I know 1 in 3 Americans have either had an abortion or were
in some way responsible for one. I know it is a heart-wrenching and
traumatic decision that no one wants to go through. It doesn’t only
effect the fetus or embryo or zygote…it deeply effects those responsible for
the procedure.
However, even if you have been through that process, it
doesn’t mean that God cannot forgive a repented person over it. It
doesn’t mean a morally right decision was made because it happened. It doesn’t
mean a continued belief that abortion is not really killing a person…a person
who is not quite as developed as those outside the womb. It must be a
difficult personal conversation justifying what happened when people go through
that procedure.
I can’t imagine the endless, shameful, conversation that
goes through a person’s mind rationalizing that decision…but eventually it can
get to that point where it is rationalized. I doubt it can ever get to
the point where the shame and guilt is ever removed without literally divine
intervention where a belief that God has removed that guilt by the work He did
on the cross.
But my point isn't really to sympathize with those who have
gone through an abortion, although I do sympathize. I also sympathize
with those whose circumstances drove them to that decision. My point isn’t even
about a God who is able to forgive that decision or to even bring religion into
this context. My point is, and hopefully will develop into, if a person
really digs into the issue of abortion, it is remarkable to me that we are even
having this debate.
I am delving into this issue through a book “the Case for
Life” by Scott Klusendorf and it is a book about equipping Christians to Engage
the Culture. But forgetting the fact it is a Christian book, I am about
half-way through it and have decided this is not really a religious issue by
itself. This is a social issue regardless of religious orientation.
I once believed pro-choicers and pro-lifers will never have
the capacity to really debate this issue; pro-choicers use logical techniques
in the debate (it’s my body and my right), pro-lifers use emotional techniques
(a baby is being killed). In much the same way, I realized this sort of
debate was happening in the 1800’s when I visited a civil war museum in
Atlanta, Georgia last spring; slaves are my property vs. slaves are equal
people. That irreconcilable debate split the nation as it does now with
abortion; logic vs. emotion moved the nation into a civil war until the nation
was literally “forced” to believe that slavery is wrong.
Slowly, now, our nation is going in a direction that says,
in some way, abortion is wrong. Over 50% of the nation agrees that abortion has
some immoral implication to it. But again, my point isn’t primarily that
abortion is wrong. My point is that the ability for pro-lifers to debate
logically is available…regardless of how emotional the debate may feel.
My point is that once a person compares similar, historical, societal events to
the current event of abortion, it may surprise you too this debate is
occurring. My point is that one emotional barrier that could exist for a
person who has been involved in an abortion, and there are 30% of us who have,
may not have the ability to objectively evaluate the issue in order to close
the cognitive dissonance between a decision and the reality of that
decision. My point also is to suggest there is a spiritual outlet to a
loving God who can close the gap between a decision over abortion and the
reality of it, thus enabling an objective look at the societal struggle with
abortion.
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