Non-religious reasons to be pro-life

[Somel]

Perhaps I am one of very few, but I am Pro-life for completely non-religious reasons. It strikes me that most mothers who choose to end the lives of their babies are either not religious--atheist, agnostic--or Christmas and Easter religious, both of which are perfectly respectable ways to base your life (I personally claim agnosticism myself). Because of this thought, I have always envisioned a non-religious movement supporting the lives or potential lives that are being wasted because of reproductive irresponsibility and the lack of available options and support for surprised, under-prepared mothers.
While prayer-vigils and tracts outlining the reasons why the Bible says abortion kills an unborn child or why virginity should be glorified or other topics...are perfectly respectable and a beautiful way to worship your god....Could there not be a more far reaching movement? Is there not a better way to effect change?

What are everyone's thoughts on this idea?

[Sarah Beth]

I am actually pro-life for religious reasons, but I completely agree with you. Although there are a disturbing amount of devout Christians that are starting to have their opinions swayed towards pro-choice, I also recognize that most women that go through abortions are not religious. While I completely support all aspects of "Christian outreach" in regards to abortion, it is not always effective and has, I think, jaded us in the eyes of the world. I don't want people to think "Oh no, here comes another Christian who's going to give me a tract and tell me why God doesn't want me to kill my baby". Life should be valued, whether you are atheist or Hindu.

I think a good approach to take would be the non-blatant Christian approach. Let's give them facts about babies as they develop, let's give them sonograms to see the baby (have you seen how precise they've gotten those things? It's like you're in the womb or something), let's teach in our schools the emotional and physical effects of having an abortion and the risks involved, let's do studies on women now that had abortions in the 60's 70's and 80's and see if their opinion has changed. Because I agree, you don't have to put the "Christian" label on everything for it to be true. All truth is still God's truth, whether people recognize it as inherently Christian or not.

I think we get stopped in so many areas and hit so much opposition because we scream to the rooftops that we're Christian. A lot of people in our Christian circles feel like they are God themselves, sent down to smite those that do wrong or that they are so pious and holy that they are above everyone else, completely forgetting that we all have sinned and fallen short. So yes, I'm all for it! What do you have in mind?

[Somel]

Most of the problem I believe stems from unprepared mothers either not having access to resources or not being aware of the resources available to them. These women often choose abortion because they feel they have no other option. If there were more places where they could go for prenatal care, housing, and financial assistance, and also the foster system becoming more accessible, mothers would have less of a reason and be more aware of the many options, the many choices they have available to them that do not involve destroying a potential life. Another aspect to resources that I believe is neglected is the lack of psychological support. I think that trained counselors at any of these centers would be a great benefit to these mothers--being pregnant can be a very traumatic thing, and many who choose abortion do not have the emotional support they needed.
Another aspect that is essential in my opinion in preventing abortions is education on preventing pregnancy in general. Providing better sex education in schools, with less an emphasis on abstinence and more on responsibility, would be ideal. Also, free and discounted birth control--not just cheap, unreliable condoms and the morning after pill (which is abortion just like anything else) usually provided by women's centers--would drastically in my opinion reduce abortion rates.
I think the main idea here is advocating reproductive responsibility. We need to be careful with sex. It is a natural, beautiful, fun thing, but we would be blind if we did not consider the possible consequences of a sexual act before we did it. Partners can be emotionally and physically scarred from any kind of sex, and miracles or "accidents" can be formed. We need to take responsibility for our own actions. Prevent inconvenient circumstances, like being stuck with a partner one did not plan or becoming pregnant. When things happen, though, like they invariably do, deal with them with as much thought as one can. Abortion is a fleeting, quick thought. It can be damaging to everyone involved.
So yes, that would be the basis of my ideal plan of action. Prevention, prenatal and postnatal support, and reproductive responsibility. I LOVE the sonogram idea and the education on abortions idea. They are both things that seem to be purposefully neglected.
OH! and a sight I love, though I am non-partison: www.democratsforlife.org

[Peter Fernandez]

