By: Catherine Phillips, Students for Life of America's 2012 Missionary for Life
“If you don’t have any enemies, you’re probably not doing anything worthwhile.” –anonymous
I’m not sure that this quote is universally applicable, but I stumbled across it recently and realized it profoundly relates to the pro-life movement. I am immensely proud to be pro-life, and believe that women deserve better than abortion with all my heart [for the reasons why I believe this, do some browsing on the rest of this website!], and I’ve been thinking lately about how difficult, yet how necessary, it is to be unapologetic about your pro-life beliefs.
Now, I am a people pleaser. Not to the point of being walked all over, but I like it when everyone is comfortable and happy. I’m somewhat of a “equalizer”, you could say, especially in social situations. I like bringing two sides of a room together. I love having lively debate. And usually, this personality trait works great for me. Friends always elect me to be the one to ask directions from a stranger, or interfere in a dramatic disagreement, and I’m always happy to do so! After all, you can work just about anything out with a nice, civil, discussion, and everyone can leave feeling happy, right?
Well, when it comes to abortion, it’s not always easy. Armed with the facts that I am sure could convince anyone, and the compassion to meet each individual where they are at, I enter purposefully and confidently into dialogue about this issue. The roadblock comes about halfway through when I realize once again that I cannot defend the pro-life position and please everyone at the same time. I almost always reach a point where my view is not in agreement with the view of the person I am discussing with. I could just let my people-pleasing habit kick in and let the conversation fizzle out until we both feel comfortably lukewarm again—OR I can bear the temporary discomfort to share what I know about abortion, and why I truly believe that it is our generation’s Holocaust.
Indeed, we cannot be apologetic about where we stand, whether in our conversations, or our facebook statuses. This is a lesson I am learning more and more as I work in the movement, and I realize that some people are not going to like me simply because they know I want abortion to end in this country. Being anti-abortion is not as cool these days as being anti-sex trafficking. Still, I cannot be embarrassed to stand where I do: defending the 3,000+ voiceless babies who die every day.
A pre-born human being is indisputably a human person. Abortion is killing a human person in the womb. And, with facts, truth, compassion, love, and justice on our side, we have nothing to apologize for. Be proud to be pro-life!