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Honoring the Worth of Each Person

One does not have to be a Christian to be pro-life, but to be a faithful Christian, one must be pro-life

By Rebecca Miller

From childhood, I felt protective toward unborn children; I was so near to their stage of human development. Later, my pro-life concerns widened to include the disabled, elderly, and terminally ill. In a world that often values youth and utility, I was concerned that they be valued and protected.

Now I am a mother of two. During my two pregnancies, I experienced my baby’s heartbeat thrumming against the Doppler, the shadowy image of a small human body on the ultrasound, and the flutters of little feet (and later, sharp elbows) within. How wondrous that from the moment of conception until childbirth, a woman’s body is no longer one but two.

I also came to understand the toll that childbearing can take on a woman’s body – a burden that she alone can bear – and society’s debt to women for giving the gift of life. A debt that should be repaid through charitable efforts and government policy in health care, social services, freedom from discrimination, and birth control too.

Christians believe all human beings are made in the image of God, so we are “for” life. We don’t always live up to this truth, but it is biblical. In addition to the unborn, disabled, elderly, and terminally ill, we are called to also speak up for other vulnerable human beings, such as refugees, victims of racial discrimination, people of a different sexual orientation, mothers separated from their child at the border, the poor, and the abused. Christians must honor the God-given worth of each human being.

One does not have to be a Christian to be pro-life, but to be a faithful Christian, one must be pro-life – recognizing the human dignity of all humans (especially the most vulnerable) and advocating for their wellbeing.

Rebecca Miller
Bigfork