In a recent few posts, he's addressed the issue of abortion ... no, not the political or moral aspects of abortion, but rather the emotional and spiritual implications for would-be parents. Pauly shares about his own experience:
25 years ago, I took part in a decision that separated me from the life of my unborn son. I can only imagine what type of young man he would be today. Sometimes when I mow the lawn or am doing work around the house, or on my car, I think how much I miss not having him here next to me, helping me, telling me about his day, learning from me, sharing jokes, or telling me his plans. The decision for abortion didn't seem like much of a 'choice' at the time. It seemed like there was no other choice. We were pressured by the doctor, society's view at the time, and the fact that we weren't married. It seemed like such an easy thing to do at the time, and I had no idea how it would impact my life for years to come ...Pauly's writings (you really need to read them yourself) emphasize again how important family and community are in preventing abortions. I hope that I will be able to be a brother, father, and friend that people around me can turn to if they are ever facing the decision to have an abortion or not. I think that, in order to avoid tragedies like this, we as the community need to make our positions known: We will love and welcome both the parents and the new baby, not condemn them. I can see how this would make for an excellent sermon, maybe I'll talk to my pastor about it.
I think about my own decision, and I wonder what made me think I couldn’t go to my parents and let them know I needed help and advice. I think they might have been disappointed, but they would have been there for me, and helped me. They certainly would have encouraged me to be responsible and raise my child, rather than kill their grandson before he even had a chance to breathe.
2 comments:
Thanks, ts. We need to quit looking at abortion as a political issue, and realize no matter what a person's religious, poitical, or social status is, abortion affects our nation tremendously.
We've lost a whole generation of young people who might have been doctors, pastors, soldiers, stockbrokers, mothers, fathers...
Abortion affects women and men emotionally, spiritually, and physically, no matter what side of the political fence one is on.
I hope your pastor has the courage to confront the issue spiritually and encourage healing for those who have suffered the effects of their decision. I might mention that all of the women who participated in the weekend were "churched." Sadly, there are a huge number of Christian women in churches today who have never had the opportunity to deal with their issues surrounding an abortion decision. Many have suffered in silence, because the church has dealt with this as a political and shameful issue instead of confronting it with an attitude of compassion.
thank YOU, pauly, for your voice. i totally agree with what you've said and will try to influence my circle. i believe the attitude you've shown toward the abortion issue is the way God wants us to see it.
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