I am considered to be among the minority as a young woman who is pro-life, and my perspective is not well-accepted in our society. As women we are told we are strong, independent, and smart enough to make our own decisions in life without the help of anyone else… unless you don’t agree with what they tell you to believe.
If you’re “pro-choice” and follow everything Planned Parenthood and the leftist agenda says, then you’re the ultimate woman, but if you disagree, you’re not worth listening to. Instead, you’re only worthy of mockery and discrimination in every way possible.
“You don’t listen to ‘science’ since you don’t believe in ‘women’s reproductive rights’, so you’re not worthy to have an opinion.”
That’s what they tell you as a pro-life woman… you’re treated as worthless to them, and I know this for a fact because I am one.
But despite the hatred and mockery they often hurl at those of us who are pro-life – and actually pro-science – I want to make the case for why being pro-life is the ultimate expression of being pro-woman and pro-human rights.
Rights and Equality
Women’s rights have continued to be at the forefront of the public mindset for many decades now, and it is my belief that it is impossible to have a legitimate and fair discussion about these rights without acknowledging their connection to the rights of a child in the womb.
If a woman should be granted all basic human rights – and indeed she should – then every female, including those in the womb, are entitled at the very least to the right to life.
Beyond this, if we are to fight for women’s equality and rightfully assert that women are equal to men in both intrinsic value and worth, then there can be no argument that this means that both males and females have the right to life from day one.
Every child – regardless of that child is female or male – is a human with equal value and worth, and life is without question the most important human right one can possess.
The Science of Life
Science has proven time and again that the child in the womb – whether or not one refers to him or her as an embryo, fetus, or some other scientific term – is in fact a new, unique human life.1
New DNA is present at the time of fertilization, which is a confirmation that a new life has been formed.2
The baby’s gender, ethnicity, hair color, and eye color are also determined at the point of fertilization, making him or her completely “unique from every other human being who has ever existed or will ever come into existence.”2
At only three weeks old, the heartbeat can be detected, and at six weeks, brain activity can be recorded.2
Even if this information did not exist, however, it would still be true that no human being or method of science would be able to determine at what point the baby in the womb is not a living person.
Many people try to argue the semantics of when a child in the womb is a living human being (detected heartbeat, recorded brain activity, etc.), but no matter what they choose to go by, no one can say with absolute certainty the exact moment that a person should become a human being.
Any detection of organ function or other indications of life is not conclusive of when such functions or indications actually came into being – they merely detect what is there and what may have already been there long before detection was even possible due to limitations in technology.
Therefore, we cannot definitively say when life actually begins simply based on subjective standards that rely solely on limited scientific observation, especially when these observations continue to change and aren’t always 100% absolute in results every time.
Even if one does not believe that a living person comes into existence at the moment of fertilization (as I do), there is still a major difference between non-living cells in nature (such as cells shed by skin) and a developing person in the womb – the DNA cells created at fertilization always have the potential to become a living human being if left to natural processes.
This is not true of non-living cells, and therefore no one should claim that a baby is “just a clump of cells”. If no one stops this process, the baby will develop naturally, and as I mentioned above, no person can determine at what point those “cells” become a person, so therefore they are always at risk of ending an innocent life.
Christian Faith and the Word of God
While I’ve already made the argument from science, there is an additional element for those who consider themselves to be Christian.
Even more important than what science can tell us, as a Christian we should also believe firmly that God has told us that He is the Creator and Ultimate Authority over life (e.g. Genesis 1:26–27; Genesis 2:7; Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 33:4; Zechariah 12:1; John 1:3–4; Acts 17:25; 1 Timothy 6:13).
He also forms us in the womb and knows the plans He has for each of us before we are even born (e.g. Job 31:15; Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 22:9–10; Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 44:2, 24; Isaiah 49:1, 5; Luke 1:15, 41; Galatians 1:15).
Much like I stated above in terms of the science of development, the Christian can also say that they have no way of determining the exact moment in which God places the spirit or soul of a person into the physical body (or even a cell) within the womb – this could very well be at the moment of fertilization when new DNA is created.
Therefore, as Christians, we cannot say definitively that the developing person is not living at any point after fertilization because we are not God.
No matter how one looks at it, there is no point that anyone could definitively say God creates life beyond conception or fertilization because we aren’t God and we aren’t omniscient.
