Defending Life: Understanding the Right to Life in the Pro-Life Movement
"Always love Mom and Baby" were the words of the colorful floor sign that stood on display at the Pro-Life Summit at Bethany Church in Baton Rouge on July 20th. The Pro-Life Summit was an informational event to discuss the current landscape of the pro-life movement and share resources to encourage the community to get involved with helping moms and babies. The Pro-Life summit was one of the best conferences I've ever attended. This summit was a first for me, in fact I didn't know a conference like this even existed. What made this gathering different was that it was about what we can do for others and not necessarily about what we can do for ourselves. I've participated in a lot of ministry and business conferences, summits, workshops, etc. as well as community events. I've gathered with people from all walks of life in various spaces for various causes. Usually when I attend conferences and workshops, its usually about "what's in it for me" or "how can this information benefit me in a way that supports my advancement and boosts my personal agenda." We are a culture who idolize self-centeredness but the Bible says the generous will prosper not those who are self-centered.
Proverbs 11:25 says "The generous will prosper. Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. It's about refreshing others. When we give. When we serve. When we are generous. We prosper.
Remarkably, the Pro-Life summit I attended was quite interesting and unique. I was one of a handful of black women who were in attendance compared to the majority of white women who were there and a few men. I think what made it so interesting and unique was I learned a lot of new information that is not often discussed or at least not in the conversations I'm usually apart of. I'm a woman. I'm a black woman. I'm a black mother. So much of what was discussed at the summit directly impacts women and women who look like me disproportionately, yet I still was very much ignorant.
There was a Beautiful Baby Supply Distribution event also held at the summit hosted by Louisiana Black Advocates for Life where baby formula, diapers, and wipes were given to moms and families. Louisiana Black Advocates for Life is an initiative formed to address the unacceptably high rate of abortion in the black community of Louisiana. Pro-Life issue is not just a religious issue, it's a moral issue. It's a human right issue. Children inside of the womb have rights too.
But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him. - Galatians 1:15
Before you were born and entered into this world, you were chosen and called by God's marvelous grace. Your birth was not an accident and for sure God has a plan and a purpose for your life. I do not know the circumstances surrounding your entrance into the world, but I can say, you are here, and you are here for a reason. In my book Sacred Civic Action, I write about my experience as a young teenage mother and how I feel about abortion which is the intentional killing of a child inside the womb. I share in my book how historically, I have not seen many people speak out about topics such as abortion and religion as it relates to politics; particularly in Black communities. After hearing young girls and older women even, share their stories in online platforms about their experiences with terminating a pregnancy and sometimes two, three, or even four, I became concerned. Dealing with the guilt of their decisions years later weighs heavily on them. I think it is safe to say men deal with this guilt as well.
Statistics indicate that many women deeply regret abortion. In one study entitled “Prolonged grieving after abortion,” 44% of women who had an abortion said they regretted it. Countless women have come forward saying things like, “I am never to forget what I did, and I am never going to forgive myself,” and describing abortion as “the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.” One study found that nearly 2,000 women who had an abortion, even eight years later, were 65% more likely to score in the “high-risk” range for clinical depression than women whose first pregnancies resulted in a birth. Furthermore, A significant percentage of post-abortive women experience Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after the termination of Pregnancy. There were several questions I presented in the book. If just about everyone is having sex then why are we so quiet about its consequences? Why are we so loud about women's right to choose yet so quiet about children's right to life? What if your life were terminated in the womb? What if you weren't given a chance at life? I guess we would never know! To hear more about my thoughts around pro-life, consider getting a copy of Sacred Civic Action.
Source: Louisiana Black Advocates for Life Facebook Page
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