choosing and losing
"Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding His voice, and holding fast to Him." —Deuteronomy 30:19-20
"Pro-choice" today means choosing to do what you want, even to the point of violating the rights of babies by killing them through abortion. "Pro-choice" means you choose to deprive babies of all choices, even the choice to live.
However, the Lord commands us to choose life, not selfishness and the deaths of others. We choose life by choosing obedience to the Lord (Dt 30:20). Ultimately, we choose life by choosing to lose our lives (Lk 9:24), that is, to deny ourselves, take up Jesus' cross each day, and follow in His steps (Lk 9:23). Thus, Jesus chose life by choosing to obey His Father and die on the cross for love of us. God understands "pro-choice" to mean obedience, not selfishness, and dying to self rather than taking the lives of others.
Are we "pro-choice" according to Planned Parenthood's propaganda or according to God's word? Even if we have never had an abortion or participated in one, we can be the "pro-choice" of Planned Parenthood if we're not obeying the Lord and denying ourselves. If we are not following the crucified Jesus, we may be unknowingly following the spirit of Planned Parenthood. Choose Jesus, Who is Life (Jn 14:6).
Prayer: Father, by Your grace I choose life, obedience, dying to self, the cross, and Jesus.
Promise: "Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." —Lk 9:24
Praise: Ann, a nursing student, refused to administer a birth-control shot even though her professor required her to do so. She chose to obey Jesus, no matter the consequences.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape How to Stop Abortion on audio AV 53-1 or video V-53.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 26, 2009
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.