Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Mere Breath

Protest

Last updated on: October 12, 2015 at 5:15 pm   by Abra Carnahan

Protest 2015-10-12T17:15:32-07:00 Abra Carnahan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A few more signs: #PPProtest #DefundPlannedParenthood pic.twitter.com/vA1FcpqmG2

— Daniel Foucachon (@foucachon) October 10, 2015

I’m near the beginning of the clip. My boys, Jude (age 4) and Liam (age 3), stood with me and hundreds of other pro-life supporters and their children. The support we received was heartfelt and infrequent. More often, our signs, smiles, songs and waves were met with cursing and middle fingers. As Jude helped hold our sign (“Choose Love, Choose Life”) I encouraged him to wave and smile with extra joy when the particularly hostile pro-choicers expressed their choice inappropriately. Jude was dubious but snuggled in close to me when it made him uncomfortable. I practice what I preach. As Dr. Seuss put it, “A person’s a person no matter how small.” Every person has a right to life and a right to love. Afterward, we went out for celebratory ice cream.

#StandwithPP supporter said I shouldn’t have my kids out here today. My response: I don’t take parenting advice from people who kill babies

— The Chocolate Knox (@Chocolate_Knox) October 10, 2015

 

Now, I know for a fact that not all Planned Parenthood supporters are as rude as many of the people we saw today. Heck, I know my fair share of Pro-lifers who would do well to shut up and learn some manners. But the truth is that those who do not value human life to the point of seeing babies as expendable — if their reasoning is followed through to the logical conclusion (and it often isn’t because it would take a cold heart to do so) — it means that they won’t value human life outside the womb, either.Why not flip off the mom holding her toddler who is singing Amazing Grace on the street corner? Why not just run her over? What is stopping them? We are only human and we all once inhabitated a womb. Does a timeline really make that much difference? It was then that I realized, even Planned Parenthood supporters are pro-life deep in their hearts. They do value human life — otherwise they wouldn’t have a problem killing those of us outside the womb. There is a huge flaw in the logic of those standing with Planned Parenthood. So many of their supporters can’t bring themselves to even watch the videos the Center for Medical Progress produced. They make flimsy excuses or just shrug them off — but they won’t watch them. I have a difficult time believing that they want to know the truth. It is so much easier to support something you don’t really know anything about, isn’t it?

At the end of the day, even with all my crazy mental health challenges, my heart is peaceful.

Liam and Jude (2012). They are 17 months apart and were both unplanned blessings. I wouldn't change a thing!!

Liam and Jude (2012). They are 17 months apart and were both unplanned blessings. I wouldn’t change a thing!!

God enabled me to do the right thing today. I taught my children (in a relatively  mild environment) what it really looks like to stand up for what is right even when it makes you incredibly uncool to do so. I, and hundreds of other men and women exemplified the heart of Christianity: Jesus took our weakness upon himself 2000 years ago so that we could live.  As I stood out there today, I understood that my sons and I were mirroring a micro-image of what Jesus did for us. We sacrificed our safety, our comfort zones, our time and energy — and to some degree, my children’s innocence to lend our strength to the weakest. My sons and I were flipped off, scowled out, fingers were wagged and unpleasantries yelled — but if it saved one baby, it was worth it.

 

Tonight, my children are snuggled up and sleeping peacefully. My children are alive today because I paid forward the gift of life my mother gave me back in 1983. There is nothing noble in I’ve done by being pro-life. When I chose to allow my children to live, I chose to love them by giving them what rightfully belonged to them already: life. This isn’t complicated. If you value your fellow humans, if you love them, you treat them with respect, you consider your neighbors as more important than yourself and you certainly let them live.

 

 

abortion

kids

love

pro-life

abortion

DefundPlannedParenthood

PPsellsbabyparts

Previous Post



September 25, 2015

Hot Mess: A Reflection

Next Post



October 14, 2015 Why We Don't Have "Best" Friends


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1000 Gifts abortion causes Christianity Current Events death by living Depression Eating Disorders Essential Oils exhortations Facebook friendship giveaways grace gratitude Guest Posts health help homemaking hope hyperemesis gravidarum Instagram internet Journal kids life love marriage medicine men Modesty motherhood Movie Review My Life So Far Organic Pinterest Political pro-life ptsd quotes Recommended Reading Rest Scripture support Thoughts Uncategorized Vlog women Work

Select a Month August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the Roman governor that sentenced Jesus to be crucified?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Caesar Augustus Herod Felix Pontius Pilate

Related posts from Mere Breath

Evangelical

Worth It: Reflections on Twelve Years of Marriage

Mere Breath

Evangelical

How to Save a Life

Mere Breath

Evangelical

Nourishing Romance In Our Marriages

Mere Breath

Evangelical

Why We Don't Have "Best" Friends

Mere Breath

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Evangelical

The REST of Your Life: A Creative Wrestles...

This week I had a conversation with a good friend from church....

How the author of the world's best hymn...

I've been working with John Newton for a while now. This makes...

Psalm 130 | Lectio Divina

Long before this Lectio Divina, Psalm 130 - the song - started...

What About the Trees? Another Living Parable

After I finished writing the last article about falling leaves as a...

Why Classical Education Is a Conversation, Not a...

Come and Read: Joy in Classical Education When I was a little...

What Happened at Cornell?

Cornell University has received a great deal of negative publicity and intense...

view all Evangelical blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube