Friday, March 23, 2007

How Did Choice and Life Get Separated in These United States?

This question actually covers a number of rights and issues these days, but I am going to discuss the age old, time honored, vehement debate of Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice. Let's face it, this is a partisan issue. If it were an actual righteous issue, life and choice would not be divided. I realize this country does not use the Bible for it's laws, but if it did, the pro-life people would know that G~d does not equate the loss of a pregnancy with murder. Exodus 21:22 has specific instruction regarding what is to be done if someone causes a woman to lose a pregnancy, and it isn't the punishment for murder, and it also isn't about women's rights. So, the real issue here for the pro-lifers is not life, but everyone else's morality and so, the cost of fornication is parenthood? Just how does that figure to be life, for the parent or the child, if it is perceived by the pro-life agenda as a sentence and punishment? And I know the pro-life folks, I've been one, and I've been a single mom. The young women that have their babies and try to be a mother without trapping a man, live with judgment and their babies get called names, and that's by the pro-lifers. Some young women, carry the babies, and give them up for adoption into homes that may or may not treat them well, but in all probability will always acknowledge the differential fact that they are adopted. And that is life? The older I get and the meaner the world gets, I've often thought of what is best for a child and what a woman might or might not be able to live with. G~d is so much more forgiving than the religious right, which has probably served to make abortion more of an option to be considered. I am what society calls a bereaved parent, due to birth complications, and I know those children are in paradise and I know this world is not paradise, and I am quite certain, if G~d considers unborn children, people, and I believe He does, then that's where the issues of pro-choice are, as well. Only I imagine, none of the people in paradise are discussing who was an abortion and who was premature and whose parents were married and who . . . blah, blah, blah, like is done here. What I have come to know, as the years have passed is that very few women that are faced with an unwanted or unexpected pregnancy really know what it is to give life. Many woman that plan a pregnancy have no idea what life is truly about, for that matter. Now, I hear the pro-choice side avoid terms like baby and unborn and birth, which is of course, their choice, but the long term emotional results of abortion aren't readily acknowledged. For those that have had them, they don't tend to verbally dwell on the subject, but I have noticed the number of D and C's has diminished greatly since the legalization of abortion. I don't know whether the two facts are related or other procedures have replaced the D and C. Another odd thing I've noticed. Not only did I lose children in infancy, I had miscarriages and I am and was surrounded by pro-lifers. My miscarriages don't count to anyone but G~d and me, but I'm absolutely certain; had a loss occurred by my choice at 10-12 weeks, these same folks would call them babies, so . . . I've come to realize the people that are pro-life don't seem to actually value life per se, but rather insist that everyone exists and exist within their paradigm, without choice. When I thought I was pro-life, I didn't really understand G~d's definition of life. And I can't really call myself pro-choice, because I don't believe life and death should be in the hands of humans, as they just aren't smart enough. Actually this debate only exists because humans aren't smart enough to count the proper three days in any given month or appropropriately utilize birth control, so clearly life and death need not be in the hands of humans. But since humanity has assumed that power, I cannot stand staunchly against choice and for life. I find the pro-life stand actually boils down to anti-choice, and the pro-choice has refused to acknowledge life in the womb. So where do we go from here? The subject itself is going nowhere, it's too good of a topic for the politicians every time they want to divert the public's attention. As for me, if a woman knows she can't give a life and sustain a life and care for a child or for that matter doesn't want to, then paradise sounds better for the child, and eternally speaking that would be life. As I read about medicated children, and abused children, and institutionalized children, and all the children in the system, one way or another, I'm wondering just how many children actually get life when they are born, or simply exist at the mercy of other's choices.
I can tell you, if this were a G~dly nation, there would be no pro-life and no pro-choice, because we would know that Scripture doesn't define loss of life in the womb as murder and we would also know that true freedom of choice is a gift from G~d, not legislators and physicians. When asked if I believe in abortion, I simply state, I don't believe in doctors . . . As for life, I have a much different understanding of what it is to give life to someone than I did 30 years ago when I gave birth. I can clearly say it was the pro-life advocates that use their religion to condemn that persuaded me away from that stand. Even though our nation is devout in the concept that life and choice are opposed, G~d has stated otherwise.
. . . therefore choose life . . . - Deuteronomy

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