Abortion: The Weight of Conviction

I've sat in a room with a woman who was telling me about her abortion. She was crying and wondering aloud if her inability to get pregnant again was actually God punishing her. I've seen videos of doctors and clinicians discussing abortion casually and even jokingly. I've read articles and books, watched interviews and documentaries. I knew what abortion was, I knew that it was evil, and still I chose not to act or speak out because I was afraid of offending and of ostracizing.  I have dear friends who support a woman's right to choose and I also have friends who have chosen to abort. In our hostile political environment I rationalized that communicating my position in private conversations was preferable to boldly committing myself to actively engage in the fight to end abortion. I didn't want to be what I so often was in college: an aggressive, insulting, and cruel zealot that associated being Christian with voting Republican. I didn't want to bring shame on Christ and the church because of my harsh and unloving approach to hot-button political issues.

However, over the past three weeks, it has become abundantly clear to me that I can no longer follow the path of passive resistance. I've watched all of the videos that have been released by the Center for Medical Progress and every time I see a news update or read an article concerning the videos, my heart is squeezed by my conscience and I feel like a fraud. Abortion isn't just any political issue. It snuffs out the life of the most vulnerable members of society.  If there was ever a cause that compelled followers of Christ to wade into a political debate, this is it. If there was ever a time for Christians to stand on the rooftops and cry out for justice, it is now. We should be known for celebrating and valuing life and fighting to protect it and I am convinced that we can do this in a way that is compassionate and loving towards those who oppose our views and to women who have had abortions. Taking a stand doesn't have to mean insulting or denigrating the other side. It doesn't have to involve shaming people who have made a choice that we disagree with. It is a fine line to walk, to be sure, but it can be done. In this instance, it must be done.

On many other issues, it may be wise and prudent to remain silent for the sake of the gospel, but silence on the issue of abortion allows the abortion industry to continue its relentless slaughter of God's precious creation. Silence on this issue affirms the practice and if speaking out about the issue brands me as a radical, then I will embrace the title and consider myself a radical who is passionately committed to laboring for the lives of my unborn brothers and sisters. William Wilberforce crusaded to end slavery. He was reviled, insulted, and slandered. His example is a challenging one and his words are stirring, "If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large." In this moment, I think it would be an honor to be considered an "incurable fanatic."

So now what? My conscience has been sufficiently pricked and I am convinced that inaction on the issue of abortion is no longer an acceptable option. What do I do and, I think more importantly, how do I do it?

1. Speak Out- Let your representatives in government know exactly where you stand on the issue. Don't just limit this to national leaders either. States have enormous influence in the fight to limit and/or end abortion. Contact your state and local representatives and your governor to emphasize this issue. Politicians' jobs depend on your vote. If enough people communicate their interest and passion about a topic, the politician will listen.
2. Get Active- Look for ways to be a physical presence in this fight. On August 22, pro-life groups around the nation are protesting outside of Planned Parenthoods in their communities. Consider joining them. Additionally, 40DaysforLife is an organization that is committed to praying for an end to abortion. They are a constant presence of hope at abortion clinics all around the world. 
3. Love Women and Babies- Show the love of Christ to men and women who are scared and hurting by supporting your local crisis pregnancy center. These centers provide a wonderful service to families. They provide pregnancy testing, sonograms, counseling, education, and a place of safety and support. Volunteers are always needed and if you don't have time to give, consider donating. The fight to end abortion is taking place on the national scale and on the local scale and both fronts are vitally important.
4. Show Conviction with Grace- If you find yourself wondering, "how do I oppose abortion while also showing love and compassion to women and men who have had abortions?" strive to embrace conviction with grace. Demonstrating conviction with bombastic and insulting remarks isn't furthering the gospel of Christ. Paul writes to the Corinthians, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." Instead, we should strive to demonstrate conviction while also loving, encouraging, supporting, and respectfully engaging with those who oppose our views or who have at one time embraced that which we condemn. Love is patient and kind, it is not arrogant or proud or rude or self-seeking. And importantly, love keeps no record of wrong. Showing conviction with grace demonstrates a humble heart that embraces grace for all because it is a heart that acknowledges the reality its own dark sins and its desperate need of salvation.

Over the next few weeks I am going to post a series of articles that I've written on the topic of abortion. I am going to address the right to privacy and provide a little background on how it came to be associated with abortion. I am also going to discuss the difficult issue of abortion in the case of rape or incest or when the mother's health is at risk. These are hard topics but they are important. Finally, I am going to discuss the role that crisis pregnancy centers play in the fight to end abortion and combat the oft repeated criticism that the pro-life movement only cares about babies in the womb. As always, my goal is to push myself to think about hard issues and I hope that you will join me in this conversation and comment with thoughts of your own.

I am posting links to the videos released by the Center for Medical Progress. I am also posting a speech given by Oklahoma Senator James Lankford. It is powerful and well worth your time to watch.

Center for Medical Progress Videos (edited and unedited versions)
Senator James Lankford Speech (video and transcript)