Unity Within The Pro-Life Movement
Approaching the table was a girl whose beliefs were glaringly different from mine. As an anti-abortion activist, I come in contact with people from all walks of life. I strive to find common ground to effectively communicate the issue of abortion. Yet as soon as I saw her, I wondered where our conversation would lead. Around my neck hangs a tiny metal cross -- a conspicuous symbol that instantly set us apart. My cross and her hijab, the veil of a Muslim woman, were in silent communication, but I discovered our shared, child-like joy over the fetal models spoke louder than our differences.
At one point, she looked at my cross and innocently asked me, “What does the engraving say?” Looking down and smiling sadly, I read the engraving. It says, “Isaiah”. I told her it’s a personal memorial for a baby who was aborted for a video contest*; that his name was engraved as a testimony of the Innocent Slaughter on the cross, which is described in Isaiah 53.
We were both quietly reflecting when she gave me a quick nod of agreement. In that moment we seemed to acknowledge our theological differences, but connected through our mourning over the loss of babies in the womb. We agreed that abortion is acutely wrong because it slaughters innocent human beings, we shook hands and parted ways. Touching that small metal cross, I made the silent commitment that given the opportunity, I would gladly and openly oppose abortion alongside her.
Something as unjust and violent as the Abortion Holocaust pushes Christians to work with people of other faiths. We desire common ground without compromise. As Sophie Scholl, a Christian activist during Nazi Germany said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Don’t limit yourself by losing the opportunities of camaraderie and chances for showing Christ’s love. The slaughter of preborn humans should concern everyone. We must seek cooperation within Protestant, Catholic, Islamic and secular communities to unite in ending the injustice called abortion. Scholl said, “Just because so many things are in conflict does not mean that we ourselves should be divided.” From the interactions between the girl and me, I can imagine the pro-life movement’s growth into a diverse, but united group of Abortion Abolitionists. After all, we're talking about the future of the human race.