Consistently Pro-life
by Nicole Morgan
A number of events appeared in the news earlier this month that made me think about what it really means to be “pro-life” in our culture of death. Thousands of people marched in D.C. in the annual “March for Life” that correlates with the anniversary of Roe v. Wade; a renewed debate about the death penalty surfaced after Ohio executed a man with a new type of lethal injection that caused the man to gasp, choke, and shake as he died; Texas executed a Mexican national; and a family tried to clear the name of their relative, a 14-year-old boy who was executed 70 years ago in SC after an unjust trial. Those are just a few headlines that caught my eye.
I grew up in the “Bible Belt” of America and always associated pro-life exclusively with anti-abortion. But over the past number of years I’ve come to realize that it must mean so much more than that, that as Christians we must consistently honor the dignity of all life and advocate for a just world. The recurring theme in my heart these past months has been the idea that I will learn to be consistently pro-life by building relationships, knowing my neighbors, and actively seeking to be aware of views different from my own. It is my prayer that in this month when many Christians talk about the importance of life, Christians will seek abundant life for babies and mothers, children and families, our enemies and our friends, our neighbors next door and across the ocean.
Take some pro-life action this week! Get to know a neighbor. Read a news article or blog that presents a perspective other than your own (you’ll find some good ideas here). Use one of the 198 methods of nonviolence to advocate for life. Then take a moment to tell us what you did to be consistently pro-life this week.
Nicole Morgan is an MTS student at Palmer Theological Seminary, studying Christian Faith and Public Policy.
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Nicole, I won’t take time to say much other than to commend you in your thesis and research. A consistent pro-life ethic should be the norm for Christians if we take the Lordship of Jesus seriously. I don’t see a way around it. Just a few minutes ago, going through a long list of emails, I came across a plea to oppose Senate bill 1881 which calls for egregious sanctions against Iran and is considered provocative and precursory to war. And the U.S. is loaded to the gills with nukes, how hypocritical!!! Anyway, I called one of U.S. senators to commend him in his opposition to the bill, and called the other senator to chastise him on his stance favoring the bill and asked that he reconsider and change his position. Responding to an endless stream of requests to support justice issues can be tiresome and time-consuming, as yours is, too. But then, our time belongs to God, and God’s justice needs advocates (hands, feet, voices, funds), so I’m pleased to encourage you although I don’t have a lot more to add right now. (oh, by the way, I graduated from Palmer). Blessings! –Allen Johnson
Embracing a consistent pro-life ethic doesn’t preclude placing a priority on stemming the abortion holocaust:
http://www.priestsforlife.org/articles/electionsandrtl.htm