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Pro-Life, What Does That Mean?

Pro-Life, What Does That Mean?

Last updated on: May 26, 2016 at 11:15 am by John O'Keefe

Pro-Life, What Does That Mean? 2016-05-26T11:15:19-05:00 John O'Keefe

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I’m certain this posting will piss a few people off, but I’ve decided long ago to just be me, even if others see contradictions in my thoughts.

I’m always amazed when people proclaim they’re pro-life only to find out they’re not; most are simply pro-birth. If that’s where you’re at in life, cool – just don’t claim to be what you’re not; you’re not pro-life.

I see the Divine in all people, regardless of who they are. I believe all people are sacred, so when some claim to be pro-life, I expect them to actually value people – and if they desire to get specific, human life. Knowing that all people are sacred invites us to look at the world in a very different way. I just cannot truly grasp the dichotomy created among those who claim to be pro-life, and the way they treat people. Not long ago, I received an email from a person who read that I held all people as sacred, his desire was to place me into the pro-life camp. Over a few emails, he demanded – yes, demanded – I take the label “pro-life” and stop using “such a silly and meaningless statement like, all people are scared.” When I asked him to define prof-life, he took several steps back and simply said, “You know what that means.” He is right, I do what it means, and I refuse that label, and will not open a tent in that camp.

Claiming to be pro-life while having no desire to actually care for, or help, others seems weird to me. If you’re unwilling to help feed the hungry, if you have no desire to respect, or care, for those in need, yet you value war, and the bombing of the innocent, tells me you’re not even close to being pro-life. How can anyone proclaim pro-life, while ignoring, or taking, life?

In the recording of the ministry of Jesus, John wrote, “Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing! — came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.” [1:4 MSG]

If all life is created by the Divine, and many pro-life people believe this, how can they also have no issue with war, with cutting social services, with taking food out of the mouths of children? Every time I hear someone claiming to be prof-life, I have to question what that means. I just can’t justify the how they speak about being prof-life, while sending our youth to war; while cutting feeding programs; while defunding programs to lift families out of poverty. It just doesn’t connect with me – because words are no balanced against actions.

They keep saying the words, but they have given them different meanings.

If you claim to be pro-life, support all life, love people.

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