Some say that a person is not alive until God “breathes into them” (which would be when they are born). That is not biblically or logically sound as there is only one instance in scripture that speaks of God creating us by breathing into a human to bring them to life as He states in Genesis 2:7. The Bible does state that God breathed life into Adam, but it does not insinuate that this is how all life comes into being. This is a specific instance regarding the first created person that is never repeated again.
If we were supposed to take this verse as a prescription for how all life begins, then we could easily argue that no person aside from Adam has ever been truly “alive”, because God didn’t form any other human beings out of the ground as He did with Adam. Also, the Bible does not describe this same process when God creates Eve (Genesis 2:21–22). He is not described as “breathing” life into her, nor are other human beings from that point forward.
When you pair this with the fact that the New Testament (Luke 1:41, 44) describes John as “leaping” inside his mother’s womb upon coming into the presence of Jesus (who was also in His mother’s womb at the time), it is difficult to argue against the conclusion that the Bible is describing both John and Jesus as being alive and capable of reactions. Therefore, this biblical account negates the idea that a person is only alive once God breathes air into them after birth.
Logically speaking, all we can fully conclude is that only God as the Creator and Author of life knows exactly when a person comes into being, so we have no right to guess (even if it is an “educated” guess) as to when the child in the womb is alive or not.
Clearly, the Christians who support abortion are deceived, either by not reading and understanding these biblical concepts on their own or by their own volition based on their own desires for something else to be true for them personally.
These are hard realities to accept, but realities nonetheless. I don’t know which of these two reasons is more true for most Christians today, but I do know that I would never want to stand before the Lord and Creator of all and tell Him that it was my “right” to choose to end an innocent life that He created.
This is something I have written extensively about before, and I continue to implore Christians to understand and respect the sanctity and value of all life and to acknowledge the sovereignty and authority of God. The Bible is clear on this issue, and to say otherwise is to either misunderstand or misinterpret God’s Word.
As William Wilberforce once said, “A private faith that does not act in the face of oppression is no faith at all.”
My faith compels me to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. As Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed.” (HCSB)
Pro-Woman is Pro-Life
Many say that to be pro-woman is to be pro-choice, but I will confidently say that I wholeheartedly believe that to truly be pro-woman to the greatest extent possible is to be pro-life.
Regardless of the narrative that has been pushed for decades now, the truth is that abortion does irreparable damage to a woman mentally and emotionally (as well as often times physically).
It is a fact that a woman is forever changed by abortion – she is either mentally and emotionally damaged to the point of constant regret and pain, or she is damaged to the point of becoming hardened and callous to the action that has been done to her child.
This is a fact no matter how hard one may try to deny it, because it is a scientific fact that the baby she carries inside of her is a human whose life has been abruptly and violently ended.
I truly hope that as you read this you understand and accept that I write this from a place of deep emotion and out of sincere love for all people. I believe it is both possible and necessary that we should love and support both the woman and the child in every instance.
This is not in any way to shame any woman who has had an abortion in the past or who has or is considering having an abortion now. Any person who addresses this issue with an intent to bully or berate is wrong without question.
While I do believe the act of abortion is a shameful practice because of what it truly is and we should be honest about the fact that it is the killing of an innocent human being, I also believe that most women have been deceived and need to be shown the truth from a place of loving concern and compassion without compromising the truth.
The Truth About Abortion
Women (and indeed the whole population) have been repeatedly and viciously lied to by countless people and organizations about the effects of abortion and what it really is, as well as lied to about what women’s rights truly are.
It is not our right (and it is not morally right) to intentionally take another innocent life, and that is why pro-abortion advocates have had to change the narrative to cause women to believe that the child in her womb is not alive. But changing words does not change science, and it does not change reality.
