Pro-choice advocates argue that if pro-lifers criminalize abortion, they will incur an even greater evil than they seek to avoid because abortions will be forced into the back allies—a dirty and dangerous black market. Although I oppose abortion, I believe that its supporters are absolutely correct on this point; legislation won’t fix the problem. This is because the problem is not in the legislation; the problem is in the mindsets and beliefs that allowed abortion to become acceptable in our society. If we are to eliminate abortion, we must not seek merely to change laws, but to change hearts and minds.
We need to make abortion unthinkable, not just illegal. If abortion were made illegal, there is indeed the risk of a black market. Women facing crisis pregnancy are frightened and desperate enough to go through with back ally procedures. This atrocity is more grievous than the atrocities we face today—women deserve better. Humanity deserves better. This is why we must not simply make abortion illegal; we must make it unconscionable.
The women of our society must be protected from exploitation and from painful experiences like abortion. If this is t occur we must restore value and dignity to what it means to be a female human. A simple glance at our media is enough to indicate that women are objectified and exploited for their sexuality, because sex sells. This is indicative of a mindset of hedonism, promiscuity and exploitation which leads to imprudent sexual behavior, countless unwanted pregnancies, and a call for a "solution."
Although men are responsible for much of the exploitation that occurs, they are not the only ones at fault. Many women pursue and allure without discretion, flaunting their bodies and hearts as things easily won and conquered. I believe this to be the result of a few different things. Women have bought into the idea that they are objects. It is an appealing idea because women are not just any objects: they are objects of beauty, objects of desire, and desirable objects possess great power. Unfortunately, our society does not properly understand that power, or the beauty and desire. We do not understand these things in light of human dignity, but as tools for use and manipulation, because (we assume) in some situations, people just don’t have a choice but to respond in a certain way. Indeed, the Alan Guttmacher Institute and Planned Parenthood are communicating to youth that, with ninety-five percent of Americans having premarital sex, they hardly have a choice—they are bound to do the same, so why even bother to promote abstinence? (find the article at http://www.lifenews.com/nat2841.html) This denies a crucial element of human dignity and responsibility—the human will. Humans are not mere objects that can't make choices and exist to be used; we are volitional beings, created to be loved. In this sense, I am pro-choice. Men and women have a choice about sex, and with this choice comes the responsibility to behave with discretion. They also have the responsibility to make wise decisions on behalf of their children, born or unborn.
If we are to protect women from exploitation and abortion, we must address these problems at their roots. We must counter the trends of promiscuity and imprudence that bring forth hundreds of unwanted pregnancies. We must oppose the idea that it is okay to take the life of an innocent person simply because they are not yet born. In order to accomplish this, we must help people see the truth about their great worth and responsibility as humans. We will not eradicate abortion from our society until we can infiltrate it with an understanding of the value and dignity that belongs to every human being.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Reflections on a Challenging Semester: "Why Think?"
I’m finding that one of my favorite things in life are the lessons—lessons entail growth and truth, and they remind me that life is an adventurous journey toward knowing and loving a most awesome God. As with any adventure, life is certainly not lacking in challenges, and it is through these challenges that we learn and grow. My high school youth pastor always used to urge us not merely to be challenged, but to be changed. I’ve come to realize that the two are linked: when we are truly challenged, we cannot help but be truly changed. This seems to be the way in which we proceed along our journey. Some of the greatest lessons take place when we are challenged in our thinking. When our thoughts and beliefs are challenged, we are forced to wrestle with the truth, and through this we grow in the knowledge of it. College has brought more challenge to my thinking than ever before, and it has been the most growth-producing experience of my life.
This last semester, I was challenged in my approach to academia—in my thinking about thinking, so to speak. I’d always held the life of the intellect in high regard, having been raised to value academic pursuit, and I took it for granted that this pursuit would pay off in the achievement of a most good and happy life. Circumstances over the past year have caused me to question this, however. I learned that the good life cannot be attained with the intellect alone, but must also rely on faith. I’ve come into contact with tons of people who don’t emphasize an intellectual pursuit of God, but who have faith, love God, and are good Christians. If genuine faith and love for God are the key traits of a “good Christian,” then why think? Why invest myself in a pursuit of understanding that appeared only to be leading me deeper into the knowledge of my own ignorance? These are the questions I was asking. The answers I’ve found have brought me into a deeper love of God, humanity and academia.
I realized that I’d drawn a false dichotomy between what it means to be a “good Christian” and what it means to be a “fulfilled human.” I feared that the necessity of faith in the Christian’s life would nullify the necessity of reason, and that my emphasis on reason might distract me from carrying out the Christian life. On the other hand, I would not consider one who neglected reason to be living well as a human being: meaningful activity of the intellect is important to fulfillment as a human. Reason is that which separates man from the rest of creation, and as a definitive characteristic, it is essential to our identity and wellbeing. Furthermore, reason is a faculty instilled in us by God—a way in which we as humanity manifest the image of our most glorious creator. And this is where the connection lies. If Christianity is redeemed humanity, what can that mean but that we must live in the fulfillment of who God created us to be? We are to exist with reason, emotion and will all flourishing in a relationship of worship with Him. This is the Christian life—indeed, the life of the fulfilled human.
I must acknowledge that I am far from understanding all the details of how this life is to be carried out. I do know, however, that God is glorified through our use of the mind, and as we trust in Him, He will guide us in further into His truth and love. In light of this, I thank God for the challenges that forced me to grow in this understanding—I worship God, marvel at humanity created in His image, and look towards the next academic semester with a renewed passion for the life of the mind.
This last semester, I was challenged in my approach to academia—in my thinking about thinking, so to speak. I’d always held the life of the intellect in high regard, having been raised to value academic pursuit, and I took it for granted that this pursuit would pay off in the achievement of a most good and happy life. Circumstances over the past year have caused me to question this, however. I learned that the good life cannot be attained with the intellect alone, but must also rely on faith. I’ve come into contact with tons of people who don’t emphasize an intellectual pursuit of God, but who have faith, love God, and are good Christians. If genuine faith and love for God are the key traits of a “good Christian,” then why think? Why invest myself in a pursuit of understanding that appeared only to be leading me deeper into the knowledge of my own ignorance? These are the questions I was asking. The answers I’ve found have brought me into a deeper love of God, humanity and academia.
I realized that I’d drawn a false dichotomy between what it means to be a “good Christian” and what it means to be a “fulfilled human.” I feared that the necessity of faith in the Christian’s life would nullify the necessity of reason, and that my emphasis on reason might distract me from carrying out the Christian life. On the other hand, I would not consider one who neglected reason to be living well as a human being: meaningful activity of the intellect is important to fulfillment as a human. Reason is that which separates man from the rest of creation, and as a definitive characteristic, it is essential to our identity and wellbeing. Furthermore, reason is a faculty instilled in us by God—a way in which we as humanity manifest the image of our most glorious creator. And this is where the connection lies. If Christianity is redeemed humanity, what can that mean but that we must live in the fulfillment of who God created us to be? We are to exist with reason, emotion and will all flourishing in a relationship of worship with Him. This is the Christian life—indeed, the life of the fulfilled human.
I must acknowledge that I am far from understanding all the details of how this life is to be carried out. I do know, however, that God is glorified through our use of the mind, and as we trust in Him, He will guide us in further into His truth and love. In light of this, I thank God for the challenges that forced me to grow in this understanding—I worship God, marvel at humanity created in His image, and look towards the next academic semester with a renewed passion for the life of the mind.
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