I saw on Facebook that if you are pro-life, then on your taxes you should be required to give a 1% additional tax to support poor women. Also, it was said that pro-lifers are 'Hypocrites' who don't help the women or babies AFTER they are actually born, so why are they so concerned? Interesting question.
Well, since its MY blog, and I have some time on my hands. For once and for all: I want to tackle and answer all of these questions.
Disclaimer: In no way am I knocking anyone's choice. If you have had an abortion, its just the same as any other sin, forgivable and something we must turn away from. But in order to understand it, we need to have the correct information.
So I need to break it down, in order to more fully help others to understand the 'Pro-Life' position: (if you dont want to hear it, exit this post now!! Or else...fasten your seatbelts!)
I was at an abortion clinic at age 18-had one baby, pregnant with my second- and making an appointment. Laughing at the people who said they could love and help me. On the day of my scheduled appt, my boyfriend Gerald got called away to help a friend move, last minute. And after I rescheduled. I called the Crisis Pregnancy Center" and asked them "You say you can help...PROVE IT!" Within a week I was moved out of the home I was in and placed with a loving family who took care of me, helped me, ministered to me, showed me love that I had never seen, modeled Christian living, took me to church, fed me and my son lil Gerald, prayed for me, laughed with me, answered my million questions about God, taught me parenting, took me to the Doctor, rejoiced with me as I got saved and baptized in the ocean, held my hands as I delivered my daughter Ashley Nicole Williams, helped name her, and then two weeks later held my hands as I walked down the aisle to marry thier dad, and gave me away.... Things my own family didn't do for me.
(*read more about this in my book "Choosing the Road Less Traveled:Finding Grace on the Path to Purpose: www.mpowermentww.org)
Fast forward years later. I volunteered at a pregnancy center, became a mentor, and my first client was in my situation. I told her the same thing. Helped her get housing, a job, and baby items, and medical care. A year later she brought her baby in crying, and presented him to me. She tearfully told me that if it wasnt for me, he wouldnt be here.
If it wasnt for the Pro-Life people, Ashley (and possibly the rest of my children) would not be here. I am my mothers only living child. she aborted the rest. I was born in 1973, the year abortion became legal. All of the lives I have touched, and Ashley has touched is case enough against abortion in itself.
But people always assume that Pregancy Centers and Pro-lifers are not out there helping folks; that instead they are just hanging outside abortion clinics holding "dont kill your baby" signs. Quite the contrary. Eventually, because of my volunteer work, I was able to get into the public schools and speak to the youth about abstinence, because God told me that if they are not sleeping around, abortion wouldnt even be an issue.
...Long story short: these pro-life 'hypocrites' changed my LIFE, showed me God- and I would not be ME without them.
If they asked me, I would give more than 1% taxes. I have given my LIFE in exchange for those who are less fortunate, and housed and cared for many teens whose parents couldnt all the time. Why? Because of what was done for me by these organizations.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers and Volunteers help with: clothing, medical care, food, housing, job searches, counselling, pre-marital workshops. Post abortion counseling if you decide to terminate, because the long term suffering last years sometimes. We also offer help getting into school, etc. After all: if it is a true CHOICE..why not give every option? We not only show all options, but help a girl to know that abortion isnt her only way out.
Q: But what about the Bombers? Who kill abortion doctors? What about those who support the Death Penalty?
The bombers are the exception, not the rule. A TRUE Pro-lifer believes all life is precious, and made by God. Even the life of those in sin, such as abortion doctors. That is the same as saying all Muslims are suicide bombers. You cant discount the lot on account of the actions of a crazy few. Prayer for the doctors is vital...and like I said, getting to the root: abstinence will eliminate the need for abortion. Most Pro-life advocates dont believe in the death penalty either....but there are hypocrites every where you go, including in the church. There are actually people who say they are devout Christians, and go home sleeping with people, etc. Those outside the church would say that these people are hypocrites. There are hypocrites in every religion, in every job, in every way of life. But hypocrites deserve mercy and prayer as well. We cant discount the actions of the entire pro-life community based off a few mis-led ones.
And a real hypocrite would be someone who says that you should abort only in some cases, not in others. Either it is a child, made by God, or its not. Either its a living being or its not. and if it is nothing more than a mass of tissue, then why dont folks want to see pictures of them cut up and out and in the trash? I dont mind seeing a piece of tissue in the trash.
... If this pic bothers you, and you are Pro-choice- you have got to ask yourself WHY?
