Abortion: Why Pro-Life Doesn’t Equal Pro-Abortion
Going to a conservative high school associated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Senate, I was taught strong opinions against topics such as homosexuality, transgender issues, and abortion. these opinions, however, were taught to ring true regardless of circumstances. Homosexuality was a sin with hormones being broken, transgendered was selfish, with God never making mistakes, and abortion was murder.
Because of this, I was never taught the opposite side on why people would be in support of these issues. The most difficult by far was abortion. I wondered for a long time why someone would be in favor of abortion? Fortunately, my world was opened after graduation leading into college.
The main argument against abortion I was taught in high school was that the child was already alive. In Christianity, there is a comfort in believing that there is a God that knows us better than anyone, and has a plan for us. With this belief comes the understanding that because He has a plan for everyone, life begins at conception. This means that a child already has a soul once conceived, and is henceforth, alive.
With this, many Christians believe that scientifically a fetus’s heart is already beating at conception. However, science has shown that the fetus doesn’t develop a heart until five weeks into the pregnancy. With this, it is important to note that arguing that the fetus is alive and should henceforth be protected can be argued against by the fact that sperm and eggs are also alive and represent potential human lives, but a majority are wasted.
Going into college, I wasn’t sure what my stances were on abortion, and felt uncomfortable talking about it. I felt uncomfortable, though, because I wasn’t really informed on any other opinion.
In high school, we were taught that abortion was murder. However, we were taught with a sense of close mindedness, where we can’t accept any reasoning to have an abortion.
However, in college, I was able to learn from others on why people are pro-choice. Callie Hansen, a sophomore at Hamline University who has a love for social justice, sat down with me and explained why people are pro-choice, and showed me insight I wasn’t able to see before.
“Pro-choice doesn’t mean you’re pro-abortion,” Hansen explained, “it simply means you want women to have abortion there as a safe choice. No one wants to have an abortion.”
Hansen went on to explain that many people who are pro-choice never refer to themselves as pro-abortion. “It’s seen as the last option in many cases,” she said.
It’s true that the choice should be there as a safe option. Back-alley abortions are rampant in states where abortion is illegal, and this just leads to danger for the mother. Hansen also brought up the point that even if you don’t believe abortion to be morally right, you shouldn’t make it unavailable to others.
Abortion has become a huge political issue that is extremely controversial depending on religious and moral beliefs. However, it’s important to keep and open mind with issues like abortion and listen to why someone does or doesn’t support the issue. You can’t give a compelling argument to an issue if you don’t understand or listen to the other side.