Democracy is not looking up here in America. It has been a tough election season, and in an unique turn of events, we have two candidates that are, well, tough to vote for. Even after two insane presidential debates, there are most likely a few people who are unsure who they are going to vote for. While most evangelicals have denounced Hillary for being for abortion, a majority of them have also championed the “pro-life” stance of Trump. His proponents claim that Trump will appoint pro-life justices that will overturn Roe v Wade. While this may sound convincing to some, others, myself included, have found the rhetoric troubling.
I want to clarify that I am very pro-life, and for this reason, I cannot vote for anyone nominated in this election season. This is because no one is consistently Pro-Life “down the ballot.” Pro-life is not just about being anti-abortion, but this stance factors in all of life’s messy decisions. It is primarily a matter of the heart and whether someone is able to show empathy and compassion toward someone else. This loving, compassionate empathy is rooted in the good news of the cross of Christ. Just as Jesus entered into our broken situation to redeem his image bearers by bestowing true and abundant life, we are called to extend this same life we have received to other image bearers of God. I want to briefly explain a few areas in which that can take place.
Anti – Abortion (Pro-unborn babies & their mothers)
All life is precious to God, even life that we haven’t met yet. For Christians, life begins at conception, and thus any abortion is a tragic taking of human life. Pregnancy can be a scary thing, especially when it was not your intention! Being Pro-life means caring for the life growing inside the mother, while also caring for the mother’s physical, emotional, and financial needs.
Pro – People with Disabilities
All life is precious to God, even life that does not function as expected. Whether one has a mental, physical, or communicative disability, everyone should be treated with the utmost respect and dignity. Being pro-life means caring for people’s physical and emotional well being regardless of their disability.
Anti – Gun Violence
Being Pro-life also means that you hate death. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a pacifist, can’t own a gun, or that you cannot think that having more guns in the hands of good people is a bad thing. It does mean that for every life taken, there is a sense of mourning. If all life is precious, then every death is a tragedy.
Anti – Sexual Violence
Life is not to be abused if it is truly precious. Men and women are sexually assaulted, raped, and have had their dignity stripped from them. Often, their attackers go free or get minimally reprimanded. There is no justice for the victims. If we are truly pro-life then we must denounce all forms of sexual violence including pornography and sex-trafficking. Our society must also commit to changing the way we talk about women (or men), and to refrain from making obscene sexual comments in public or private.
Pro – Gender Equality (Anti-Sexism)
If all life is precious to God, then all life must be equal. Currently, Women are not treated equally. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. Women deserve our respect and should not be belittled by asinine comments in the workplace, schools, or anywhere else. They should be payed the same amount as men, and we should honor them by caring for them during their pregnancy, instead of being frustrated at them. In addition, we should not treat women (or men) as objects, nor force them to conform to a traditional gender role. If we are Pro-Life, then we must be in support of giving women a voice, and we must listen to what they have to say.
Anti – Death Penalty
If we care about Life, then we must hate death. If all life is made in the image of God, and God in Christ has shown us that he loves sinners, then we must also love sinners. We should pray that they repent and accept Christ. We do not have to condone their sin, or release them from their punishment. Yet, we should not rejoice in their death , for death itself is our final enemy.
Pro – Refugee / Pro-Immigrant (Anti-Racism)
If all life is precious, then we should not discriminate based on race or ethnicity. All people are equally deserving of flourishing. This does not necessarily mean that a country cannot have borders, or have a vetting process to keep dangerous individuals out. Yet, you cannot both be Pro-Life and Anti-immigrant. The same also goes for refugees. If someone is fleeing their home because of war, famine, or any danger, those who are Pro-life will gladly accept them. A common argument I’ve heard against this has been, “We can’t let these people in, what if they kill us?” As Christians, we serve a God who allowed himself to be crucified and has called his followers to pick up their cross and do the same.
Pro – Racial Reconciliation (Anti-Systemic Racism)
If all life is precious to God, then we should be serious in pursuing racial reconciliation. America is a country that is deeply wounded and divided by race. There are numerous laws that discriminate against people of color, however, most of them are implicit. Racism has hidden itself within our nice attitudes and comfortably discriminate systems, yet racism has not gone away. If we are to be Pro-life, then we must fight to end systemic racism. To do so, we must listen to our brothers and sisters of various ethnicities, and hear their stories and experiences. We must take a deep and honest look at our hearts to see if their is some resistance to this reconciliation, and we must confess that to God.
Anti – Warmongering
If life is precious to God, then even the deaths of our enemies must be hated. This includes all wars. This doesn’t mean you can’t serve in the military or have to be a pacifist. Instead, it is a position of the heart. We must despise war and must not be joyful when another human life is taken. Regardless of how evil the other side is, the reality and carnage of death is certainly more evil. It is death that is our final enemy, and it is death that is defeated by Jesus. When we celebrate our bombardment of cities, and rejoice in the suffering of our enemies, we make light of the love of Christ.
Pro – Flourishing (Anti-Poverty)
If life is precious to God, then all life ought to flourish. Poverty and hunger are enemies to human flourishing, and must be combated if we care about life. This does not have to mean a large Government welfare system, nor does it mean that you have to give homeless people money every time you see them. Yet, to be Pro-life, you cannot deny that poverty exists, nor turn your hearts away from those in need.
Hopefully this serves as a guide for you when it comes to voting Pro-Life. It might be helpful to score potential candidate with each section worth 10 points with a grand total of 100 points. For example: Abraham Lincoln would score in the high 80s-90s, whereas Adolf Hitler would score in the low 5s (if that).
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.