Stop, in the Name of Love!

 

What is this hesitation, reluctance, this near-repugnant feeling of some (including me), to approach the subject of abortion?  Is it because, in some part, because of a feeling that we are being intrusive, telling women what they can/can't do with their bodies, that it really is only their business?  Even though I know that babies lives are being abruptly, often cruelly, ended before they even begin outside the womb, which is a severe wrong and injustice, I still have this unwillingness. 

It seems very rude and in-your-face to tell people that they must take responsibility for their actions instead of trying to escape from the consequences.  It even seems unloving.  If someone doesn't want to deal with pregnancy, which nearly lasts a year and can have much emotional and physical hardship even when the baby is wanted, who am I to tell someone they must choose to carry the baby to a natural birth?

However, there is an additional view on abortion.  I can take the approach of love, realizing that there are even greater spiritual and emotional consequences for those who end their developing baby's lives than for the innocent baby.  Walking in the Spirit I can be moved with concern for these expectant women and couples to do all I can, with grace and love, to convince them that abortion will cause them more long-lasting emotional and spiritual damage than they can even imagine.

This verse is a common one used among pro-life:

 "Rescue those being led away to death;

    hold back those staggering toward slaughter,"  Proverbs 24:11.

We typically think of this verse as the unborn being led away to death.  Maybe if we think with compassion of the expectant parents as being included in this rescue, focus on rescuing them (along with the baby), from emotional and spiritual death, that may help end our reluctance to act.