“Are you pro-life or pro-choice?” 

It’s surprising to me the number of times I get asked this question. 

I know most of the time the person asking wants to reduce it to one type of choice: abortion. 

But of all the many life-giving or not-life-giving choices in the human experience, I refuse to boil it down to just one expression of choice. 

Because for me it boils down to this: since God was absolutely 100% not afraid of giving the first humans a poor choice in the Garden of Eden, I don’t need to take away their right to choose. 

So my answer to the question?

I’m absolutely 100% pro-humans-making-life-choices.

You and I may not agree with each other’s choices or the choices of others.

But I don’t need to fear the poor choices of others. 

Instead, I focus on making the right choices I can. It’s not my job to control your choice. And neither is it your job to control mine. 

Yes, we can share information and stories that flow from our faith, our values and our convictions and help people who want our help. We can advocate for our choices and beliefs. But we don’t get to hijack the rights of someone else to make a poor choice and take responsibility for it. 

Because that is control.

If we are for freedom, we cannot partner with the spirit of control.

And we are also not to be anyone’s judge.

Because that “poor choice” in our view may be what ends up turning their life around. Or it may end up being the right decision.

What one person thinks is a poor choice may actually preserve that person’s life. (I’m thinking of the right not to choose a certain liability-free pharmaceutical product here.) 

In fact, making choices and taking responsibility for them is the only way we grow and learn. 

When a baby is born, mom doesn’t ask them to choose between breastmilk and steak.

But when that child is 8 or 18, mom also doesn’t want to have to make every choice in life for them.

Yes, some poor choices in life can lead to serious consequences (or even death) so that others may learn from our poor choices. Which is why choosing wisely and using discernment is key.

But the point is that God gives us the liberty AND the responsibility to choose. 

So why would I be anti-God, anti-responsibility, and anti-learning? 

This midnight missive is meant to be a conversation starter…not a conversation ender. So let me know your thoughts by chiming in with a comment.

Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash