According to some on the left, Christians are not really pro-life. Why? Well, because most of us do not agree with the left on most of the issues that affect many Americans — which means we are somehow anti-life.
One of the most common accusations that many on the left make against Christians is that we are only anti-abortion, but not pro-life. The reasoning behind this allegation is that we do not share the same belief as the left on issues such as war, poverty, Islamic terrorism, gun violence, and the death penalty. In short, they argue that Christians only care about life only when it’s still in the womb. After the person is born, we somehow stop caring.
In a piece for The Huffington Post, author Brandi Miller argues that Christians profess pro-life beliefs to “establish moral high ground in political conversations.” She writes:
“It is acceptable for them to call those who don’t share their anti-abortion position “baby-killers,” while also supporting the use of drones, nuclear weapons, ignoring gun violence and continuing to support a criminal justice system that takes people’s lives with the death penalty, or prevents people from having access to resources that would ensure a quality of life that matches Jesus’ clear instructions to meet and care for people’s practical needs―the metric that Jesus used to test whether people actually know him.”
Wow. Who knew that Christians were so horrible? Unfortunately for Miller, her argument falls apart when you actually try to understand where Christians are coming from rather than just creating ridiculous arguments designed to demonize them.
Are Christians Pro-War?
According to many on the left, Christians are vicious warmongers who love the idea of our military dropping bombs on innocent people. They think that because some Christians supported the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, we cannot profess to be pro-life.
There are a few problems with this argument. The first is that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq enjoyed the overwhelming support of both conservatives and liberals. Indeed, Gallup found that over 70% of Americans supported these military incursions. Several Democratic lawmakers — including their beloved Hillary Clinton — supported our military actions in the Middle East in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
Iraq and Afghanistan were not the only wars that liberals supported. Rasmussen found that 55% of Democrats supported military intervention in Libya in 2011. It appears that Christians are not the only ones with a thirst for blood, doesn’t it?
The reality is that nobody likes war. Americans only support wars they believe to be necessary at the time. Indeed, most Americans — both on the right and the left — now believe that the Iraq war was a mistake. When it comes to military action, Christians are like most other Americans — we believe that war should only be waged when it is necessary. When we see that particular military action was not well-advised, we change our minds.
Does Believing In The Death Penalty Mean You’re Not Pro-Life?
How can one be pro-life and still believe in the death penalty? This is another common argument the left uses against Christians. It makes sense, right? If we value life, why would we support putting someone to death? Firstly, not all conservatives support the death penalty. But those who do aren’t supporting capital punishment because they are anti-life.
It’s simple. Christians who support the death penalty believe it should only be administered in situations where the perpetrator committed a particularly heinous crime. To them, it is a just way to punish offenders who are guilty of certain atrocities. If the left were being intellectually honest about Christians, they would see that it is their value for life that motivates them to support the death penalty.
Everybody agrees that murder is a horrendous crime. Why? Because it involves the unjust taking of a life. To supporters of the death penalty, people who carry out these crimes deserve to face the same type of treatment they dished out. They believe that murder is an egregious enough crime to warrant execution.
Is Supporting The 2nd Amendment Anti-Life?
Ah, the gun issue. In the wake of the tragedy in Parkland, Americans on the left and the right are debating the merits of gun control legislation. This is another issue the left uses to argue that Christians are not truly pro-life. Since so many of us do not believe that more gun control laws can curb shootings, we must not care about potential victims, right?
Of course not. Conservatives believe that legislation is not an effective means of curbing mass shootings and other types of gun murders. Indeed, stricter gun laws do not decrease the level of gun homicides and only makes it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to obtain guns.
Yes, that’s a typical conservative talking point. However, it’s true. While those on the left vigorously argue for more gun control laws, they don’t seem to know what type of legislation would prevent tragedies like the Parkland shooting.
When it comes to school shootings, conservatives support having increased security in our schools. Measures such as these can act as a deterrent to potential mass shooters who don’t like the idea of an armed guard stopping them.
If worst comes to worst, and an individual decides to go through with his plans anyway, it is more likely that police officers or armed security will be able to stop him before he causes the maximum level of damage. Christians believe practical solutions such as these to be more effective than impotent legislation that can be easily subverted.
Do Christians Care About The Poor?
Many leftists believe that if someone cares about the poor, they will support sweeping government programs designed to help those who are living in poverty. To them, it seems to be the only way to help those who have fallen on hard times.
This argument is absurd.
Christians care just as much about the poor as the left does — many of us just don’t believe that the government should be the entity to solve the problem. Indeed, the war on poverty and the impact of welfare programs have shown that the government can cause more harm than good when it comes to providing relief for the poor.
Christians believe that it is our job to feed the poor, heal the sick, and clothe those who are naked. That is why we give so much to our churches and charities. Studies have shown that people who are religious tend to give more to causes that help those in need.
According to Philanthropy.com, the “regions of the country that are deeply religious are more generous than those that are not.” most of the states in the top ten most generous states are in the Bible Belt. Pretty surprising considering that we’re all a bunch of warmongering, gun-loving, misers who like to execute murderers.
The Left’s Flawed “Pro-Life” Arguments
The left’s argument that one cannot truly be pro-life unless we buy into leftist thinking is ludicrous. Those who use it are either being ignorant, or intellectually dishonest.
This is one of the left’s weakest and laziest arguments against conservative Christians, but it seems to be one of the most common. The idea that Christians do not care about people after they are born is disingenuous — and many on the left know it. But I suppose it’s always easier to paint your opposition as monsters than it is to engage in rational debate, isn’t it?
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