In the effort to define themselves, politicians give no voice to the most vulnerable

Editorial

Abortion is one of the most often used talking points by politicians to define themselves during campaign season. In nearly every national and local election dating back several decades, it has been front and center and is one of the most polarizing and divisive issues in the country.

Yet, government statistics show only 3% of American women had abortions in 2023. When looking from this statistically broad perspective, it reveals that abortion directly affects only a small number of women in the country each year. Other factors – the economy, inflation, overall healthcare, education, affordable housing – affect everyone. 

Despite this, politicians make abortion one of the central focal points of their campaigns. Commercials, campaign literature and speeches are filled with their stance on the issue and is heavily repeated throughout the election cycle.

As an American voter, I’d actually like to know more about how public education is going to be improved, why and how my money is going to be spent on foreign aid, whether my salary is going to keep up with inflation, public safety in my community and other factors that directly impact my life, liberty and prosperity.

Abortion is not one of those concerns.

But if it were, I would want to hear politicians talking much more about health education, abstinence, alternatives to abortion and establishing free, accessible non-clinic environments in communities where people can go to talk about reproductive concerns or questions.

As a Christian, I believe God makes no mistakes when he creates each of us. The Bible says in Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations”.

Luke 12:7 says, “The very hairs on your head are numbered.”

God not only created heaven and earth, but the first humans – Adam and Eve. And then he created each of us, according to his purpose, down to knowing the number of hairs on our head.

When you are the workmanship of Almighty God, then destroying what he created is a serious matter. The Bible forbids killing another human being except in self defense. A baby growing in the womb cannot defend itself. It relies on the mother to protect it. Abortion is killing a child by the very person God entrusted to protect it.

Sometimes this is done for convenience. Sometimes this is done out of fear of judgment from family and society. Sometimes this is done because of adultery. Sometimes this is done because of violence against women.

No matter the circumstance, if God created that child, God has a purpose for the child – no matter how it was conceived. He has the mother’s interest at heart, the baby’s and the father’s. Sometimes, God will create a child in one family to be given to another family who cannot conceive. Such is the majestic and beautiful grand design of our Father.

Rather than a national conversation concerning a woman’s right to choose, how about having a conversation about the baby, the sanctity of life and how to preserve it? How about a conversation that it’s still okay, and always has been, to wait until you’re married to have sex? This 100% prevents women from becoming single mothers who so often share that it’s a struggle to raise a child “alone”.

How about a conversation about how to handle peer pressure? Or much more education on the myriad of birth control options on the market? Let’s not leave those conversations to doctors and patients after pregnancy has already occurred.

And when we talk, let’s be real. Women who have abortions go through a broad range of emotions – guilt, sadness, perhaps anger, and probably longing at some point for the child they destroyed by choice. Wondering what the child could have turned into, God’s purpose and calling on their life, most likely lies deep in a woman’s heart even if she doesn’t talk about it.

Politicians’ stance on abortions is actually quite irrelevant. They are not in the room with you helping make the decision. But God is. And I’m 100% certain he cares deeply for mothers, fathers and children. And he’s the one who speaks on behalf of babies. 

Are you listening? 

Audrey Carpenter is the Northern Virginia Bureau Chief for All Virginia News. She can be contacted at: audreycarpenter@allvirginia.news