Written by Julie Stuckenschneider
What exactly does it mean to be pro-life? Merriam Webster dictionary describes it simply as “opposed to abortion”. But it is so much more than that. Being pro life means you value life and feel it should be protected from its beginning to natural death. This means life is valuable at every stage; inside and outside the womb.
There are quite a few “pro-lifers” who believe there are exceptions to the rule. A 2011 Gallup Poll found that 59% of those who identify as pro life support fetal termination when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. Now one may wonder how someone can be pro-life yet still support abortion. The short answer is that you can’t.
Rape and incest are horrible things that sadly happen. However, no matter how a child is conceived, it is not that child’s fault. When standing for life and calling yourself a pro-lifer you cannot pick and choose the circumstances that a life should or shouldn’t be spared. When you decide to support life that means all of them no matter how they come about. It is easy to ride the fence and go with society’s norms on issues but when you fully believe in something you stand by it 100%. You either support life or you don’t. There is no in between.