Choice is a good thing, right?

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Disclaimer ~ This can be considered a controversial post as I join other pro-life bloggers in reflecting upon Ask Them What They Mean by ‘Choice’"
Feel free to disagree or skip over the post entirely, but please do NOT start slamming through comments.  All opinions are my own!

For most everyone in the United States, today is marked by the anniversary of Roe versus Wade. The decision in that case opened the flood gates, if you will, in a way that some did not expect. There are many who fully embrace the decision made and herald it as a wonderful day for women’s rights, especially when it comes to control of her body.  Others view it as shoving the country on a slippery slope into a culture of death.  In the Catholic Church, today is Respect Life Sunday with a call to pray for all to respect life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

 

Most of the time, I’d say that having a choice is a good thing.  God gave us free will and the ability to choose our actions.  Within boundaries, I can choose where to live, who to be friends with, where to worship (and how), and what to eat at every meal.  If I had to live a cookie-cutter life and do everything the same way my neighbor does, I’d probably go mad over time.  So, having the ability to choose how I live my life is a good thing.

 

But, when it comes to the ‘choice’ being debated between ‘pro-choice’ and pro-life advocates, I feel we need to step back and look at the path leading to that ultimate decision about whether to abort the child growing in a woman’s womb.  Specifically, the choice made by those involved that led to the ’unwanted’ pregnancy.

 

While there are always exceptions, for the most part those unwanted pregnancies came about from 2 individuals deciding to engage in sexual activity that carried a ‘chance’ of pregnancy.  Depending upon where in her cycle it occurred and what methods were employed to minimize the chance for conception, the chance could be high or it could be really low.  But, the ‘risk’ of it happening is still present.  So, why be so shocked and dismayed when it does happen?  After all, both parties involved knew what could happen if they went down that road for fleeting gratification.

 

Now, I know that some ‘pro-choice’ advocates would chime in here with the need for more sex education and availability of birth control.  Well, so far the big push to educate the masses doesn’t seem to be conquering the problem.  Many of the birth control methods made readily available are not fool proof, especially when used haphazardly.  Rarely (if at all) are people taught to recognize the signs of ovulation and abstain from activity during times when conception is likely (what some call natural family planning or the sympto-thermal method.) Instead of acting responsible, some see the handing out of condoms and birth control pills as a green light to go copulate and leave their worries behind.  It fits so well in our current society where so much is about what YOU want and not what is best for you.

 

The solution when those unwanted pregnancies occur isn’t to make people own up to their poor choices.  Instead, groups and the government are there with the solution!  Using clinical sounding terms like ‘fetus’ to dehumanize the baby growing inside the woman, people offer up a quick way to toss that burden to the curb.

 

I had the honor to review Blood Money (a documentary DVD) this past year that showed a glimpse into that world and highly recommend it to all interested in the abortion industry, how they operate, and the pain and turmoil women can find themselves experiencing after electing an abortion.  While it was quite informative, the film was also disturbing hearing how cold and calculated those in the abortion industry could be.

 

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I can honestly say that one of my pregnancies was NOT well received by me.  Tension in my marriage had me resenting things and feeling very disconnected from the baby growing each day in my belly.  However, I knew that this child had no say in being conceived and shouldn’t be blamed for things outside their control.   After all, I had made a conscious choice to engage in sexual activity that had a small chance of leading to conception.  By the time he was born, I had made my peace with those feelings of anger towards my situation and found that God knew far better than I when He decided to send this young man into our lives.

I’ve met people who’s mother made a difficult and conscious choice to NOT abort their child.  I can not imagine the world without these people and mourn the loss of those that were never given the chance to live.  Some of these individuals were given up for adoption as their mother knew they would have a better life.  Many of the families welcoming those children through adoption were finding a call to be parents answered. 

 

I could probably write a book worth on the topic, but will hop off my soapbox for now.  And, I’ll leave all the more technical things (like how abortion can increase a women’s risk of developing breast cancer) to the experts. 

 

Today, we prayed at Mass for all people to respect life at all stages.  Tomorrow, we are called to make penance for those sins committed against human dignity, even if we are not the ones committing the sins.  I hope that others will join in prayer, even if it is for those involved in the debate to do so peacefully.

 

 

This post is being linked up with Catholic Bloggers 4 Life at the newly formed Catholic Bloggers Network.  Hop on over and see what other Catholic bloggers have to say on the matter.