The other day, my club was granted official membership at Cal State Fullerton. I’m ecstatic to finally be able to start on this mission. But the road to get to this point was not at all easy. And along the way I’ve felt very discouraged, especially by my own- my brothers and sisters in Christ.
As I set out to start the pro-life club Students for Life, my first thought was to gather support from fellow Christians. Being “pro-life” usually comes with the territory- not always, but I daresay it should.
When I set out collect emails from CSUF students interested in the pro-life movement, I decided to attend Discoverfest. This is an event that happens every semester where all CSUF clubs set up a booth on campus, spread awareness, pass out flyers, get email addresses, and hopefully gain new members. This seemed like a perfect opportunity for me considering there are about 15 Christian clubs on campus.
Turns out, it wasn’t as successful as I had hoped. Sure, I received some email addresses- mostly from reluctant people at the booths. I expected more to care about the issue of abortion, but they were really more interested when I said I was looking for a Christian club for myself. But by then, their true colors had shown and I didn’t appreciate how they treated me when I was talking about my club. They were disinterested, some even irritated. But they were more than happy to talk about their club…
In fact, even the Christian club I attended last semester was by far the rudest of them all. It’s safe to say, I don’t attend anymore.
Discouraged and running out of time, I finally approached the Catholic club, and boy did they make my day. It’s common knowledge that the Catholic church has really spearheaded the pro-life movement, and God bless them for that. When it comes to charity and doing good, they’ve really got their act together. They were friendly, encouraging, and excited to hear about what I was doing. And even though my more Protestant beliefs differ from theirs (in practice, more than core beliefs) I felt more acceptance and love from them than any “Christian” church ever before.
See, our God is very clear about who He is and how He cares for His people. Psalm 127:3 says, “Truly children are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Life is not a curse. Jesus loves children. The Bible talks about how, on earth, He reveled in their presence, their innocence, their heart, their faith.
In fact, Psalm 139:13,15 says, “You knit me in my mother’s womb . . . nor was my frame unknown to you when I was made in secret.” How incredible that, before we were even born, God KNEW us. But for that to happen, a fetus in the womb would actually have to be a real, living person, right?
Furthermore, God commands in Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:17 that “Thou shalt not kill.” From scientific evidence, we know that the fetus is a human with essential functions and elements existing very early on in the pregnancy. If we permit the violent murder (yes, MURDER) of the most innocent of our kind, precious gems that cannot defend themselves, then what should stop us from killing one another no matter the reason?
And finally, Matthew 7:12 says, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” None of these kids consented to their abortion. They have as much right to live as anyone else. In fact, President Ronald Reagan said, “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” How lucky are they that their mother did not choose abortion, which is what they push on other women every day!
Life, love, justice, and freedom are essential to the Christian faith and to the foundation of the United States of America. To be a Christian, to be an American, how could you not support these things? How could you deny the personhood and value of this precious, tiny baby?
Surprisingly, many people do. Some don’t want to get involved or infringe on a woman’s “right” to murder their child, while others see it only as a political issue. Someone who doesn’t like politics will often avoid the topic of abortion altogether. But those people are wrong. Yes, this issue has entered the political sphere because people wanted rules to be made nationally on both sides- pro-life and pro-choice. But this is a social issue. This is a moral issue. This is a personal issue. And that affects everyone.
But let’s be real. The “pro-choice” movement claims to be founded upon the grounds of a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body. But common sense and science clearly show us that the baby, though residing in the mother’s womb, has its own body, its own personhood, and its own rights. So if you won’t say it, I will. To be pro-choice is to be pro-abortion, and to support abortion is to flat out advocate for child murder.
The Church is supposed to be beacon of light for direction and morality in this dark, lost world. Sure, we are all called to various missions and blessed with different gifts for our unique purposes. But as Christians, God desires us to actively fight evil and spread love. That’s what the pro-life movement is truly about. And that’s exactly what I intend for my club. We are all about fighting injustice, saving the lives of children who were given no other choice, spreading awareness on campus, supporting pro-life legislation, and helping women in crisis pregnancies with much needed support and resources.
The Church is also supposed to be unified on the Word and love of God. But most of what I’ve faced from campus Christians is apathy or irritability.
I’m sorry. Did I bother you with the notion that countless children are killed from abortion daily, leaving their mothers and others around them left to suffer the consequences of physical pain, irreparable damage, depression, etc.
My point is, how sad is it that I cannot rely on my own for love and support in this critical issue? Not only from my brothers and sisters in Christ, but from the representative of a club I had been attending! Honestly, I think it’s ridiculous. Sure, I don’t expect everyone to be as passionate about this mission as I am. But if you’re a Christian, you should naturally be concerned about the wellbeing of others. And the lives and deaths of the unborn should certainly fit into this category. As Christians, we should be supporting the missions of those who help the poor, sick, homeless, lost, widowed, fatherless, and innocent. This is what the Lord has called us to do.
As the man on the road to Jericho in one of Jesus’s parables, I’ve felt beaten down and left stranded by my own kind. But when strangers who are different from myself picked me up, helped me, and offered such genuine encouragement, I saw the love of Christ truly play out in this world.
Am I perfect? Far from it! I, more than anyone, am learning the value of love, gentleness, and compassion. They aren’t ALWAYS my strong suits. And is the Church perfect? No. And it never will be. The Church is made up of many diverse individuals, all sinners, who struggle with different things. But I urge you, Christians, be careful how you treat your brothers and sisters. It does not go unnoticed by both believers and nonbelievers. Love thy neighbor- in your Church, in your home, in your school, in your workplace, and in your community. And perhaps we should take some notes from the Catholic church. Perhaps to be a “Christian,” but to be unconcerned about the injustices of this world is to really not understand the true nature of God at all.
Lady Liberty 