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Abortion and What it Means to Me to be Pro Choice
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Thought Provocation by Jeph Johnson
The so-called "Pro-Life" movement evokes very strong passions. I know for I used to be one of the picketers. And I can attest, I did indeed rally from a place of "blinding intensity."
Two things made me eventually take pause:
The first was the pregnant picketer who stood next to me smoking her cigarette while decrying women making (what I knew deep inside were) more responsible choices.
The second was seeing people (mostly men) escorting women in to the clinics to avoid being yelled at, blockaded or shamed. First I questioned these people's motives. They weren't doing it "for God", so why'd they do it?
Still I felt this picketing was what God needed me to do. My "calling", if you will. A calling that became uglier and uglier with each woman I scorned.
Over the long process of deprogramming myself from Christian salvation (I call it "waking up") I grew to loathe who I was. I had reasoned (without the aid of scripture, so I thought) that abortion was "murder." Like "sin" a very harsh, overzealous and frankly unnecessary word.
Finally after realizing death is often a necessity in order for some to more fully live (and that not all mistakes needed to be called "sin"), did I come to realize the importance of being pro-choice and simultaneously abandoning Christianity!
Even now I won't say I am 100% pro-choice, because deep inside I always have an opinion as to what is best for others, but my goal is to not let that show--unless asked. And even then, do so in a very sensitive way. In some situations I've had to stop myself from being too "pro-abortion"; I've had to stop myself from allowing my opinions to influence another's reasoning (and ultimate "choices") that belong solely to her.
Much like freedom of speech, where you need to approve of a person's right to say stuff you may disagree with, being pro-choice means being supportive of a woman's choice regarding her reproductive rights, regardless of whether you approve of the decision she is making.
[Please do not comment on this if you are going to attempt to change my mind back to being "pro-life". I do encourage you to post your own arguments, however, on your own status update and if you want my replies, just hotlink me. This update was made to clarify to others the reasons why I hold the beliefs I do]
