A fellow conservative asked me to provide my perspective as a Pro-Life Black American. As I considered the request, I wondered what my contribution to the discourse could be?
All human life is sacred
When I think about how I self-identify, it is first as a Christian. Therefore, I consider myself a member of the human race. And, as a Christian, I believe the teaching of the Holy Bible: that all human life is sacred. We are all God’s creation with inalienable rights from conception until natural death. As Christians, we must be Pro-Life. I understood that since I began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no other position for a Believer. It is not possible to be a Christian and be anything else.
Attended a Black church
At this point in my life (I’m a 57-year-old, life-long Iowan), I know Whom I trust and what I believe. But it wasn’t always that way. As a young child, I was taken to church by my mother, who is a devout Christian. We attended a predominantly Black church where my mother is a member. I didn’t know why I should go to church or why the others who attended were there. Back then, my father never attended. So, by the time I turned 11 or 12, I emulated my dad and stopped attending services. Without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I felt like I floundered through life as a teen and as a young adult until I became a Christian 24 years ago.
Is a church reflective of Christ or the culture?
As I reflect back on my early years in the ‘Black church,’ I recall that the Word was preached. I can attest that the church I attended was a place that had great preaching in the traditional ‘call and response’ manner that is a recognized aspect of the African American Church. The Word was and is preached there. However, I don’t feel that ‘teaching’ is happening. What I mean is that these churches may be reflective not of Christ, but of the culture. Churches that do not correct the attitude of “my body, my choice” are perpetuating miseducation and permitting the lie to flourish. Godliness means the self is last. Obviously, any church that does not teach this basic tenet of Christianity is doing a disservice to the flock. I believe this lack of teaching the application of biblical principles to our lives is happening in a majority of mainstream denominations and churches. It’s not just an issue in predominantly Black churches. It is the feel-good, “Christianity Lite” attitude that is pervasive in our culture. The Church needs to be the Church. Acting like “the World” to entertain churchgoers so as not to offend is what has led to a culture of death. Abortion is not healthcare. Abortion is murder.
Does government know what’s best?
Since becoming a Christian, I have seen many instances of “Christians” whose actions do not affirm that our rights come from God. As a highly involved member of the Republican Party, I have seen this fallacy play out at the ballot box. In society, it’s ‘polite’ to say that a Christian can vote for a Democrat. That is irrational since the platform and beliefs of the Democrat Party do not support the unborn child’s right to life. In fact, Democrats do not support anyone’s right to life. They believe that the government knows what is best. This leads to terrible offenses as people try to determine if a disabled person or elderly adult has “quality of life.” Then comes the “death with dignity” movement where the state or caretaker swoops in to ‘play God’ by determining if the individual will live or die.
As Christians, we must ‘speak the truth in love.’ Remember Jeremiah 1:5. When you encounter a non-Christian, encourage them to follow their conscience. (That’s why God gave us a conscience. It will line up with His Word.) Since we advocate for life, we can’t afford to be politically correct. Nor can we afford to take a ‘win some, lose some’ attitude. Our God wants us all to choose Him and choose life.
