Political Views ~ Part One

I have been praying all week about sharing my views. Today in church God spoke miraculously to me through the sermon. I was amazed and humbled and feel certain that He wants my voice to be heard. I had chills and butterflies in my stomach, as being in communication with Him is an exciting thing!

I ask that before you make any negative comments that you too would pray and ask for God's guidance. I have been slightly amused that one of the parents who has been involved in the most arguments on a list serv that I belong to has this quote below her posts: "My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me." I know she means this comment to be about our family members that have T21, however I have been reading it in alignment with how she sees the rest of the world as well, as evidenced by her mean spirited attacks on others.

So often we can't step back to see that everyone has passion behind their views, and that they feel validated and justified. We refuse to look inward and spend most of our lives pointing fingers and being divisive with our opinions instead of trying to gently share our hearts and pray for change within ourselves, others and for the world that our Father created.

I want to encourage you to share YOUR hearts in the comment section, but please do not speak for others or assume that you know their heart....for that is between them and God. I prayerfully ask that we give respect to each other during this time when our country needs communion more than ever!  So here it goes...this will most likely take all week for me to share everything that I think about when choosing a candidate.  Please read with an open heart and simply try to gain understanding of mine.  I also ask that you come back and read my ponderings in their entirety so that you will not have any partial/limited understanding of who I am and what I believe.  

I closely align myself with a group called "Red Letter Christians", we try to live out what Jesus truly called us to do and be.  I respect Tony Campolo and Jim Wallis' views and would suggest their writings to further understand my perspective, for they are far more eloquent and knowledgeable than I could ever be.

How can I be Pro-Choice in My Political Stance?

I love my Jesus with all my heart. I know without a shadow of a doubt that He creates each of us with special purpose.  Not only does the Bible tell me that explicitly but He also spoke to me about Tarenne when I was pregnant with her.  I have never seen her as anything but His perfect plan and that has been validated to me over and over again since her birth.

When she was in utero and we had the amnio done, she reached up to grab the needle.  I became quite upset not realizing that she was protected from it as it was in a sheathe.  She was 5 months old in utero, and yet realized that there was something strange in her environment.  Obviously she was intelligent and aware and fully human, even then.   

As a pregnant Mother I experienced my babies flutterings within me before you could assuredly tell that I was pregnant.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that babies ARE babies before they are born.  I know that God created them and I know that they are alive!

I believe that abortion is a sin and that those who choose this path will have to answer to God at their time of judgment.  I believe that He will forgive them, if they ask.  However they have to realize that it was wrong, in order to ask and to be forgiven.

So why then do I want my government to remain pro-choice?

I fully realize that MY beliefs are not EVERYONE'S beliefs.  I do not want to be told what I should or must do with my body, especially by a goverment entity.  In 1980 the Chinese government instituted a 1 child policy for their country. What if I had been born Chinese? How would I feel being forced to kill a baby that I carried within my womb that I believed had been created by God?  Just as strongly as I feel in that regard, I am respectful that others hold strongly felt opposing views. 

When I was pregnant with Tarenne, and knew that she would be born with Down syndrome, I was in an online discussion about disabilities.  At that time there was talk that the prenatal testing accuracy was affecting talk within the insurance industry that a prenatal diagnosis should be considered a pre-existing condition.  Basically, they would not be required to insure Tarenne because I knew prenatally. There was a person claiming to be an insurance insider in this particular discussion and his views and conversance on the subject were chilling. Again, I CHOSE to have my child, and should never have to experience or even worry that my decision could be questioned in any way.  That is a pro-choice stance.

I lost a pregnancy in between Tarenne and Marley.   We went in to hear the heartbeat for the first time and they could not find one.  We were then sent in to do an ultrasound and they found that our baby had quit growing at 9 weeks, however my placenta was measuring just as it should be....I was 12+ weeks along.  I had continued to poof out over the 3 weeks in between our loss and when we found out that the baby was already gone.  The doctor told me that my body may take several more weeks to release the body, especially since my placenta was continuing to functionally grow.  

