Pro-Life

The moral and ethical questions surrounding abortion are complex, and although I have my own firm opinions, I know that good people disagree with me for good reasons. I have no intention of arguing the question here. No, what I’m wondering about at the moment is just what it means to be “pro-life.” After all, being “pro-life” seems to me to be an excellent goal, a moral yardstick almost identical to Albert Schweitzer’s “reverence for life.” Just as a start:

If I am pro-life I will advocate for universal health care, for everyone’s access to technologies that literally sustain life.

If I am pro-life I will work for universal access to clean water, without which life is not possible.

If I am pro-life I will strive for everyone to be able to get healthy food, to live in communities that are not polluted, to breathe air that is clean.

If I am pro-life, surely I will be a proponent of arts in the schools, of public art and libraries and community theatre and senior citizen bands and all the ways that individuals and groups bring beauty and creativity into their own lives and the lives of those around them. After all, I am not just in favor of existence, but of life more abundant.

If I am pro-life I most certainly will be deeply committed to the conservation of our natural world, to the preservation of species and habitats, to combating climate change, to preserving life in all its diversity, not just human life.

The list could go on and on. In what ways are you dedicated to being pro-life?