Debunking “My body, My Choice”

By Sammie Gallo, AFL Coordinator of Ministry & Youth Outreach

“My body, my choice.” To be pro-woman, you have to agree with this narrative, right? 

I’d like to offer us a different perspective that resides in the truth that there is innate humanity in the unborn – even the pro-choice argument acknowledges that there are two sets of DNA.

Let’s start with an obvious truth: “My body, my choice” cannot be absolute across all times and all places, and, therefore, we must consider when it applies. You don’t have the right to merely do anything you want with your body because what you do with your body often affects others. For every issue, we have to weigh the potential costs to individuals of losing their freedom against the potential costs to other people around them if they have that freedom.

Almost by definition, abortion has a 100% kill rate. Every time a woman exercises her “right” to an abortion, a baby in the womb dies. Now, part of pro-choice rhetoric has always been that the fetus doesn’t have the same status as a regular person. To really get to the bottom of this, we need to focus on something most people can agree on: A fetus is a living thing. That’s probably why the vast majority of the world — including most liberal European nations — effectively ban elective abortions after 20 weeks, and why most Americans oppose abortion after 15 weeks (Yes! You heard that correctly – most Americans are FOR restrictions on abortion, despite the numbers you see mainstream media pushing). 

The abortion lobby will claim that most Americans support their liberal political views on abortion and that the issue is settled in the court of public opinion – especially among the younger generations. End of discussion, right? But, a recent study by Pew Research shows that Americans have nuanced views that don’t line up with the abortion inustry’s radical agenda. 

It also revealed a critical factor that we, as the pro-life generation, must pay attention to: 65% of Americans do not believe that life begins at conception, even though 95% of biologists believe otherwise. Americans are creating subjective valuations of these human beings that likely lead them to support abortion in some circumstances but not in others. A lesson on personhood, on identity, on the value of human life – that’s where we need to start.

The truth remains: bodily autonomy can never justify this cruelest of “procedures” because it is not the mother’s body to which an abortion does violence, but rather a distinct, self-developing individual, with his or her own unique genetic code from the moment of fertilization (an individual who has immense value and worth in the eyes of God). 

Another fact to remember is the heartbreaking reality that most women who have an abortion don’t do so from a place of empowerment. Rather, 75% of moms seeking abortion say they would prefer to parent if their circumstances were different. The movement for life offers these moms true empowerment as we have the opportunity to give them the help and hope that enables them to stand on their own two feet and care for their child and family.

Questions for you to walk through with your family or students: 

1. Do you believe life begins at conception? If so, why? It’s important for us to defend why we believe what we believe. Dig deep into this question based on the Bible AND science – you’ll be amazed at how they actually partner with one another to prove that life does, indeed, begin at conception! You can even talk about how to have conversations that affirm life with people with differing worldviews and opinions.
2. How is “my body, my choice” actually damaging to a faith that should acknowledge God as the Creator and Sustainer of life?
3. Are you surprised at all by the abortion opinions in America? Does the media portray things differently? How does this give you hope as someone who cares about the lives of unborn babies?