Yes, there’s a but. There was no ‘but’ before I got pregnant myself and experienced the reality and the mystery of it all. Before, there was no argument in my mind about it. I was – and still am – Pro-Life, because of my fundamental belief in God and Christianity. However, pregnancy gave me some insight into why there is such a great divide about this whole abortion issue.
Many would have thought being pregnant and having a baby of my own would have meant that my alignment with the Pro-Life view would be stronger than ever. However, as I watched to a video made by @failedathiest, I couldn’t stop thinking of the whole pregnancy thing and the definition and defense for an unborn child’s life.
If I were Pro-Choice, my defense would be the fact that a woman’s body and life is hijacked the moment she conceives! Even before anyone notices that she is pregnant, there’s a new ‘Lord of the body’, and he or she is changing the whole terrain to suit him/herself! The woman no longer has power over her body. She is a carrier of this child, willingly or not, until s/he vacates the body.
Not only must she protect the child, for humanity sake, she must also change her eating and drinking habits to accommodate the child. Even if she doesn’t know that, everyone is telling her what she must do for the child. However, even if she does a bad job of looking after herself and the baby, the unborn child will still take all the nutrients from her body that s/he needs, and grow as best s/he can (similar to a parasite). Aside these, there are also social and financial consequences for her new status as a pregnant woman (or girl), and more changes to come once she’s a mother (or single or teenage mother). It’s not a small burden, and I do believe men hardly understand this.
So, I can understand the feeling of being hijacked and not in control. Even right to the very end, a complication with the pregnancy can mean not one, but both lives lost. The mystery, however, is the preference to preserve the mother’s life in virtually all cases. I think there’s something in that, which is; when push comes to shove, the life of the mother (the human already operating in the world, who may have dependents) is chosen over the unborn (the human whose potential impact is unknown).
In his video, Daniel said that one of the arguments given for abortion is the lack of desire of the unborn child to live. He gave a really powerful argument about why desire to live is really not the issue. However, I’d go further. I believe that the unborn child has a great desire to live and a phenomenal survival instinct! As I’ve already captured, s/he has shown that desire throughout the pregnancy right to birth, by the way the body has been manipulated by its existence to provide a suitable place to grow and live, including preparing the mother for the conditions of birth.
Now, if I wasn’t a Christian, the argument about choice and power over one’s body and life would be very tempting. Especially in cases of rape, when the sex that resulted in the baby was not only non-consensual, but violent and violating. It can be hard to think your life is now tied to this being that you most likely don’t want to have a thing to do with.
However, pregnancy is a great mystery. I realized that while carrying my first born. So many times I laughed and marveled at God’s humour and design, and how He was doing it without my help! No matter the challenge or difficulty of carrying a baby, wanted or not, it is a gift. It is a blessing. You are being given an opportunity to grow, to love, to change and to thrive! Every challenge is an opportunity to get stronger, and so is pregnancy.
Ladies, we can take the attitude that it’s my body and my life, but we would be wrong. Our bodies and our lives are a gift from God for us to use to His glory. And sometimes, we have to endure things we would rather not endure to get to where we need to be or where God wants us to be. The greater truth of sacrifice is the final defense against the Pro-Choice argument. Sacrifice is about love. If you can’t understand how much you are loved and how much was sacrificed for you, how can you love another or sacrifice your body and your life to bring life and joy to another?
Photo credit: http://www.pixabay.com
If you like this post, you might like I’M PRO-LIFE, BUT… (PART TWO)
Are you blessed by this ministry? Why not partner with me?
Grace and Truth 
I have been bought with a price
I am not my own…
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Thanks Tessa! That’s really the bottom line.
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Reblogged this on Freedomborn … Aussie Christian Focus and commented:
Thank you ufuomaee, a message of great importance and also filled with God’s Sacrificial, Love and Truth, Pearls that can’t be calculated by earthly reckoning, they are of greater Heavenly value.
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Regardless of how small a Child is they are a Human being and have as much right to life on earth as we do.
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I will also leave a link for others, thank you again ufuomaee for your uplifting comment, expressing your heart focus too.
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My message shares about my passionate desire to warn Woman and Men not to make the same choice I made, yes I was under pressure and did not give thought to the long term consequences to my Baby and myself… but I did choose, did I know than, No! but I do today.
