"Pro-Life"?

Recently, I heard someone make the following statement:

"I'm pro-life personally, but I don't think it's right to force my belief onto others. I mean, we all have free will so we should be able to make our own decisions, right?"

This is essentially the same position that I've heard other people take by saying,

"I would never have an abortion myself, because I think it's wrong, but who am I to tell other people what they should do?"

Let's be honest here. If that is what you believe, you are either a coward or you are by definition pro-choice, NOT pro-life.

A coward: if you truly do believe that abortion is wrong, but are unwilling to stand up for that belief by stating that it's wrong for other people too, not just yourself.

Pro-choice: if you really think it's best that people make their own decision about what to do with an unplanned pregnancy, and you consider abortion a valid option to consider. If you believe abortion is a choice best left to the individual to decide, then you are pro-choice, plain and simple. Claiming to be pro-life with this opinion is a complete fallacy.

I understand that there is a place of wrestling in between these two points, where
you really don't quite know for sure where you stand on the issue. There may be a sense of dissonance between what resonates as true (life is precious) and your lack of ability to articulate why you believe that. That kind of wrestling is not what I'm calling cowardice or lying.

I'm just saying - be honest with yourself. If you think it would be wrong to kill a baby in your womb, then abortion is wrong for other people, too. If you like to call yourself pro-life, but say that people should be able to make their own decisions, then you are saying that people should make the choice.......which means you're making a pro-choice argument. If you are uncomfortable with claiming the pro-choice "label" for yourself - why? Since that is inherently what you say that you believe, why do you want to identify yourself otherwise? Is it possible that you really don't think that people should choose to have abortions, but you just don't feel like you can tell them that? If that's the case, you're back to cowardice.

I am Pro-Life. Abortion is wrong. And I am not afraid to say so.

Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving Proclamation by George Washington is quite amazing. I heartily recommend that you read it carefully. This is what our Founding Fathers had in mind when a national holiday was set aside for giving thanks to Alimghty God. May we all have such reverence and gratitude in our hearts - today and always.

WHEREAS, It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor;

WHEREAS, Both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
--George Washington - October 3, 1789