Is It Morally Right to Impose My Pro-life Convictions on Others?

A Double Commonplace

Lots of people say issues like they personally oppose abortion, however they wouldn’t wish to impose their morals on others. Now, think about how foolish it might sound if I mentioned to you, “I personally oppose slavery, however if you wish to personal a slave, we shouldn’t legislate towards slavery,” or “I personally oppose spousal abuse, however if you wish to do it, I don’t assume the legislation ought to cease you from doing it.”

Straight away you’d assume there’s one thing unsuitable together with your ethical compass. Slavery and spousal abuse are usually not issues of non-public desire, like selecting chocolate ice cream over vanilla. And other people instantly acknowledge goal ethical truths after we’re speaking about slavery or speaking about, for instance, torturing toddlers for enjoyable, or spousal abuse.

However in relation to abortion, they robotically assume, Oh, that’s only a private concern.

You see this type of pondering in bumper stickers that say issues like, “Don’t like abortion? Don’t have one.” Nevertheless it misses the purpose solely. When the pro-lifer says abortion is unsuitable, he’s not speaking about what he likes or prefers; he’s speaking about what’s proper or unsuitable no matter preferences.

So what I’ll usually do when folks say to me, “I personally oppose abortion, however I would like it to stay authorized,” I’ll say, “Why do you personally oppose it?” And so they’ll inevitably say, “Effectively, it kills a child.” Once more, if it doesn’t, why be opposed in any respect? After which very gently I’ll say, “So if I’m listening to you proper, what you’re telling me is you personally oppose abortion as a result of it kills a child, however you need it to be authorized to kill infants?”

Scott Klusendorf is the writer of The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture.

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