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Monday, August 17, 2015

Are Pro-Lifers Just Pro-Birth?

Many pro-aborts claim that pro-lifers don't care about born children and are only "pro-birth." This argument takes a number of forms - from the bald "only pro-birth" claim to asking pro-lifers if they are going to adopt all the unwanted children if we ban abortion.

The idea that people have to be willing to take care of the babies they save before they can be against abortion is very bad logic, but it is a very common argument. There are several things to point out to these people.

1) It simply isn't true that pro-lifers don't care about born children. Many pro-lifers adopt unwanted children - even those with disabilities. Many give money or food to needy children or work as volunteers in charities. Even those who cannot do these things often wish they could. So, yes, we do care.

2) Whether or not someone can personally care for the unwanted children, it is never okay to murder them for being unwanted. This is not acceptable for born children and it isn't for unborn children either. Making the statement that it is not okay to kill unwanted children does not make anyone responsible to personally provide for all those children.

Of course, the people using this "logic" don't use it in any other cases. If they hear someone speak out against child abuse (of born children), they don't tell them they must care for all the abused children before taking a stand against the abuse. If they hear someone advocating against animal cruelty, they don't claim you must be willing to take care of all the neglected and abused cats and dogs first. These are issues that all people can stand against because they are inherently wrong, whether or not they have the means to do something further to help those in need of care after their lives are saved. Abortion is exactly the same.

3) Pro-aborts using this argument also imagine that if you don't want to care for born people in the way they do, you don't want to help them at all. They often point to welfare, food stamps, school lunches, or other government handouts and claim that those who don't support increased funding for these programs are against helping children. However, these are not the only, or even the best, ways to help children. Thus, if someone thinks a different way to help needy children is better, they aren't opposed to helping children just because they don't support someone's favorite programs. We can disagree on the means without being opposed to helping the needy. We can have a conversation about how best to help these children, but let's save their lives first. You can't help a dead child. And killing those needy children so they aren't needy anymore definitely isn't the right solution.

4) The real relevant analogy isn't about how we take care of needy people anyway. Pro-lifers are opposed to killing innocent children before birth. But we are also opposed to killing innocent human beings at any stage of life. So, no, we're not just pro-birth. We're anti-murder all the way around.