What is pro-life?

I am confused by the pro-life movement.

I am not saying that I am pro-life. I am not saying that I am not, either. I have become so confused by this term. Do I believe in the beauty of life? Do I believe that harming others is wrong? Yes and yes. Do I believe that murder is wrong? Yes. Do I believe that butting yourself into other people's business or taking away the right to chose what happens to their bodies, marriages, and/or lives is wrong? Oh, yes. If answering all of these questions makes someone "pro-life," then I suppose that I am. In my heart, I know abortion is wrong, but I accept that you cannot force someone to carry an unwanted child and I know that a safe abortion is better than a back alley one. I am confused by the "general" ideas that surround pro-life. It seems like people carry around the term "pro-life" so lightly and do not actually live by it, unless it comes to protesting abortion, one small little itty bitty portion of actually being a "pro-lifer." The term itself, "pro-LIFE," doesn't that mean one who supports ALL life? I’m just confused because if we generalize, which I know I will get shit for doing so, but if we do, those who are pro-life do not follow through in other areas of politics…

…Like aiding other countries’ starving children. Instead we so often hear, “Let’s take care of our own before helping out others?”

…Like opening our borders and our homes to those in need from other oppressive, poor countries. In Sodom and Gomorrah, a whole town was struck down for this lack of generosity and hospitality.

….Like supporting rights to own military weapons. "It’s an impossible argument to call oneself pro-life, but to also argue that any citizen ought have access to military grade assault weapons, which are objects designed to take life away."

…Like the death penalty, which is just a sick way to play god…isn’t that blasphemous?

…Like supporting war. Can I see a verse from the New Testament that condones war and violence?

…Like supporting welfare to those in need. (But isn’t the government paying for an abortion cheaper than paying for a kid on welfare?) Yes, the system is abused and needs straightened out, but as someone who is pro-life, you are supporting life by supporting food stamps and other government funded assistance programs. Many of these programs are necessary because people cannot afford birth control and are not educated on sex in schools (abstinence only is proven NOT to work). Pro-life should mean paying these extra costs for these programs without a negative word spoken. You are just supporting life and there is nothing wrong with that is there?

If you refuse to grow up and educate your children about sex (it’s not immoral to do so), if you refuse to help those in needs, if you refuse to value life outside of the womb, why would anyone take you seriously when you argue against abortion?

Final Thought