I do agree that Pro-Life should also reach out to non-religious groups, because it is a human right to life and a reality independent and inclusive of all religions. However, I also feel that we should not underestimate the power of faith when it is truly based on love and compassion. To believe in God is to believe that there is an inherent and eternal Truth that life is sacred. That is why the forces of moral relativism are also trying to take away the religious faith of younger generations; the anti-religious and the anti-life movements conspire together.
The Civil Rights movement, with the moral leader of the nation at that time, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was focused on bringing awareness to the horrific reality of racism in America, but I believe that it was successful primarily because of the empowerment of the religious faith and unity of its main activists. In his "I have a dream" speech, Rev. Dr. King boldly proclaimed the presence of God, and it was his Southern Christian Leadership Conference that was a main organizing force. Pro-Life is today's civil rights movement, and I believe we should look to the past for inspiration. We can also look to the Israelites of the Old Testament and the early Christians, and many others who were successful because God who is Truth was with them. We already know that Love and Life shall prevail, according to God's promise.
Those who are Pro-Life in the religious communities are especially important since there are groups who are trying to deceive religious groups into supporting abortion. While many women who undergo abortions may not be religious, many do consider themselves to be part of a certain religion, and many do attend church and other religious services. That is why it is continually important for clergy and lay people to connect with all congregations to give them the truth of Pro-Life.
Finally, without getting into a long discussion about it, I would say that you can not be so sure that increasing contraception decreases abortions, because history so far has shown otherwise.
With that being said, I agree with you that since it is the reality that the unborn child is a living human being and that abortion hurts women, then we can evagelize this message through every kind of argument.
Keep strong and compassionate in this fight. We are one body.

In His Love,
Peter Fernandez

[Kelsey Hazzard]

I agree 100%. I'm a Christian, but that is not why I am pro-life. I am pro-life because it is an issue of basic human rights. You don't have to be religious to be compassionate!

There are a number of ways to make the movement more inclusive. My group is hosting the president of the national Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians later in the semester. I am so sick of hearing "If the fetus you save is gay, will you still fight for its rights?"-- which, let's face it, is based on the assumption that the pro-life movement is a bunch of Bible-thumpers. There's also the Atheist and Agnostic Pro-Life League, and numerous orgs which take no religious stance, like SFLA and Feminists for Life.

[Michelle Perjak]

Great discussion guys. I just joined the site. I am working with a local Christian crisis pregnancy center to start up a high school students for life group.
I myself am on the fence about my personal beliefs on Christianity, and switched from being stubbornly pro-choice to being militantly pro-life during a time of my life when I had the least amount of faith. It was the science that convinced me, as I watched my daughter via ultrasound from when I was 8 weeks pregnant and on.
I won't go into a big thing, you guys have already made some good points. I just wanted to add a couple of things.
First, if you are strong in your faith, whether that be Christian or not, don't feel you have to deny your faith to make your pro-life point. You have the right in this country to freely exercise your beliefs, and don't let other people's prejudices against devouts suppress that right. Just assert that you are perfectly capable of making public policy opinions independent of your religious beliefs, that you can separate Christian orthodoxy from the basic Christian-Judeo principles of morality this country was founded on.
Second, when you hear people say "it's a moral decision", point out that our country was founded on the moralitiy of freedom for all, and that morality is not coupled with a particular religion, even when certain principles run in parallel. So, yes, of course it's a moral decision - what those judges did was act on their own personal moralities, and not that designed by our founding fathers.
Oh, and one more point. As for the legal side of this, I've been looking into it. I have no experience with law, but I do have a B.S. in math and some masters credits as well, so I am well versed in creating logical arguments from the ground up. What I've noticed so far is that the logic behind the Roe v. Wade decision is very sketchy. I mean, think about it- they said the right to privacy trumps the right to life? That's so inconsistent with the history of our constitution and countless other legal precedents. Especially with the science we have today. This was judicial activism at its worst.

[Somel]

To Peter Fernandez:
I think you bring up very valid points. I love that your conviction is backed up with comparisons, both from history and from your holy book. A few points however.
Martin Luther King Jr. (yay!!! one of my heros) was a religious leader, yes, and he was one of the most key players in the civil rights movement BUT he was one of many players, many if not most were not religious and certainly not Christians. Malcom X and Rosa Parks are not remembered for their religious affiliations, but for their convictions about civil rights. A strong and often overlooked organization of the time, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was a group of mainly political activists, agnostics, anarchists. This group was influential in forming the Freedom Riders and a movement of progressive, integrated neighborhood preschools and elementary schools. It worked very close with the Students For a Democratic Society, a "radical" organization that fought for human rights and still exists today (I'm part of my local chapter myself). Don't get me wrong--I don't overlook the religious aspect to this movement. It's beautiful. I just think we do a great disservice to all involved in the movement when that aspect is the only one we focus on. After all, religion incorporates values we all enjoy, that we all envision in the best of humanity--those very powerful ideas of love and compassion, the value of every life, and unity. These values embodied the movement, but they were certainly not tied to religion for many involved, nor needed they be.
That said, it is very important for churches to be active in promoting life. BUT the point I am trying to make is that they need to be careful not to alienate valuable allies. Pro-life is so powerful and universal that it can spread beyond the bounds of a church, spread beyond the bounds of religion. It is so powerful that it does not even need to start in a church. Churches most definitely need to be getting out the pro-life message, but so do many other non-religious organizations. Let us reach everyone. Let no baby die.
As far as birth control not reducing but increasing abortions, I must admit I have seen some of the research on that. But I suggest that the numbers are not properly viewed. Birth control has only become popular because sexual culture has changed. Whereas earlier this century people almost always waited to become sexually active until after marriage and after that usually only when a child was to be had--there was little need for birth control, so it was seldom used, and little cause for abortion. In modern times, it has become normal to become sexually active before becoming monogamous, and all throughout one's sex life there would be many times when sex is had but children are undesirable. Of course birth control usage has gone up with abortion rates. That does not mean that birth control does not prevent abortions. It just means that we are having more sex in modern times. This is my theory, I will concede, for I have not done sufficient research to prove it.
Thank you for your support. Not to be annoying, but just one more thing. We are not of one body. Please as a courtesy do not include me in an entity whose "Head" I have no beliefs in.
Again, personal beliefs aside, it is amazing to be able to find others who value life as much as I do. Keep fighting for it.

