same difference as between the baby and a toddler, or a toddler and a school child, etc. Time and nutrition. It is unfortunate that some women feel as if it is an invader in their body, but unavoidable except through terminating another life. Inconveniencing one or terminating one - an easy choice societally I would think.
The one exception is if the life of the mother is in danger. If it's a medical situation of either the child or the mother, then I can see how people could choose to save the mother over the child in good conscience.
The other part of my mind sees these young, scared girls. They don't know where to turn. They don't know what to do. Their boyfriends are blaming them for the situation as if they weren't there too. And EVERYONE is telling them that they've ruined their lives. It's wrong how some of these scared little pregnant children are treated. By family sometimes, but even worse by some of my brothers and sisters of the church!! We're supposed to be loving, and then some of us make out a PERSON, a frightened one at that, to be an icon of irresponsibility or somethingorother. Objectifying them. Making them an enemy. And that's just wrong. These girls need help, not lectures. The way to try and prevent abortions isn't through the courts or the legislature, but through loving and tender kindness and respect. I support several charities that do just that - counseling for the fear, medical care for the girls who can't afford it, job training so they have a chance of affording to feed themselves and a child after its born, maternity clothes, even furniture, baby food, and diapers. Help take away the fear, show them some people care, and THEN once you have earned their trust, and you really care about what happens to them, THEN AND ONLY THEN can you talk to them about how to avoid the situation from arising again with any credibility. I get so angry when I read in Scripture that Jesus said His followers are to be known by their love, and then I see people marching and yelling and insulting and scaring folks who disagree with them. Those girls aren't our enemies. They're scared kids with a very good reason to be scared. Help them. As one pastor I know put it, "A Christian's job is to meet people who don't know Jesus and love the Hell out of them." He meant that literally. Love the Hell out of them. And THAT will change the world, one living child at a time.
- Zurf