A few unspoken facts:
#1 Pro-Lifers still believe in Contraception: But birth control is not disease control, so if you are looking at it at the standpoint of saving a life, you will be misled. More women are dying of cervical cancer right now than AIDS, and this due to sexual activity. My husband and I used not only condoms(which I was using when I go pregnant with Ashley too, but i used Birth control pills at times, and now my tubes are tied. I believe in birth control between a married couple hoping not to conceive. More young teens to date have died from consequences of sexual activity (protected and unprotected) than the sum total of all illegal abortions in history.
#2- Some people use abortion as a form of birth control. As I said, my mother and father have used it repeatedly. To date: many women have died of LEGAL abortion-performed since 1973. The fact that a mother and child dies in illegal abortions is not a case for abortion. I have seen young women rendered infertile for life, due to complications from legal abortions. I have seen babies born alive, and killed with scissors due to legal abortions. I have seen women die from bleeding out caused by legal abortions, and the doctor list the cause of death as 'hemorrage' in order so that it is not traced back to abortion. This is hidden knowledge in the medical community. Safe, legal abortion is a myth. There is complications in all surgeries of any kind. It's just not talked about: neither is the fact that condoms have shown NO proven protection against Herpes and HPV, which is the killer that I mentioned above. These are lies and myths perpetuated by the media to make people feel 'safe' about thier choices.
#3-Abortion helps women? The real issue is money. Abortion is a multi-million dollar industry. When a women goes to get an abortion, the 'Choices' are not discussed. She is not allowed to even see the ultrasound, of the live, kicking baby inside of her. She is not told that the baby can smile, cry, and feel pain inside of her. she is not asked to consider all options before making her choice. she is asked to sign a release and asked for her money. She is asked to have someone to bring her home afterwards. She is not followed up with, to make sure she is okay, and her mental health is not considered, as to her needing follow-up counseling. We Pro-lifers are the ones they come to for all that. 20 years later when they still have nightmares about dead children, and are finding it hard to deal with being around babies. But if its a CHOICE, why isnt the abortion center offering and informing women about all of the same options: housing, employment, etc. Do THEY truly care about the women? Here's a test: If the woman decides to keep her baby, will THEY help her out? If not, why not, If they support her choice as well? After the abortion, will they follow up, provide counselling, stay with you for years afterwards? Because the Crisis Pregnancy center will. And thats where these women later come for help dealing with thier emotional pain.
Q: Shouldnt we have freedom of Choice over what happens to our own body!! Aren't Pro-lifers trying to take that away?
Pro-Choice is a play on words, also used as a strategy. Its a fake concept.They say its your body: but you dont have the right to stand on top of a building and prepare to jump. You dont have the right to hold a gun to your head, run into traffic, or shoot heroin in your own arm any time you get ready. If its your body, why is prostitution illegal? You dont have the right to take your whole paycheck and keep it without paying taxes. You dont even have the right to own anything without the Government giving the go-ahead. You cant even take medicine to get healed if they dont approve of it. So to talk about having someone else's beliefs FORCED upon you...is what the Government is doing, not Pro-Lifers. No one says that about the "Just say No" drinking and alcohol program. They dont say that those people are forcing thier beliefs on anyone else.
The words 'Complete freedom of choice' is only used pertaining to abortion. Then we are told we should have "choices" and 'Freedom over our bodies". Sister, its all lies.
...The enemy is the Father of all lies.
And up until now, I havent made this post religious at all. But because I am a Christian as well, I will add that component. If you are a Born-Again, believing Christian (and Im not speaking to any unbelievers/lukewarm here), then you have decidedly given your life to Jesus Christ, and agreed to allow God to be the head of your life, and follow His ways and Commandments, right?. Thou shall not kill is one of them.
Q. Yes, but nobody is PERFECT! There are hypocrites everywhere.
Yes, we all fall short of being 'perfect' but some sins are intentional and heinous. And we are commissioned to go out and preach that gospel in all the world (Mark 16:15) and that gospel says that we need to repent, and get saved, as well as follow His commandments. If we dont tell people these things, then we are hypocrites. A hypocrite is someone who professes to believe one thing, and does another. Like if I say Im a Christian, and I hop into bed with every man I am attracted to.
