You never know who is pro-life

As I was talking to my girlfriend on Friday, she mentioned that Show the Truth was staging a protest in front of her building. Just like me, she is pro-life and told her mother (who also works at the same building) what was going on outside. Her fellow co-workers were kind of annoyed that there was a protest and asked her if she agreed with what was going on out there. To her credit, she said that she is pro-life and she probably knew people who were protesting out there. Instead of getting insults, her co-workers actually agreed with the cause! Then, she had a conversation with a guy sitting beside her about life and she defended her position quite well. And, to top it all off, the guy was agreeing with her!

I bring this scenario up because first of all I was very proud of her for standing her ground. As pro-lifers, we have a duty to share the truth with others in a charitable way so that they realize what a grave crime abortion really is. Also, I bring this up as a motivator for those of you who may prefer to shy away from claiming you are pro-life for fear of ridicule or scorn. My girlfriend did not know that her fellow co-workers would be sympathetic to the cause but she said the truth about herself anyways. This is what we all must do if we are to change people’s hearts and minds about abortion, euthanasia and other life issues. We may not always find people who are sympathetic to the cause but shying away from the issue is not good for anybody. We have to be bold so that when the occasion arises, we can voice the truth about the horror of abortion without fear of what others will think.

In my own experience, I wear a pro-life pin (the one of a child’s feet at 10 weeks gestation) and one of my classmates asked me where I got it. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should say I got it at the March for Life because that may have sparked a controversial debate. But, I decided I was going to say it and he simply said “that’s cool. What is the March for Life?” and I told him about it and how it is an annual protest for life. He was interested in what I had to say and there was no ridicule or scorn, just someone who now knows that the March for Life does exist.

If you are worried about what to say, the University of Toronto Students for Life holds Pro-life 101  and 201 sessions during the school year to better prepare pro-lifers in defending the unborn and other vulnerable individuals. Among each other, it is easy to be pro-life and to talk about it. However, we have to do more than just talk about it in our pro-life circles. We have to make this message known to those who have never heard this message and to those who have a negative view of being pro-life. It is difficult, but doable and who knows, you may find one or two “closet” pro-lifers in your journey!