Wednesday, 17th June, 2009
Yes, I'm Going There...
Abortion. Yes, I'm going to go there, mainly because it's a topic that's been bugging me lately. Let me open by explaining my stance, so that we can get past that and move on to the real discussion. From a personal moral standpoint, I am pro-life. If I were in a position to have an opinion regarding whether my wife terminated a pregnancy or not, I would be against it, unless of course in the case of extreme circumstances. However, from the standpoint of government policy, I am pro-choice. I do not believe the government has the right to legislate something that is predominantly a moral issue, and since no scientific evidence exists that confirms when a life begins, I do not think it is legal in a secular government to make the case for murder. In all the talk about personal responsibility, moral issues are one of those cases where I feel that the choice should be left up to the individual.
But I think the discussion goes beyond the legalities of abortion. Fundamentalists would argue that abortion should be considered one of the most, if not the most, critical issue of our time; that criminalizing abortion would solve a major issue in the world and would promote a "better" society. But I contend that abortion is not the real issue. Like it or not, there are legitimate reasons for someone to pursue the termination of a pregnancy, and not all of them are merely acts of irresponsibility. If we are to really make a difference in this world, it is our duty to understand the reasons for their decisions, and to do whatever we can to help alleviate those root causes. This is the greater social issue at hand - not the fact that someone wants to terminate a pregnancy, but rather what shortcomings our society has that have resulted in that individual choosing that path.
For far too long, I believe the organized Christian "church" has focused its energy on the symbolic issues of our time rather than diving into the roots of those issues. We as Christians have a responsibility to fight not to make abortion illegal, but to mold society in such a way that abortion is no longer necessary. We need to tackle the greater social issues that face us and stop concerning ourselves with the symptoms. Granted, it is impossible that we can accomplish all the social changes that are necessary to build a truly great society. But if we put our energy into it, I know we can make a real difference in the world and not just create a symbol of our supposed morality.