I received a few negative comments from yesterday’s post “The Ignorance Within.” Some question my commitment to pro-choice movement while others claim I did not hold the pro-life movement accountable for perceived injustices.
In truth, I tend to neither think in such black or white perspectives. From a pro-life perspective, if any simply believe signing legislation will eliminate abortion is delusional. Abortion will simply go underground and I’m positive no one will adore the face of such inequity and ignorance.
From a pro-choice perspective, while choice is an essential aspect of our humanity, everyone’s humanity, we are called to those in need, to understand and make an effort to eliminate the need for such unwanted love. Surely, there are efforts all humanity can put forward to reduce this perpetual cycle.
I will paraphrase from the Dalai Lama’s book “Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World:”
“When people are strongly motivated by dedication to a single cause or by feelings of closeness to a particular group, they are capable of great things. Such feelings can bring people together and help transcend their narrow self-interest. In this sense these feelings are beneficial. Unfortunately, when such affiliations occur they are often accompanied by the discrimination between “us” and “them.”
A woman is more than her choice for or against abortion and an abortion is larger than simply a personal right. Black and whiting such complicated issues often negates our capacity to love. Accordingly, the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor. Charles Darwin believed love for all living creatures was the most notable attribute. Thus, when discrimination between the “us” and “them,” between pro-life and pro-choice movements, each forgets their own personal connection to a larger humanity of Christ and the connectivity He commanded of all human beings.
Rather than believing any of us can effectively legislate abortion, we need pro-life and pro-choice movements to work together, to explore abortion’s role in the lives of our families, communities, faith, culture, and beyond. I cannot think of a more powerful way to honor the living Christ or living Buddha than for adversaries to find commonality and work for the good of all nations, all families and all mothers.
As such, finding commonality demands conscious day-to-day decisions. Preventing our own ignorance and that of our legislative leaders requires tremendous effort and flows against the current of incredible pressure to do the opposite.