3 compelling reasons I am pro-life

The overturning of Roe v. Wade after 63 million preborn babies have been killed in our nation is leading to new dialogue. We are not only discussing it with our children, we are explaining to them why we are pro-life. It is simply a matter of time before a relative or neighbor or co-worker brings up the topic of abortion with you or you see an opportunity to talk about why you are pro-life. While much more could be said, these three reasons I am pro-life are those that I want to be on the tip of my tongue and that I hope will be helpful to you, too.

Because the Bible tells me so

A few years ago, I made a list of 15 sections of Scripture especially relevant to the pro-life cause to help me be better attuned with God’s heart on this subject before I would speak out against it. These sections of the Bible are: Genesis 1:27; Exodus 1:16–22; 4:11; 21:22–25; Job 10:11–12; 31:15; Psalm 14:4; 22:9–10; 127:3–5; 139:13–16; Isaiah 45:9–11; 49:15; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41–44; Galatians 1:15. I found myself in tears as the weight and impact of the Word built conviction and holy anger at our enemy, Satan, who deceives so strongly, stirred up love for the preborn and vulnerable mothers who are in difficult situations, and bestowed grace in my heart toward those who have had or been involved in an abortion.

God could not be more clear: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Ps. 139:13-14). Let’s go deep in the scriptures before we go wide in sharing our beliefs. Let’s have God’s Word feed our minds and hearts, move our hands and feet, and open our mouths to speak for the preborn (Prov. 31:8).

Because science tells me so

The Mississippi law that challenged Roe at the Supreme Court banned abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy. What is a preborn baby doing at 15 weeks? Taste buds are being formed and nerves are connecting them to the brain. The baby’s legs are growing longer than her arms now. She can move all of her joints and limbs, and in fact she moves constantly. At 15 weeks, eyelids, eyebrows, eyelashes, nails, hair, and well-defined fingers and toes have already been formed. As I write this, people are protesting and vandalizing around our country because an unlegislated “right” to kill a baby was ruled unconstitutional—a baby who has been sucking his thumb for 3 weeks, and who can yawn, stretch, and make faces.

All pro-life people need to have these realities handy, and all pro-choice people need to read these undisputed facts of science and ask themselves honestly why they believe it is OK to purposefully kill a human being at any stage of gestation. The claims of science are not just the result of religious presuppositions or a reading of Scripture’s command to care for the unborn. Rather, they are undisputed facts of biology and anatomy. I am pro-life because even if the Bible did not indisputably tell me so, the plain undisputed facts of science also tell me so.

Because human flourishing and love tell me so

Pro-choice arguments are based on fear and convenience, not truth and hope. For over 50 years, young women in our country have often been shamelessly counseled that their only viable option is to abort their child rather than consider adoption or raising their child. Young fathers have been told they don’t have any responsibility. There has been no accounting for the fact that this has caused the well-documented association between abortion and higher rates of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, traumatic symptoms, sleep disorders, and other negative outcomes.

It is true that having a baby changes everything, but it is also true that aborting a baby changes everything. Being pro-life means that I am pro-human flourishing.

In Vermont, where I live, the people will vote on a state constitutional amendment this fall that would make us the first state to have abortion as a right that “shall not be denied or infringed.” Yet we are one of the states in the U.S. that is struggling most with an aging population and not enough young tax payers. Nationally, the shortage in the Social Security system would have been more than replaced by the children who were aborted over the past five decades. From economics to the joy of being a mother or father, I am pro-life because I know it is best for human flourishing.

Yet, there is one more reason I am pro-life: love. It is out of love for the preborn that I continue to speak up, research, support foster parents, encourage pregnancy resource centers, and love vulnerable women and men who are going through difficult situations.

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