From its inception, the pro-life movement in America has united under one fundamental belief: human life from fertilization to natural death merits our respect and protection. This belief has inspired thousands to initiate everything from pro-life education and outreach initiatives, to legislative action.
It is because of these efforts that the pro-life movement has witnessed remarkable breakthroughs, such as the passage of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act through the U.S House and its introduction in the Senate.
However, despite pro-life advancements, one pro-choice argument continues to surface and impact the convictions of Americans. It is the argument that justifies abortion because of problems within the family, such as child abuse and neglect. You might have heard someone say before, “Every child a wanted child.” The believers of this position see that children will be left abused, hungry, and unwanted, and therefore, endorse abortion as a method to prevent this situation. This argument is heard in schools, legislatures, and in the media.
Without question, this argument rests on the illogical and insidious assumption that killing a child through abortion is an antidote for abuse. Instead of confronting the real problems in our society, they want to increase the rate of abortion on what they consider “vulnerable” populations. We believe the tagline should be “Every child a valued child”.
While we know know that social ills can never justify the travesty of abortion, they should bring our attention to a very important fact: there are children living in dangerous and even deadly homes.
According to the Administration of Children and Families approximately 5 children die every day because of child abuse and in 2011 alone, there were 3 million reported cases of abuse. Studies find that children with histories of abuse are more likely to exhibit violent behavior, struggle with additions and participate in substance abuse.
While these statistics on abuse and neglect are startling and need to be addressed immediately, the pro-life movement must continue to show our nation that abortion is not a solution to ending the suffering of children. We must instead look to both adoption of infants and adoption of foster children as essential elements of the solution to these real problems.
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Because of our oath to protect all life, we must work to save children from becoming another one of these statistics. Possibly for you, this means supporting adoption initiatives or assisting families that are fostering children. It could even mean adopting a child of your own. If we really want our society to reject abortion, we must care about the countless children right in front of us who are going to bed hungry and fighting to simply stay alive, and the unborn children whose lives are being threatened by abortion. Every child deserves to be loved, protected, and given the gift of life.
Want to get more involved in adoption?
- Attend the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home “127 Conference” this Saturday, November 16th, in Alexandria focused on Foster Care and Adoption Ministries.
- Our friends at the Louisiana Family Forum are working to encourage churches and families to take an active role in foster adoption. Call them at 225.344.8533 to see how you can help.
LifeNews Note: Sarah Jones Zagorski writes for Louisiana Right to Life.
