Valuing Life

This past week marked the 40^th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision “Roe v. Wade.” Much has been written about abortion this past week, but I want to look at the issue in a little different light. To start off, I will look at another tragedy.

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On December 14, a ruthless gunman entered an elementary school and shot and killed innocent children. The tragedy in Sandy Hook will unfortunately be forever etched in our memories as one of the most senseless acts of violence in our lifetimes. It also became a “call to arms” (no pun intended) for stricter gun control laws. As Barack Obama said, “meaningful action” must be taken. In another statement, Obama said that even though the issue is “complex” and often “political,” action must be done to save children’s lives. One form of action is to introduce laws to limit access to the kinds of weapons the shooter used.

Though I personally believe the world would be a better place without guns (though, to be clear, I don’t necessarily advocate for stricter gun laws), I think we have to ask ourselves: isn’t there a deeper issue? Our culture gasps at the atrocities committed at mass shootings, but goes to the movies and watches gun violence on the big screen for entertainment (I am guilty of this myself). Many in our culture even put themselves a little closer to the experience by playing “first-person shooter” video games. A different, but no less troubling, problem is that when most of us know someone who is hurting and dealing with anger issues, our individualistic and self-centered selves often ignore them. We think, “Someone else will take care of them, it’s not my responsibility.” 99% of the time these people won’t resort to gun violence, but if we cared more for those around us that are hurting, perhaps we could prevent more tragedies. I agree with Barack Obama that meaningful action must happen, but I think it needs to be much deeper than more gun laws.

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Today is the annual “March for Life” in Washington DC. This year should be especially large because of the Roe v. Wade anniversary. I am deeply saddened by the laws in our country allowing for the murder of innocent children (in much larger quantities than at Sandy Hook elementary). But in a similar way to the issue of gun violence, I’ve come to realize recently that the issue of abortion is much deeper than what laws are in place and which party has political control. It pervades the whole culture.

First, more and more Americans seem not to care about this issue. I recently saw a survey stating that 7 in 10 Americans oppose a reversal of “Roe vs. Wade.” If we want laws to protect the unborn, we first need to pray for a culture shift. Secondly, I believe casual sex has been a factor. The issue of birth control is very complex, but while I don’t believe it’s inherently bad in the right situation, I think it has fostered a mentality among many that sex should be enjoyed without any worry of the “problem” of pregnancy. And when birth control fails, abortion – partly because it’s legal – is seen as an acceptable “back-up” form of birth control. In a godless society that views pregnancy as a “nuisance,” rather than a gift from God, unborn babies become “disposable.” This may sound harsh, but I’ll call it what it is: selfishness.

I don’t deny the issue is complex. Many women don’t feel financially or emotionally ready to be a mother. Sometimes they are pressured by a boyfriend to abort the baby.  On (extremely rare) occasions the life of the mother is at risk. Sometimes women are senselessly raped and become pregnant. It has also become a political issue. One risks becoming “anti-woman” in being pro-life (or “anti-abortion,” depending on what news source you read). But as Obama himself said, when referring to the tragedy of gun violence, if we can take action that would save even one life, wouldn’t that action be worth it?

Taking action might mean laws to protect the lives of those “unseen” by society, those without a voice: the unborn. But laws reflect the culture. It’s our culture that misunderstands comments like those by Senate candidate Mourdock, who was blasted for his statement that when a woman gets pregnant from being raped, it’s God’s will. Sure, his statement was probably unwise, but I can’t disagree with it theologically. No Christian in their right mind believes that being raped is a good thing, but when properly cared for, a woman who gets pregnant from such a horrible event can find redemption. Pregnancy can be a gift from God.

What we as Christians need to be praying for is a culture that values the lives of the unborn. A culture that values sex as to be saved for marriage, in which there can be a stable environment for a child. A culture that values pregnancy as eager expectation of new life, rather than a nuisance and unfortunate consequence of sex. And yes, a culture that cares for those who are faced with unwanted pregnancies. Our country doesn’t need laws protecting the unborn any more than it needs a broad culture change. A change only God can bring about.