[Jen R]

I created a group on Atheist Nexus (another Ning network) for pro-life nonbelievers. On that group, I've asked people to share their favorite atheist and/or secular pro-life resources. If you're interested in finding some resources, you can check out the post here:

http://atheistnexus.ning.com/group/prolifenonbelievers/forum/topics...

(nonmembers can view, but I think only members can reply)

If I remember correctly, the religious views of women who abort are roughly proportionate to the religious views of the general population, so I don't think that they are mostly nonbelievers or Christmas/Easter Christians. I don't have a source for that offhand, though.

[Kelsey Hazzard]

Please add Pro-Life Union for Secularity (PLUS), which I just started up, hopefully I'll get to work on it more soon. Already have one publication up.
http://secularprolife.webs.com/

Jen R said:

I created a group on Atheist Nexus (another Ning network) for pro-life nonbelievers. On that group, I've asked people to share their favorite atheist and/or secular pro-life resources. If you're interested in finding some resources, you can check out the post here:

http://atheistnexus.ning.com/group/prolifenonbelievers/forum/topics...

(nonmembers can view, but I think only members can reply)

If I remember correctly, the religious views of women who abort are roughly proportionate to the religious views of the general population, so I don't think that they are mostly nonbelievers or Christmas/Easter Christians. I don't have a source for that offhand, though.

[1BearkatTexan]

I do not know if there is a better way to be pro-life for non-religious reasons because Religion embodies a solid moral code. Take morality out of the equation and this gives rise to existentialism. Existentially someone might believe that humanity is actually a waste and must be erased from existence. However, with the way you explained your reasons for being Pro-Life I can definately meet you half-way because ultimately what you hold true and what my religon believes is true are fairly similar. Throughout the centuries it has not been easy to clarify to people why our morality makes so much sense because so many people struggle with self-serving inclinations, myself included.
But I look at this simple and direct example of why we are similar: God created humanity and said it was good.
You and I are probably connected at the very fundamentals and so I will always be interested in hearing Atheist and Agnostic ideas for why life is valuable. I hope to work together with you or any atheist/agnostic to save lives because I think you will have really effective ideas for pro-life activities. Speaking of which I might need your advice for a future debate if you would not mind sharing some key points with me.
Peace,
Andrew

[Ryan Barnett]

I do believe that the crux of the problem is that a Culture of Death presides over the US. We must reinstitute a Culture of Life. Once we achieve a respect for all human being's lives then abortions will hopefully cease. The whole issue of abortion is about the stage of development. An argument I use is as follows: Is it all right to kill a 3 year old? Of course not. Is it acceptable to kill a 10 year old? No way. Is it all right to kill a 15 year old? No. Then why is it acceptable to kill a baby boy or a baby girl in the mother's womb? The sex of a human being is determined at the moment of conception because the 46 chromosomes from both parents unite at that moment to determine if the life will be a baby boy or a baby girl.

[Jen R]

Kelsey Hazzard said:

Please add Pro-Life Union for Secularity (PLUS), which I just started up, hopefully I'll get to work on it more soon. Already have one publication up.
http://secularprolife.webs.com/

Added! (Sorry, I just saw this.)

[Simon JM]

For the movment to grow the traditional Pro-Life religious base should reach out to embrace the non-religious Pro-Life elements.

But the question I would pose are elements of the religious base in the US mature enough to welcome atheist or gay Pro-Lifers?

From the posts I read many Pro-Choicers look at the disdane shown towards these groups in general as evidence that the whole mindset is biased and false.