“My body, my choice.” this slogan is the anthem of the pro-choice movement. Planned Parenthood has made the abortion issue one revolving around women’s rights which is far easier to accept than the reality of death, pain, and heartache that surrounds the decision to abort one’s child.
Americans have a deep defensiveness when it comes to being “told” what to do with our own lives. We don’t like being ordered to do anything by the government. Individualism, independence, and freedom are highly prized in our culture. These qualities enable Planned Parenthood to propagate their agenda as they build off of our cultural sensitivity and desire for total independence. A baby is rather dependent and thus an inconvenience to the mother’s ultimate life goals. If it’s unplanned, the child is undesirable and therefore the pregnancy should be terminated, so Planned Parenthood would advise. But they also receive a significant amount of revenue from a woman’s choice to abort, which may skew their council.
The ability to make choices is fundamental to humanity. Even throughout scripture we have examples of options being presented to individuals and nations. Joshua 24:14-15 presents the options and says “choose today whom you will serve.” Even God’s people had the option to choose to obey the Lord or reject him. Conformity was not forced upon Israel; they could choose how they wanted to live, but then they would also receive the natural consequences of that choice.
When Planned Parenthood promotes abortion as a choice, they don’t give the whole truth. Choice isn’t a choice unless there are options. Rarely are all the valid options to an unwanted pregnancy presented to a woman if she goes into an abortion clinic. Pro Life pregnancy centers, on the other hand, walk with a woman through all the options available to her and educate her on the implications of each decision. She always has the ability to make a choice, but she should be informed regarding the natural repercussions of that choice.
Now what about women who truly do not have a choice? Would we celebrate their ability to abort their children if they actually wanted their babies? I think most of our hearts would break at the thought of a loving mother being forced to abort the children she desires. It is unthinkable for many of us.
The unthinkable is happening.
There are countries in this world where forced abortions do happen. There are places where women who can feel their babies move are pressured by culture and family to abort their babies. Some cultures so highly prize sons that an estimated 400 million beautiful little girls have been aborted simply because of their gender.
Save the Storks partners with an organization that serves women in these countries and offers real solutions to women who may be forced to abort their baby girls. For security purposes, this organization must remain nameless, but we are honored to partner with them. When they hear about a woman who is being pressured by her family or culture to abort her baby girl, they knock on her door and offer a one-year stipend to help with the financial needs of a new baby. The financial assistance often shifts the family’s perspective about that baby girl. Rather than being an inconvenience or detestable female baby, she is one who brings luck into the family because they benefit from this stipend.
Here is just one story from our friends.
Jill* felt her little baby kick and squirm. Her belly seemed to dance with all the movement from within. Her mother-in-law and son deeply desired the baby to be a boy so their family could be secure for the future. It was her third trimester and her mother-in-law finally pushed enough for Jill to get an ultrasound to make sure that baby was a boy.
To her horror, Jill discovered she was not pregnant with one boy but twin girls! She already loved her babies, and now the pressure to abort both of them was beyond what she could bear. Hopelessness and grief flooded her soul as she walked home. She didn’t have the power to stand up against her own family and keep her babies. Real choice didn’t exist for her.
A few days later, Jill heard a knock at the door. A kind smile met her as a woman stretched out her hand, “Congratulations! I heard you have twin girls! I wanted to tell you that girls are just as good as boys. I work with an organization from America that supports women like you who don’t feel like they could keep their baby girls. We can support you for the next year as you parent your twins.” Jill was shocked, this was the first support and kind word she heard concerning her pregnancy with twin girls.
In the place of heartbreak, Jill was empowered to choose life for her sweet baby girls. The family accepted them because they brought resources into the family.
What is the difference between this story of Jill and the stories we hear from America? The reality of heartbreak is in every culture. The tragedy of abortion is both for those who choose to terminate their pregnancy and for those who are forced to terminate it. In some cultures, women want their babies but are forced to lose them. In our culture, women do not want their babies and they choose to abort them. Both circumstances are tragic.
Save the Storks exists to empower the pro life movement to reach more abortion vulnerable women with the resources, education, and support required to help them choose life. We are honored to join our friends who are doing the same type of work in other countries as well. The issue is world-wide with an estimated half billion less people in the world in the past nine years due to abortion. That also means there are at least a half billion women and men bearing the scars of this decision. We care about each of them. Women and men may make a choice, or have choices made for them, but no matter what one’s past is, there is hope for the future.
God is in the business of healing and restoring broken hearts. We get to join in his mission as we revolutionize the meaning of pro life.
