"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented". Elie Wiesel

We all have friends and family who say things like, "I would never choose to have an abortion myself. But everyone’s free to believe what they want…"

Let’s be clear, being personally against abortion but favouring (or indeed promoting) another’s “right” to abortion is self-contradictory and morally baffling.  

Indeed, it’s exactly like saying:

"I’m personally against child abuse, but I defend my neighbour’s right to abuse his child if he so chooses".

Or saying something like:

"I’m personally against genocide, but if others want to kill off an entire race, that’s none of my business".

The only basis for being opposed to abortion is the recognition that it is the deliberate and targeted killing of a child. Therefore, when someone takes this “personally opposed” position, what they are saying is, “I understand that abortion is the intentional slaughter of defenceless children, but I’m not going to do anything to stop it."

That raises the question: which other innocent human beings do they think it should be legal to kill? Also, are they equally tolerant on other issues? Presumably, they are also "personally opposed" to rape, human trafficking, racial segregation and wife-beating. Do they have a problem inflicting their personal beliefs regarding these issues as well?

Fraudulent Politicians

One of the worst groups to use this fallacious line of argument are politicians. Simply put, it’s fraudulent for politicians to take this position. Inflicting their views on others is precisely what legislators are elected to do and every vote they make does just that. Further, if a politician is not going to be guided by his own personal views, then exactly whose personal views and values is she/he going to be guided by? I know, only too well, many MPs and MSPs who identify as "personally pro-life" but would happily vote in support of abortion. Last year I met with a politician who was one of those "personally pro-life" types. The elected official in question has a well-deserved track record on being at the forefront of the anti-domestic abuse movement, so to help her get my point I asked her if I could be "personally against domestic abuse"? Asking that question helped her to see from a different perspective and she began to see that you are either for or against the deliberate killing of unborn children. 

Of course, when it comes to this "forcing beliefs" issue, the most important point is that 50 million dead babies worldwide, every year, have had the pro-choice mob’s beliefs forced on them.

Taking a Stand

The gravity of this injustice should force us to take a public stand. We cannot afford to be "personally pro-life" and just keep it to yourself. While it’s great if you wouldn’t have an abortion yourself, it’s not enough. Babies are being put to death in horrific ways every single day in our nation and throughout the world. If your only opinion is that you wouldn’t have an abortion, then you’re not actually pro-life.  Would someone who said they were personally against owning a slave be fairly described as being against slavery?

Being pro-life means that you think no baby should be sentenced to die in this way. It means that you’re willing to take a stand and say, “Every life is precious, not just the life of my own child. Every baby deserves a chance to live. Every baby has the equal right to life. And I will stand up for that life.” When you can say that, my friend, then you are truly pro-life.

New Year = New Opportunity

One way to move from being personally pro-life to taking a stand is to join with SPUC. 

Indeed, January is a time for new beginnings, a time when we have a tradition of reflecting on how to make our lives better.  We make promises to improve our health, our financial situations or our relationship with family members.  Often, these New Year’s resolutions go well for the first few weeks – we buy that gym membership; we re-engage in saving some pennies; and we start eating healthier.  But by February, we fall back into our old routines. According to USA publication, 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February.

What if we change how we make New Year’s resolutions?  As well as looking inward at what we need to change about ourselves, what if we use the blank slate of the New Year to change the lives of those around us?  As well as asking what we can change about ourselves, what if we ask what we can do to change our culture?

Join SPUC

SPUC is the world’s oldest and the UK’s largest prolife organisation. Our movement calls for justice for the most vulnerable human beings: unborn children. With, on average, 50 million victims of abortion each year worldwide, this is truly the number one human rights issue of our day.

Our work depends on the generosity of people like you. By joining today you can help us build a pro-life tomorrow!