We went home over the weekend and I prayed that God would release the baby from my body.  He did not.  I was mad at Him because I had to go in the next week to have a D&C done.  Most likely I would have had to have had one done even if I had miscarried on my own.  As I lay in that room waiting for the doctor to remove our dead baby from my body I had a lot of time to think.  The doctors were busy delivering live babies and we had to wait until late afternoon before they found time to do the procedure.  I can not begin to explain to you the anguish that my heart went through.   Becoming pregnant after you have an atypical pregnancy (a baby who has Trisomy 21) is a leap of faith in itself.  Not that we would have been upset to have another baby with T21, but it is knowing that odds can be against you that make you fear.  As we were told when pregnant with Tarenne, Down syndrome is not a big deal compared to many other disabilities...basically I wanted a child who would live and thrive, just like Darrah and Tarenne were doing.  So to realize that God had created a child who would die in utero was really excruciating to me.

As I laid in prayer that day searching for answers, God placed on my heart a burden for women that abort due to medical circumstances.  Since I had had Tarenne I had talked to many women over the years that had received prenatal diagnoses and were trying to decide whether to terminate.  Some of them decided to keep their babies and others did indeed write to let me know that they had aborted their baby that shared my precious angels' diagnosis.  I can't lie, I had disdain for them and could in no way understand that decision and how they could rationalize it.  However that day in the hospital God placed grace in my heart for them.  As sick I was to think of a doctor removing my dead  baby from me, how much more heart sick must they be feeling their baby move before the procedure was to happen.  Oh how they must be so sure that they were making the right decision for that child. For how else could a mother not lose her mind in those moments?  I do know that there are people who are so far removed from compassion that they enter those situations with a totally different mindset.  But the mothers that I had talked to online, were anguished, were truly soul searching, very much wanted and loved the child that was within them.  They obviously don't know the same God that I know, and don't have His guidance, love and assurance to get them through.  I no longer hate them, but pray for them. My hope is that my prayers for them, and my family's example will lead them into a relationship with their creator that will bring them joy and peace and a realization that all life is sacred.

So while I know without a doubt that their decision is wrong, I also realize that they truly are following their hearts and their belief system. I have heard many pro-life people online state that they would make exceptions for medical terminations, and that opinion I just don't understand. My child that has Down syndrome is fully human and deserves the same respect for her life as all people do.

There are so many Christian people that I know,  who are one issue voters.  They will vote pro-life and only think about making abortions illegal when they vote.  

For me being pro-life should mean so much more.  If we are to be pro-life we have to be ready to support those lives.  Generally speaking the Republican party does not enact legislation that will help unwed mothers support their children, or better themselves by providing education and a way to be released from poverty.  "Have the baby but we won't help you" seems to be a very sinful line of thought to me as well. 

Much of the Conservative Right Wing only wants to provide abstinence education within our public school system.  Values and morals should be taught in the home and by example at school.  However the reality of our society is that premarital sex does happen.   I find it interesting that precious Bristol Palin is having to walk out this journey in the public eye. What a great example of a child being raised in a home with conservative guidance, and yet still making the same mistake that the majority of teenagers will make. If we want to stop abortions, how can we not teach about contraception and help teenagers be able to obtain it if they need it? How can we realistically believe that doing so is not moral when our history shows it is necessary. What is the lesser of 2 evils...premarital sex or abortion?  

As a teenager I was raised by my Canadian father who was not very familiar with healthcare.  My first pap smear came from Planned Parenthood.  Yes, I was sexually active before marriage, but I did go on to marry my high school boyfriend. (I'll talk about that in another entry, we did divorce) I was able to receive counseling and contraception from Planned Parenthood and they did talk to me about abstinence and about why I thought I was ready to become sexually active.  I never had to even consider an abortion BECAUSE of Planned Parenthood.  Perhaps if the people who picket PP's would work for and among the teens showing them the love of Christ they wouldn't need to be there in the first place.  It's this kind of contradiction that breaks my heart.

As Christians so many of us become so self righteous that we refuse to even respect others' views.  In claiming to be pro-life we should worry about not only the unborn but the lives of those who are already living this life on God's earth.  My opinion, which is shaped by my experiences and views, is that the Republican party does not fully do this.  I will vote for Barack Obama because I feel that his stance on most of the issues best represent what I as a Christian feel is important for God's will to be done for every life.