By: Rebecca Downs
It seems that almost everyone has a Facebook nowadays. Just as Facebook is constantly changing and evolving, so are the reasons why people decide to keep one. I have had a Facebook for about five years now, and I still enjoy posting pictures and status updates and keeping in touch with friends. Lately though, my other main motivation for keeping and updating my Facebook has to do with pro-life posts.
And it's not just ordinary people who have a Facebook to connect with one another. Celebrities and organizations have them too, usually in the form of a page that fans can like to get updates and show support. Planned Parenthood has at least one, as do the other pro-choice organizations. Now I am not a fan of any such pages, though I do know pro-life friends who, for legitimate reasons, are; I assume it's so that they can be up-to-date with the other side, so to speak. The posts and statements that I am aware of coming from Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice groups often don't really address the real issue at stake, or even say the word "abortion." Rather, they seem to hide behind a woman's "right" or "choice." Now as long as such groups and organizations adhere to the rules of Facebook, they absolutely have every right to be on Facebook and post what they wish to post.
Through my pro-life posts and links, I seek to post the truth, whether it be about exposing the abortion movement or sharing the love and other wonderful aspects of the pro-life movement. Because unfortunately there are many aspects of abortion and the organizations and people And I certainly do not shy away from being pro-life; I never have. This time though, I am getting the truth and love out there with the help of social media.
I have turned to Abolish Abortion Status 365 to help keep up with daily pro-life posts. Even if I am not able to post something pro-life every day, Abolish Abortion is able to do so on my behalf, with news updates, quotes, etc, and has even informed me of goings on in the movement I may have not known about.
My pro-life posts have not always been met with warm or loving feelings. People respond with angry or hurtful things, or try to dispute what I've posted. I have even lost friends over such posts on Facebook. While explaining that she was de-friending me on Facebook, a friend said that the Abolish Abortion posts made her "really angry." I think that she saw the truth, she just didn't want to face it. I have long suspected that this friend, who is rather pro-choice and a feminist, is unhappy with her view. She even said something along the lines that she didn't want our "f**ked up views" getting in the way of our friendship. I certainly don't think that my view of my view in that way, otherwise I wouldn't hold it, and I wouldn't let it be known to others.
While I have lost friends, I have also made friends over the connection of being pro-life. Through reading pro-life articles I recently made a friend, Julia, who I believe will be truly instrumental in providing me encouragement and inspiration, as good friends should, through my pro-life efforts. More interestingly perhaps, is that I have discovered friends to be pro-life who I never knew were, all through a simple liking of a pro-life post or linked article. And while people let their anger or frustration known over such posts, it is common in this movement to touch and affect people, though you may never know it. I certainly hope that that my being pro-life on Facebook may do that someday.
I choose to make my Facebook pro-life. I do not intend to upset or offend people, but sometimes the truth does that. There are also instances when giving up and just being quiet seems like the easiest option, but even if I lose friends over it, I feel it is ultimately most important, that it is my calling, to never be silent on the pro-life issue. I want the world to know that I am pro-life, that fighting for the unborn is something I will never shy away from. And I hope that my pro-life efforts and the tool of a widespread and far reaching social media, may actually change hearts and minds and save lives.