The real weapon against abortion

Today marks 40 years since Roe v. Wade and I, for one, am very dissapointed about how abortion is being fought against in this country...

Maybe you remember my struggle with Prop 26 and whether or not I should vote for it.  Although I very much believe abortion is wrong, I did (and still do) believe that amendment was poorly wordered and overinclusive and could have grave consequences.  At the end of the day, I decided to go against my better legal judgment and vote for the amendment, simply because it was the only amendment available and I thought the chance that it might save lives was greater than the chance that it might be broadly applied to things like birth control, etc.

Additionally, part of my issues with Prop 26 was the people advocating it.  I have some good God fearing friends who have a heart for the issue and have donated time, money and resources towards loving women facing unwanted pregnancies and towards adoption.  I also knew many people who have never stepped in a crisis pregnancy center, never cared for an unwed mother, never donated goods to Bethany for single moms, never thought about adoption, who wanted to make grand statements about Prop 26.  I've heard people talk poorly about those who consider abortion. These people seem to want legislation, but not any real involvement with women (and men) in a position to consider abortion.  Its easier to support when support doesn't require anything but voting and judgment.

Sadly many Christians fail to recognize that support and love of unwed mothers and active involvement in adoption is far more important than awareness, waiving signs, posting facebook statuses or placing a prolife sticker on your minivan. So, maybe its time to put down your fetus sign and hold the hand of a struggling teenage girl or help a waiting adoptive family with their adoption fundraiser.  Open your arms and hearts and maybe even homes to teenage girls who are facing unwanted pregnancies.

I've read some very critical words on Christian websites/articles talking about how women sin by abortion (leaving the man's responsibility out) and placing a lot of shame and judgment on women in tough situations.

The thing is, I understand how a teenage girl might choose abortion.  It likely isn't a decision made because of lack of awareness (we tend to think that they aren't aware that what's growing in them is an actual baby).  Its a decision made because of fear and a lack of support.  I'm from the Bible Belt, the deep south, so I can easilly imagine the sinking feeling of knowing you have 9 months of judgment ahead of you, maybe even more.  I have supportive parents but many girls don't.  If the father and their family bails on them or would bail on them, I can understand how one considers "fixing" the problem.

But what if the thought of an unwanted pregnancy seemed a little less scary and lonely?  What if girls knew that believers and the church would take care of them? What if they felt that they would have support in raising a baby alone or could find a loving home for their child?

So, thats my thoughts for today -- I have no grand conservative attack plan for how to end abortion.  I certainly think we need to continue to fight against abortion in a legal sense.  But, I also think that will take awhile and we can help save lives (babies and moms) by actual having concern for those affected.

Today, I think, of all the anger filled, attackful Prop 26 statuses I saw on facebook in the weeks before the vote (some righteous anger, some hateful anger), how many of those people have actually reached out to an unwed mother since then?  In the past year, how many have considered adoption?  How many have donated time and goods to pregnancy centers?

Voting against abortion and speaking out against abortion is a good thing, but if we don't put action behind our words, then our words mean nothing.