A Quick Note and a Tale

Introduction

This blog post is about an old canard I see regularly. Namely how pro-choice people say conservative Christians are trying to shame women into not having access to or the ability to have an abortion. First, not only conservative Christians are pro-life. It's disrespectful to attack a group you have a problem with when the issue or people involved are much broader.

Disclaimer

Secondly, the only shame involved in abortion is thinking it's okay. Before I continue, allow me this: anyone who has aborted needs support. Do not turn your nose up at a woman who has been damaged by abortion. For God's sake, after such a decision anyone would need support! I cannot bolster this point enough. Supporting abortion is shameful. What can top that shamefulness is scoffing at those who realize the what they've done. Quite simply, if you're more concerned with the child than the woman, you're doing it wrong. A woman won't be able to find forgiveness in herself if her fellow "Christians" are demonizing her. Like any other sin, we should not simply give up on ourselves or each other. Bringing it to Jesus is what we should do.

It has been known that life begins at conception since before Roe v. Wade. I may argue about personhood in a later, expanded post; after all, it really would be a legalistic argument, wouldn't it? For now, consider this: I often hear first trimester abortions are the most common and that the fetus isn't viable. It's important to note that in many cases, first trimester abortions are the only ones legal. This statistic of "most abortions are first trimester" should not then be surprising. Moving on, it still ends a life. Read the following story:

The Tale of the Wilderness

You and I are out in the wilderness. By freak accident, you become grievously injured, unconscious. The supplies we have are barely enough for one person, due to the accident. The rough terrain means that even if you recover, we'll probably be slowed down enough that we won't make it back to civilization. Knowing this, I reason the following: I can't keep you around! You'll take away from my meager standard of living, place a burden on me I didn't ask for, and perhaps even cause my death. I notice that you're unresponsive; you can't function on your own. You need me. But, caring more about myself, I justify murder by throwing you in a nearby lake thereby letting you drown.

Conclusion

I would never do such a thing. Even if I did, I would be guilty of manslaughter or murder if it was ever found out. However, the reasons are the exact same I hear to justify abortion: resources, management, responsibility. The story isn't perfect. You didn't ask to be injured in the wilderness. But this makes the point even more salient: if you choose to have sex, potentially conceiving a child, then you've already created a scenario where someone (the unborn) is "injured in the wilderness." Also, in the story you aren't inside me, but it's demonstrated that the reasoning to kill can still be carried out. Could you justify killing a friend or family member in this wilderness tale?