In Defense of the Unborn

“For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them. – Ps. 139:13-16

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision that an unborn baby didn’t matter. They declared that a woman had the right to kill her unborn baby in the first trimester. They declared that a “mother’s” life was more important than a baby’s if she so decided. Since then, the laws have changed to allow abortions further along in the pregnancy, and some “doctors” have been known to perform abortions in the very last months before birth – or even right at birth (see the 2008 case of Kermit Gosnell)!

I put “mother” in quotes because I don’t believe that a true mother ever – EVER – puts her own life above her child’s. Not even in the womb. I have known women who were advised by their doctors to terminate the pregnancy – kill their baby – when their own health was in jeopardy, and the mothers I know always chose to sacrifice their life for their unborn child. In fact, I cannot name one mother who did that who regretted her choice. But there are countless stories of women who hold regret in their hearts for choosing their life over their unborn child. In fact, some of them have even taken their own lives because they can’t live with the guilt.

The Bible says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13). Don’t you think this applies to pregnant women, too? Shouldn’t the very person she has created and is forming inside of her be treated as well as one of her friends? I can’t see how anyone can possibly argue this point with me.

The truth of the matter is that 57 million – 57 MILLION! – babies have been massacred since 1973! That is not an insignificant number. Those children cannot speak for themselves, so I cannot be silent.

Hitler “only” killed six million people during the Holocaust – one of the most horrific events in history. Almost as many babies have been killed in the past 44 years as there were lives lost during World War II! We cry out about racism, ageism, sexism. We decry the horrifying crimes against women around the world (and we definitely, absolutely SHOULD!), but we don’t speak up when innocent lives aren’t even given the first chance at breath. In fact, what do we do? We use the foulest, most unladylike behavior we can muster and march in solidarity for “women’s rights.”

Well, you didn’t march for me. In fact, I stand here in defiance against your agenda. I stand here in defense of the defenseless, of the innocent babies you threw away. I stand here to say that I am a woman; I am a mother; and I will not conform to your idea of what is right for women in our world. I am disgusted by the way my fellow women have acted. I think you have done way more harm to womanhood than you have helped. There are better ways to behave. There are things about being a woman that need to be defended. But we don’t need to stop being ladies or act like animals to make a point, and we don’t need to give up our job as women to fight for the defenseless!

Now you might say that I am obviously against women’s rights, that the march yesterday was more about women’s health care than about abortion. I do care about women’s rights. I care that we are treated fairly. I care that crimes against women are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I care that women receive quality healthcare. But I also believe that every person should have those rights. I believe that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of race, sex, religion, or age. And I believe we should each take responsibility for our own actions – and the consequences of those actions.

And I never believe that one person’s rights should ever belittle or negate the rights of another.

But I am here to speak truth, remember?

We can’t tell women who have been raped or who have absolutely no idea how they can get through this pregnancy alone that they don’t matter. They do! Of course they do! God knew them before they were formed and has a perfect plan for them just like He does for their unborn child. And so the argument is that if we want these babies to be born, we have to do something.

Well, I have a platform because I AM doing something! My children’s birthmom couldn’t care for them, and the authority figures in her life encouraged her to abort them every. single. time. Even typing that makes me sick to my stomach! To think that my children were almost killed simply because they were considered an inconvenience. I am tearing up at the thought. But my husband and I didn’t convince her to carry them for nine months and then abandon her.

We didn’t just meet her and then leave when the babies were born. We have been a part of her life for nine years! When she was pregnant, we provided all of her needs. We encouraged her. We took her shopping or found someone we trusted to take her. We have loved her and respected her – even three years after our last child was born. We still write to her and send her pictures. She is and always will be a part of our family, and we are here if she ever reaches out for help again.

So yes, I agree that every life matters. I am pro-life – every life! But ladies, hear me on this. You do not have to kill your baby! The Bible says, “Do not shed innocent blood” (Jer. 7:6). This time of being pregnant is such a small part of your life – nine months! Then you can choose to keep this child or give the child to a loving family who longs to adopt. Both options have many resources available to help you. You can reach out! You don’t have to go through this alone!

If this unborn baby can be thrown away because they are inconvenient or unwanted, then you might as well extend that thought to all of the human race. If you can kill an innocent, unborn child, then why are you so upset when people want to get rid of a certain race of people? Why are you upset at the thought of euthanasia? Why does it bother you that women don’t have equal rights to men? You have already discriminated against the tiniest, most vulnerable people on the planet and failed to save their lives.

Sanctity of Life was so important to President Ronald Reagan that he made this proclamation in 1984:

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

          The values and freedoms we cherish as Americans rest on our fundamental commitment to the sanctity of human life. The first of the “unalienable rights” affirmed by our Declaration of Independence is the right to life itself, a right the Declaration states has been endowed by our Creator on all human beings — whether young or old, weak or strong, healthy or handicapped.

Since 1973, however, more than 15 million unborn children have died in legalized abortions — a tragedy of stunning dimensions that stands in sad contrast to our belief that each life is sacred. These children, over tenfold the number of Americans lost in all our Nation’s wars, will never laugh, never sing, never experience the joy of human love; nor will they strive to heal the sick, or feed the poor, or make peace among nations. Abortion has denied them the first and most basic of human rights, and we are infinitely poorer for their loss.

We are poorer not simply for lives not led and for contributions not made, but also for the erosion of our sense of the worth and dignity of every individual. To diminish the value of one category of human life is to diminish us all. Slavery, which treated Blacks as something less than human, to be bought and sold if convenient, cheapened human life and mocked our dedication to the freedom and equality of all men and women. Can we say that abortion — which treats the unborn as something less than human, to be destroyed if convenient — will be less corrosive to the values we hold dear?

We have been given the precious gift of human life, made more precious still by our births in or pilgrimages to a land of freedom. It is fitting, then, on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that struck down State anti-abortion laws, that we reflect anew on these blessings, and on our corresponding responsibility to guard with care the lives and freedoms of even the weakest of our fellow human beings.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Sunday, January 22, 1984, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life, and to reaffirm our commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of each human life.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighth.

Ronald Reagan

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:24 a.m., January 16, 1984]

Let’s not throw away another human life! If you are pro-life, what are you doing to help these women who are desperate enough to consider killing their unborn child? Are you willing to be there to walk the journey with them? Are you willing to sacrifice time, money, or space to help? Are you willing to invite them to sit in your church pew? Or are you too busy gossiping, judging, and crowing about your own self-righteousness?

And what about the children? Have you adopted? Fostered? Why not?

And what is the church doing? Have we become so concerned about being taken advantage of that we no longer want to offer help? The church needs to take back caring for the fatherless and those in need! We need to do more.

We talk about Sanctity of Life Sunday at church, and we feel good that we “participated.” But that’s not enough. We need to do more. We can do better. This is life and death, and we’ve already lost 57 MILLION.

“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” —Deut. 30:19.

Crisis Pregnancy Center: Piedmont Women’s Center – 864-777-0400

Adoption/Pregnancy Assistance – Bethany Christian Services – 1-800-238-4269

Or feel free to contact me, and I’ll help you find the services you need!