The truth is that I have personally heard with my own ears countless abortion clinicians and advocates who do know fully what they are doing admit to the fact that they are intentionally lying to women by telling them that the baby is not a human, even when they know themselves without a doubt that it is.3
Consider this information revealed by numerous former Planned Parenthood employees (many of whom do not know each other) who state that they are instructed to manipulate and lie to women about abortion and other options:
“… Planned Parenthood actually has abortion quotas. They were given incentives to push for an expected number of abortions over a given time frame. Some of these incentives were pizza parties, awards, and lunches out…”4
“Other former Planned Parenthood workers have written about how the abortion counseling at their facilities was biased and manipulative…”4
“Another former Planned Parenthood worker, “Ellen,” says she was reprimanded for giving women information on abortion alternatives…”4
“Lavonne Wilenken, former Planned Parenthood facility worker, describes how Planned Parenthood workers would frighten pregnant teens into having abortions… During her time at Planned Parenthood, Wilenken even witnessed abortion workers commit an abortion on a 17-year-old girl against her will.”4
Abortion is not the only option, and it is not the easy solution that women have been sold. There are good people and good organizations around the world who can help women and their babies if they are facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Even if a pregnancy is an accident, or even if it is the result of an unthinkable and terrible situation, it has been proven time and time again throughout history that it is possible for something good to happen in spite of what came before it. No situation, no matter how bad, is the baby’s fault, and the child certainly shouldn’t be punished by ending its life.
There are countless stories of mothers who chose life for their child – even those who were conceived from the most horrible circumstances – and they do not regret their choice.5 Those mothers will tell you that as hard as their journey was, they are so thankful that they chose life as they look with love at their children.
You can choose life for your child and you don’t have to do it alone. It will not be easy, in fact, it will more than likely be extremely hard at times, but it will be worth it, because every child and every life is a gift.
The Consequences of Speaking Out
These are my beliefs that I hold dearly, despite how I may be misjudged for having such beliefs that are no longer widely accepted by the general public.
The fact that any person in our world today is not allowed to speak his or her beliefs freely without fear of being ridiculed, ostracized, or even threatened by others is inexcusable and appalling. This is especially true when one’s beliefs have to do with saving a life – something that logically should have never been controversial or looked down upon, to begin with.
Human life is not a political matter and should have never been made to be so. It has only been made to be controversial politics for the sake of creating another means by which division and control can be used by those who exercise their power for ill-gotten profit and immoral, evil agendas.
But in my mind, I am not speaking on a controversial political matter — I am speaking on behalf of the innocent who have no voice and who deserve the right to life just as every other human being of any age, ethnicity, or ability does outside of the womb.
I do not speak of what I do not know. I do not merely repeat what I have been told by others. I have done the research and listened to personal stories and continue to do so, and what I can say with utmost certainty is that the more I learn about abortion, the more solid I become in my beliefs and my choice to be pro-life for the entirety of my life.
This truth is so important to me that I am willing to risk everything, including friendships and social ridicule, in order to speak my beliefs out loud rather than keep them to myself. Saving even one life is worth a little social discomfort or misjudgment by those who would rather bully and play political games than listen with an open mind and heart.
Abortion is the wrongful ending of an innocent life, so how can I in good conscious remain silent?
If we truly and honestly desire to stand up for the helpless and the innocent around the world from every region, ethnicity, and culture, then it must begin here – it must begin in the womb.
[1] Here are numerous resources that explain the science of human development. (Also see this archive of articles from Live Action) – Princeton University, “Life Begins at Fertilization”; Cleveland Clinic, “Fetal Development: Stages of Growth”; Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists, “Genetics and Fertility”; Dianne N. Irving, When Do Human Beings Begin? “Scientific” Myths and Scientific Facts; Maureen Condic, A Scientific View of When Life Begins; National Geographic, “Cell Biology”; Richard Garnett et. al., BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY CENTER IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONERS AND REVERSAL
[2] Live Action, “‘Baby Olivia’ provides an incredible look at the first trimester of human development”
[3] Live Action and many other organizations have done extensive research and undercover work to expose the lies of the abortion industry, including Planned Parenthood (see this archive of numerous articles and videos). Here are a handful of standout stories – “Planned Parenthood lies to women about fetal development while harvesting fetal body parts”; “Shoddy Science: Why America Doesn’t Need Planned Parenthood”; “Planned Parenthood lies to women: ‘We don’t have any type of procedure where a woman would receive an injury”’; “This Planned Parenthood fundraiser tote is packed with lies. Here’s the truth.”; “100 abuses of Planned Parenthood”
[4] Live Action, “Former Planned Parenthood workers tell of coercion and lies in abortion ‘counseling’”
[5] Here are just a few of the countless stories of mother’s who have chosen life for their child after horrible circumstances led to their pregnancies – Live Action, “Pressured to abort after rape, Amy chose life for her son with no regrets”; “Gang raped at 14, she chose life for her son despite doctor and family coercion”; “Pregnant from rape, mom chooses life: He isn’t my rapist’s baby, he’s mine”
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