Church Voices

Pro-life.

What a great word. That one word will let you be a part of a mostly political team. You can vilify the opposing team, go home at night, and not think anymore about it.

But if being pro-life doesn’t cost you anything, then you’re not really pro-life.

Recently a pastor in Atlanta made headlines by saying his church would take care of any expectant mother who needed help.

Why is this headline worthy?

Because for far too long being pro-life hasn’t cost most voters anything more than punching a voting card.

Being pro-life means that when someone is desperate, and dreading her due date you’re there not just to provide formula and diapers, but to provide friendship, and at least make that due date a little less dreadful if not joyful.

Being pro-life means you get to provide baby sitting services, advice and support to someone you didn’t know all that well to begin with, sometimes at 2 in the morning.

Being pro-life means that you don’t get to condemn, condescend or moralize against people who have sinned and are expecting a child outside of marriage, and without the financial ability to take care of themselves and you don’t get to do it in your churches, action, or political speech, because if you do, you might as well take out a bill board for Planned Parenthood.

Being pro-life means that while you might support or oppose particular political positions you don’t get to say things like “health care is not a right”. Health care directly affects whether someone has breath in their body, if you believe life is a right, then by extension health care is as well.

If you’re unwilling to do these things, then the solution is very simple, just admit to yourself that you’re not really pro-life.