There is a pretty active Pro-choice community on campus and they were holding a discussion on Tuesday where they wanted people to come and discuss their feelings on abortion. Sean really didn’t want to go and wasn’t’ planning on it. When the hour came for the discussion he felt like he should go. The group was very polite and consisted of may different people with varying opinions, some people had even come to get information to help form an opinion. Many of the standard things were discussed like when does life enter the body, which trimesters you would be comfortable giving someone an abortion (remember these are future doctors), and what rights does the mother and the baby have. Sean said there was a lot of really good discussion and I was really proud of him for being open and willing to listen to other’s opinions. He got to share some really great things as well. He prefaced his comments with his strong religious background and expressed his feeling that the egg becomes a human the moment fertilization happens. The thing that touched me the most was his response to the “a woman’s body is her own”. Sean said this is an absolute misconception as a woman’s body is a gift from God in the first place.
I have always been bugged by the argument that a woman has the right to take another’s life simply because it’s inconvenient to her own body. I have been pregnant, twice actually and both pregnancies left my body with scars. Its hard to be pregnant and my body will never be the same especially my stomach which is and forever will be covered in tons of stretch marks. It’s also hard to have a baby, both the pushing it out part and the taking care of it for the rest of your life part. As difficult as it can be, I have never felt so close to God than when I was growing a baby inside my body and I have never understood the pure love of the Savior quite so clearly as when I am holding and soothing my sweet sweet boy. No matter how a baby is conceived, no matter how inconvenient it may be to a woman’s plans, each life is a sacred gift from God and no one except God has the right to end a life.
I could go on for years about this subject! I was so touched by my husbands courage to go stand up for what he believes in. He was hugged and thanked by several people for coming and sharing his opinions. I felt like many people including me were touched by his comments and I am so grateful for his willingness to follow the promptings of the Spirit.
Look at how perfect our little man was at only 14 weeks after conception!
Amen! Every human life is valuable, no matter where it is growing. I believe the answer is simple, just as your man said, we are all God's children. It is a slippery slope, as some people feel like we should abort babies even up to 8 or 9 months, when they can survive on their own long before that. My sister's fertility doctor wanted to abort 2 out of 3 of her triplets, and she was absolutely mortified by the idea. And now today, they are all fat, healthy, hilarious babies! And he treated them like some unwanted growth. SO, so very sad.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this very personal story with us, Jennie and Sean. I feel as you do about this issue and think the choice should be made before conception (to protect yourself or refrain) not after it has occurred. I agree with the church's policy about the possible exceptions--in the case of rape and the age or health of the mother--and then you prayerfully seek the Lord's guidance in consultation with your bishop. Life is a very precious gift and I'm glad others heard what Sean had to say. love, mom p
ReplyDelete