Why Pro-life?
This new year's eve I had the privilege of being able to set aside a few hours to read Randy Alcorn's Book, Why Pro-Life. I confess that thus far in my life I have not put a lot of thought into the issue of abortion. Though in public school I had been given many opportunities to write about the topic, I tried very hard to avoid it. That all changed last semester when I decided to take an intro to philosophy class at Corning Community College. What I learned in that class made me want to jump into the race to save lives. After learning about kantian ethics, and that moral relativism is not as widely accepted as I once believed, I developed a desire to practice good Philosophy and find out exactly why I had so quickly taken the pro-life side. As both Proverbs and my philosophy instructor urge, I want to love wisdom (Philo meaning "love of", sophi meaning "wisdom").
Thats where Randy Alcorn came in (my long-time aid in helping me understand and long for eternity) with his book Why Pro-Life. What I found in this book was quite helpful. In the beginning of the book Randy says this: "Though I am a Christian I don't make many aguments from the Bible in this book. The case I present is grounded in mediceal science and reliable psychological studies." By doing this, he can present the Pro-Life argument in a clear, concise way that is capable of convincing both those on the fence about this issue and those who have chosen the easily accessible Pro-choice agument.
Alcorn's argumentation begins with defining life scientifically, correcting our definition of words like "embryo" and "fetus", and talking about how the unborn baby (or fetus - meaning "offspring" or "little one" in latin) is not just a part of the mother's body, but a separate human being with its own DNA. After firmly establishing this point he goes on to talk about the mother and asks this question: "If a pregnant woman can not fully participate in society, then isn't the solution changing society rather than killing children?". Alcorn also explains that the real offence against women's rights is that, around the world, abortion "is the single greatest means of robbing women of the single greatest right - the right to life." Alcorn then goes on to answer other common questions that rise, effectively confronting all the "what if" scenarios that are often raised against the Pro-life view.
Alcorn closes the book urging his readers to do something about the single greatest human rights issue of our day. He has definitly helped me to begin to pray about how I might help end this moral atrocity that is plaguing a country that claims to love wisdom and reason. I more than encourage you to read this book - I urge you to allow yourself to be inspired by it.
Why Pro-Life is a small book available at the book table for an equally small price of just $5.
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