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Abortion- https://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/mommy-please-love-me/
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Thank you again ufuomaee -Christian Love in our Unity in Christ Jesus – Anne.
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Thanks a million Anne! Much love in Christ x
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I understand that in some Islamic countries a woman may get a legal abortion after consulting a priest/doctor. The point being that it is not a matter of a woman’s choice or a matter of having control of her own body or that the fetus is hers but that all things belong to God including the unborn child.
My daughter’s first child was born under very distasteful circumstances and I was very disgusted. But then I heard a minister say that every person/soul was an idea in the mind of God from the beginning of time and gave myself a good kick. My granddaughter is 12 now and she is my favorite person in the whole world.
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The ‘but’ in the title is to show an understanding for the pro-choice defence, but my bottom line is that I am Pro-Life. I don’t know if it is anyone’s place, apart from Christ, who can decide if any case of abortion is okay. I believe, by default, that the answer would be no. However, I appreciate the new light your brought in your contribution 🙂 Thanks!
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Thanks for linking to my video 😉
Just a few comments. In regards to men not understanding the burden of pregnancy, I’d add that it depends how involved the father is. Watching my wife when she was pregnant with our daughter I think I understand pretty well the cost and joy of pregnancy. Definitely far tougher than both of us expected.
I’d want to be careful about even referring to the unborn as parasites, it’s a common pro-choice rhetorical tactic and yet biologically inaccurate, a parasite is a different species to the host which clearly isn’t the case here. Both being human.
I wholeheartedly agree that sacrifice is a pertinent issue in pregnancy, whether wanted or unwanted both require tremendous sacrifice and courage.
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Thanks for commenting! I appreciate your thoughts and the clarification of what it means to be a parasite. It was a comparison, not a label. I also understand that you emphasized with your wife during her pregnancy and labour. However, there’s only so far empathy can take you. I can emphasize with some one who donates an organ, but I’ll never know what’s involved until I become one. We can imagine the pain Christ went through for us and cry as we watch Passion of the Christ, but until we bear those nails ourselves, we can never really understand. That’s why my point of view was enhanced after carrying my own baby. Before then, it was theory.
I do appreciate your defence for the unborn and I stand by you as a sister, bought at a great price, who understands the value of a human life. Have a wonderful and blessed day!
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Dear Ufuoma,
I first encounter this new pro-abortion argument a while back while watching Dr. Peter Kreeft debate a pro-abortionist university professor (I forgot his name). The pro-abortionist utilized this argument in order to shift the discussion from the moral question of whether the baby is alive or not to whether one human being has a right to use another human being like a baby those in her mom.
This argument incurs in the logical fallacy that it equivocates the natural body function of the female reproductive system with something that is unnatural. This argument confuses the natural growth of the baby in the mothers womb with the way a virus hijacks the cell function in order to reproduce. In this light it is easy to see the problem with this argument. A baby does not hijack the mothers body but fulfills its natural reproductive function. Only a pro-abortionist views pregnancy as a disease rather than the fulfillment of the woman’s body.
As Pro-lifers we have to be very careful in allowing ourself to play with a semantic game of those who do not recognize the intrinsic value of a human life from birth to natural birth.
I recommend you a book by Trent Horn called Persuasive Pro-life. It is a great book that answer some of the toughest questions about abortion.
God Bless,
Caleb
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Dear Caleb
Thanks so much for visiting and reaching out to me with your word of caution. I actually am Pro-Life. The ‘but’ in my title is to show that I now better understand the pro-choice stance. At the end of the day, though I understand it, I disagree with their conclusions, by going back to the fact that our lives and bodies are a gift for God to be used for His purpose.
Many people have different apologetic strategies, and this is mine. I’m not flirting with danger as it may seem by the controversial way I discussed it. I’m relating from a personal, human experience to a feeling that many women in the pro-choice camp can’t seem to shake off. Hopefully, if they read it til the end, they’ll see the better way.
I don’t think we need to avoid these realities in our differing perspectives. If we try to deny their feeling and experience, we will further alienate the people we are trying to win over. Like God says, “let’s reason together”. He knows that we struggle to understand some of the things He does. He doesn’t undermine our experience and He doesn’t condone it either.
