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I live in fear of the day when my friends or coworkers will ask me my stance on abortion. I dread the moment when I will have to say those words I so proudly say when surrounded by family and Christian friends: "I'm pro-life."

It seems silly that, in this culture and in my generation, telling those around me that I support life at every stage is something I should be afraid of. As a creation of God, each life is sacred and should be treated as such. How could that possibly be bad?

But I realize that being pro-life today is not as simple as I once thought it was. I may not be seen by some people as the champion for the tiniest of humans or supporter of scared and pregnant women who think there are no other options; instead, I could be seen as someone who believes woman's only role is procreation...who judges those mothers that have had abortions...who has no sympathy for victims of rape...or who does not support choice.

With all of these preconceived notions of what goes along with being pro-life floating in my head, when my friends and coworkers talk about women's rights or the new Planned Parenthood site being built, I stay quiet.

I figure that, if I don't say a thing, I don't have to make anyone else feel uncomfortable by stating my beliefs and I don't have to betray what I stand for.

In my generation of 20-somethings, one of the most important topics is tolerance, or a lack of judgment for the many ways people choose to live their lives. We all have so much to say at this age and are scrambling to say it, but are still dealing with the remnants of vulnerability that plagued us when we were younger.

So, to stand up and say that you believe something that others are doing is wrong is unacceptable. Everyone is free to choose: choose their truth, choose what's right and wrong, choose what they wear and choose what to do with their bodies.

While the emphasis on freedom and non-judgment isn't a bad thing, it is absolutely necessary to remember that we, as Christians, are called to more than tolerance.

We are called to evangelize. We are called to share the message of the Gospel and to bring the truth that we have received into the world. We do not have the luxury of keeping the truth we have received to ourselves.

It would be so much easier to be pro-life and support the sacredness of a minute-old spark of life within a woman's womb if we could just keep it to ourselves, appreciate it alone and never have to build the courage to speak it to someone else. But that is our burden and our blessing.

In the end, being silent on the behalf of those who don't yet have a voice only makes me a coward.

I know that standing up for what I believe in may alienate me, but, at the same time, I am a 20-something. It's time to grow up. It's time for me to be who I have slowly been becoming these last few years. I am no longer an impressionable teen or a carefree college student. I am a Christian adult.

The sacredness of every person, no matter size, form, age, state of consciousness or health is a beautiful thing to behold. The Creator made each with a purpose and, so, we are to do everything we can to protect that. That is what being pro-life means.

Freedom and choice are important, but neither comes before one human life.

(10/21/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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