Empty Cribs - Forty Years of Abortion Complacency - Part II

In Part I of this topic, I concluded that life begins at conception.  Part II builds on that premise.  It surprises many people when I tell them that I am actually very “pro-choice".  I believe a woman has the choice of when and with whom she will have sex.  Once a child has been conceived, however, any choice regarding birth is a choice concerning the deliberate killing of a human being.  At that point, there is really no moral choice at all.  Conception, in a moral sense, automatically implies birth for cultures who believe that killing a human is wrong.  This is why teaching our children a proper sexual morality is so important.  This is why we need to teach our culture that stable, committed relationships (e.g. marriage) are needed for child rearing.  Sexual morality, marriage and child bearing are inseparably bound together in a culture that realizes life starts at conception.

Few would argue that abortion is a positive thing.  Many admit that in addition to ending a child's life, abortion harms the mother in many ways.  It harms our nation as well.  The United States might not be facing a Social Security crisis if we had another fifty-five million working citizens to support it.  More and more Americans realize that science is redefining the start of life (see January 14, 2013 edition of Time magazine), pointing to conception as the only sensible beginning.  We know that abortion is not optimal at best and may be horribly wrong at worst.

So why does anyone support abortion?  I am convinced that support for abortion betrays the desire to engage in sex without consequences.  Men and women want an escape hatch in the event of trouble.  They want the pleasure without the responsibility of sex.  At its core, privilege without responsibility is what abortion is all about.  Whether from a reluctant one-time mistake or a lifestyle of unconcerned irresponsibility, the vast majority of individuals who choose abortion are trying to wipe out the negative consequences of a conscious decision they made to have sex.

Second, I believe that many quietly believe we’re better off without all those babies who would have been born in disproportionately poor neighborhoods.  Many believe these children will just be a drain on our society anyway.  Much, if not most, of this is racist.  That’s the genesis of Planned Parenthood and the modern abortion boom.  Margaret Sanger and her ilk believed we were better off without poor, needy children who will just perpetuate themselves.  Some believe that certain sections of society can never be sexually or socially responsible.

Third, abortion is big business.  The abortion lobby allied with women’s rights organizations draws in billions of dollars from their activities.  They are going to fight any effort to awaken the consciences of those who may have misgivings about abortion.  Profits mean far more to them than aborted babies or shattered mothers.  Sure, they wrap their message in statements about equality for women and freedom from the consequences of pregnancy which don't affect men.  Their reality, however, is their bottom line.

The conundrum comes in what to do about those who continue to produce offspring without the means to care for them.  That produces much of the societal rub.  I have often heard the objection, “You pro-lifers expect poor people to have all these babies, but who do you expect to take care of them?  Are you going to?”  These folks make a valid point.  It’s debatable whether those of us who believe abortion is wrong are even capable of caring for the fifty-five million who would have been born, but does this difficulty change the reality that abortion is killing human beings?  We have to find a workable solution.  We have to go above and beyond to help.

So what can we do?  What is the answer to abortion?  The starting point is to recognize abortion for what it is – the deliberate killing of a human being.  There’s no way around it.  We need to say so.  Any solution has to recognize the problem for what it is.   We need to vote for those leaders who understand.  We need to see judges seated who do not write law into the constitution where it does not exist.  We need to work to see Roe v. Wade overturned.  We need commonsense legislation that makes abortion generally illegal.

We must commit to help those who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy.  We must care for them and help them through the delivery.  We must be willing to adopt as well as help others who are willing to adopt these children.  We must come alongside those who decide they want to raise their children and help them with this honorable decision.  People will make mistakes, and we must show mercy and grace to help others who are working to deal responsibly with the consequences of their actions.

Most importantly, we have to find a way to teach all our citizens personal responsibility and right from wrong.  This kind of talk is out of vogue in polite society.  Invoking God or objective truth will cause many to believe you to be engaging in nothing more than holier-than-thou moralizing.  In a sense, they are right – it is moralizing.  But morality is what we are talking about – the morality of abortion.  We have to promote personal responsibility.  We need to show both consequences for actions and the extension of mercy for mistakes.  This is a fine line to walk, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers.  I do know one thing:  sweeping this travesty under the national rug and pretending it is not symptomatic of a bigger issue does not help us.

Is the ultimate goal to outlaw most or all abortions?  No, though I would welcome that as an action of conscience in a democratic society.  Most would admit the prevalence of abortion is symptomatic of deeper issues.  Forcing laws through won't fix this.  The ultimate goal is to see our citizens take responsibility for their actions.  We need to practice sexual morality and learn to exercise self-control.  Particular emphasis needs to be paid to hold fathers accountable.  A man who participates in conceiving a child should bear both significant social and legal responsibility for his activity.  He should not be allowed to impregnate and walk away.

I am not concerned about trying to "punish" those who've experienced abortion.  I suspect they've been punished enough already.  Dealing with abortion is not about going on some kind of Puritanical witch-hunt.  It's about stopping the harm inflicted upon a child, the mother and the country.  It's about looking at something very negative and finding ways to replace it with something positive.  It's about finding a better way.  It's about becoming a more responsible nation.

The problem of abortion lies in our hearts, in our character and in our self-centeredness.  We can teach responsibility and show the consequences of both pregnancy and abortion, and we should.  We can work to overturn Roe v. Wade and pass laws to restrict abortion, and we should.  We can encourage and teach our children to practice sexual morality, and we should.  All of this will help, but only God can truly change a heart and turn it from self-centeredness.  I believe the real answer lies in the gospel of Jesus Christ - the good news that we can be forgiven of the harm we have done and the promise that God will turn our hearts away from our own selfishness.  Only then will we be able to exercise the kind of self-control and unselfish devotion to others required to end this blight of abortion.