What I was trying to show is that I get their logic, but hopefully, my conclusion here and in Part Two should explain why it is flawed and unacceptable.
Thanks for the link though. I’ll check it out too. God bless 🙂
Ufuoma.
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Dear Ufuoma,
Thank you for your kind response. You are absolutely right in that we cannot convince anyone about anything unless we show that we care for them…love always must come first! Thank you for making that extremely important point. We can used syllogism and what it seems to be bullet proof logic in our argumentation but without the heart they will do nothing. Many woman are hurting and we must show that hand that will lift them up.
In retrospect I hope that my comment didn’t sound to “mr. smarty pants” but just as point of clarification.
Thank you for your wonderful witness for life.
God Bless,
Caleb
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It didn’t sound that way at all. It’s a passionate discussion that often gets heated. I appreciate your own perspective and we can learn from each other. Have a great day! Blessings
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So sorry forgot to put the link to the book 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Trent-Horn/e/B00ESKK21A
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I like the way you laid out this post. As a man, I cannot speak to the personal testimonies you touch on here. But one of my favorite thoughts is near your conclusion and reads: “The greater truth of sacrifice is the final defense against the Pro-Choice argument. Sacrifice is about love…”
We know that Christ didn’t want to be put to death on the cruel cross. Yet, for love of us all, He made the sacrifice. Had He not done so, we would still be lost in our sins, unreconciled to a perfect God. In the case of choosing an infant’s life over having an abortion, the mother/father need to decide to allow whatever happens to happen, as it needs to be God’s will that is done. Therefore, I am pro-life and hence pro-God as well.
It’s not the more popular worldly viewpoint, but we aren’t about the world, now are we!
Thank you for a post well done…
Steve
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Thanks Steve! I appreciate you visiting and commenting. I’m encouraged.
This post has a part two. Do check it out when you can 🙂 Glad to relate.
Have a great day! Cheers, Ufuoma
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I intend to do just that…
“Cheers” to you as well. Enjoy your day/evening,
Steve
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Thoughtful post, and well balanced. While I also am pro-life, I fully understand the anguish and dilemma a woman can feel in finding herself with an “unwanted” pregnancy. Unwanted often in the sense that she doesn’t know how to cope. I’ve not had a lot of experience in this area, but I also don’t think most women want to necessarily end life. They are just looking for a way out. Perhaps I can fully relate to your post because I nearly aborted my son. You’ve made me think that perhaps it’s time I shared that story. Thanks for this thought-provoking and encouraging post!
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Thank God your son is alive and well! That must be a remarkable tale, and I’m sure it will encourage and inspire others too.
Thanks for reading and appreciating my post with your comment. God bless you!
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I think the point like you said above (to paraphrase) no man can judge it is up to God. This is the whole point of being pro-choice. You cannot legislate on someone else’s body unless God was personally legislating. The church may legislate, sure, but not a secular government. If it is a matter of faith then that faith is between the individual and GOD and perhaps their own place of worship, it cannot be legislated by secular courts.
I am a new mother with a 9 month old child, I went through the whole pregnancy and it has not changed my mind ONE BIT. I think it is not my business at all whether someone has an abortion or not. If I’m fortunate to counsel someone in my sphere of influence I will try and help them come to terms with the reality of the pregnancy, otherwise I don’t care whatsoever whether one more child is born or not borne by a mother who doesn’t want the child. Giving birth to a child doesn’t mean you will magically and automatically want that child. Except now they have a child borne, they don’t want and we do not need anymore children growing up in an uncared for unloved environment.
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Hi Roxy,
I appreciate your contribution to the debate. I am not the one that will legislate on Abortion, but I am among those who will communicate my stance and preference for or against legislation. My opinion has been expressed in favour of legislation and it is informed by my beliefs. Regardless, my opinion is as valid as yours.
I alone will not determine with is legislated in any country or universally, but I owe it to the world, and to the unborn to present my voice, which is what I am doing. That is what a debate is. If your arguments are stronger, then you will sway more people to your side. And vice versa.
I pray that God will help us to come to the knowledge of the truth and act in wisdom on this issue.
Sincerely, Ufuoma.
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