If someone kills a two year old, we scream for "justice", we want that man taken to jail, and his rights taken away. We cry for the mother, and the family, and the life that will never grow up. But if a Pro-lifer were to cry for that same child two years earlier, he/she is a 'fanatic' and 'crazy'. See, we pray to God for 'Justice' for those we feel are guilty, but 'Mercy' for ourselves. Interesting how that works. But living in the real world, we have got to know that we cant run around violating Gods commandments and laws and expect to get off scotch free. But the person who is begging someone from the side of the road to get out of traffic is considered 'Anti-choice" when it comes to abortion. No, we simply want to save lives. The life of the baby, the life of the mother (spiritual, mental and physical) and society from becoming another Sodom and Gomorrah who hardens thier hearts to what sin truly is... to the point to where they dont even realize when they are doing it.
...And back to the original post: yes, we should all pay a surcharge to help those involved in Crisis Pregnancies...why not? But many of us already pay additional taxes to welfare, etc. which in many ways helps these women anyway. Most of the women who have abortions are not POOR unwed women, as we think. Check the statistics out as to who is having the abortions. It would surprise you. I was not on welfare, at all. We got married, and took care of ourselves and our family.
Q. Pro-lifers need to mind thier own business...I have to live with the consequences of my choices, not them!
I think we all feel that way about our past decisions. However, God instructs us as Christians to go out and minister, save the lost, help the hurting, and warn the sinful. We cant do that with our mouth shut, nor by'minding our own business' although many of us would LOVE to. Shoot...Trust me, sometimes ministry to others is agonizing, and you really dont WANT to deal with people. Especially teens. You want to close yourself away from others, and say "All of yall can go to HELL! That's where you seem to want to go anyway" lol. and if that attitude would have happened in my own life, I would not have 3/4 of my kids, nor would I be here today.
I have heard so many teens say "Well, what I am doing is not hurting anyone but me, I have to learn from my own mistakes. Between me and God." I have heard drug addicts say this, alcoholics, even porn addicts...But if we are truly loving those teens, we dont just turn a blind eye, not give advice, not give information, and fail to tell them right from wrong. We do it out of love and concern.
If I didnt see the 'fallout' from abortion, I wouldn't care who did it. But when I see a young girl living in guilt and misery, who has scarred tubes, and eventually takes pills to get her mind off of it, and lives a tormented life, failed relationships, and anger, and then comes to ME for counselling years later, and we find out all this was contributed to her having an abortion 10 years earlier, then I have a duty, and an obligation to try to help the next girl from having to go through it.
Q: Yes, but God will forgive my sins, Its all in the past.
Yes, absolutely, God definitely forgives all our sins...but there is a consequence to each of them. He even says, 'Do not be deceived" about that. He says in his word that our sins will affect 'generations.' not just us...He also says when we repent, "sin no more" and be transformed over into his way of thinking-which is biblical. He wont abandon us, but will stand by us as we suffer for all of our choices. And he will grieve that suffering.
Q: What about rape and incest?
Statistically, rape and incest is the issue in less than 1% of all abortions, and was the central arguement in the court case that caused abortion to become legal in 1973. However, the woman who was the central instrumental witness in this case, Norma McCorvey, now admits that not only did she LIE about being raped, but that Planned Parenthood instructed her to lie in order to win the case. It was all built on deception. And besides, what if we all had to die based on the sins of our own fathers? Why pile hurt on top of hurt? fyi: There are 8 couples waiting in line for every healthy baby put up for adoption. My closest friend is a result of rape, and she thanks God every day that she was given life. She now has 5 children and two grandchilren of her own.
Q: What about Free Will?
In a funny way, God is Pro-Choice. He says in Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.... Therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that you and your offspring may live." He gives us Free Will to choose. He tells us what to choose-- and what will happen when we choose. And yet, after all that, he STILL had to send all those prophets -and Jesus- to keep warning folks and turning them away from sinning. All of them were told to go away and mind their business.
No one, including those prophets, and Jesus is trying to 'take away' anyone's free will. What we as Christians are doing is trying to warn, minister, and give information (as we are commissioned to do) to tell the world about Him and His will. It is our job: our 'Orders' from our General on High. I have to answer to Him if i turn a blind eye to wrongs. Of course, my first job is always to check my own wrongs, and look my own self in the mirror, and make sure that I clean out my own closet, and work on my own stuff as well. Thats not easy either.
Very painful, and humbling. But I do it often. I always ask God to show me plainly where my views, and beliefs contradict His, and ask him to change MY way of thinking. Because His wont change, and as Christians we are told to line ourselves up with our leader
...and Im not talking about Obama...lol
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