Concerning the debate on abortion

The pundits make it sound so simple – so cut-and-dry – but the issues surrounding abortion is anything but. Herein lies my struggle.

Julie, the wife of my then district superintendent, shared the story and struggle of their daughter and her husband. In the first trimester the doctors discovered, through multiple tests, that the child she was carrying would be severely mentally and physically handicapped. Many hours were consumed in discussing all of their options, in praying through a most difficult decision and shedding more then their share of tears. The final painful decision was to carry the child to full term. The 2nd and 3rd trimesters were filled with pain, anxiety and self-doubt. But, when their daughter was born she was not like what the doctors and all of their testing proved – in fact she was just the opposite. She was a vibrant and alive young child with an IQ that was literally off the charts.

Further, as a pastor, I have walked with several young women and men through the deciding process concerning having verses not having an abortion. Through this process I have made one discovering – the emotional, mental, relational, spiritual and physical problems are identical for those deciding to keep the pregnancy as it is for those who decide to end the pregnancy. There are no simple answers when it comes to abortion – regardless of what the pundits would have you believe.

Still further, when I was in high school – back in the dark ages – before the Supreme Court made that landmark decision in Roe vs. Wade – there were several girls who had gotten pregnant and because of botched back alley type of abortions didn’t get to experience their graduation nor the rest of their life. It isn’t simple and it isn’t so cut-and-dry.

Do I believe that a woman has the right to make her own decisions concerning her body? Most definitely, but what rights does that life growing inside of her have? It isn’t so simple is it? Even the position that I have long taken, namely that abortion should be available in cases of incest, rape or when the mother’s life is threatened, is filled with challenges because I have walked with members of my churches when those three issues were present and they were confronted with making the difficult decision. It is tough. It is not simple. And, it is definitely not so cut-and-dry. The toll it takes on the people involved, regardless of what they decide to do, cannot really be measured.

The conclusion that I have arrived at is that the church and people of faith should stand with all individuals who are confronted with making such a decision regardless of what that decision is going to be. Further, where our energy and resources should be put to work is trying to understand and help those unmarried young men and women who, for whatever reason, decide to climb into bed with each other resulting in a pregnancy. What are the issues that caused this to happen and what can we do so that it won’t happen again?

As our congress continues to debate the pros and cons of the health care bill much of the recent comments surround the issue of abortion. As one old pastor, who has assisted individuals in the decision making process, I don’t think that they really know what they are talking about. For them it is just words, but for the rest of us it is lives “lived in the trenches” – so to speak. It is time for us to speak up and be heard.

Quote for today: “In Germany, they first came for the Communists and I did not speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time, there was no one left to speak up.” Martin Niemoller