Why free will and abortion do not go hand in hand

The pro-life movement is a stronghold for human dignity; however, the fight for life doesn’t come without tribulations, which often wait behind corners, ready to attack.

A few weeks ago, I was walking home at night, and an obstacle finally came out of the shadows to strike me and my strong convictions for the movement. It was easy enough to enter into my life, yet difficult for it to leave my mind. The dilemma was simple: a woman has the right to either choose life or death for her preborn baby. If we, the pro-life generation, advocate against abortion, aren’t we taking away her free will to choose?

This was something that bothered me for almost a day, and I needed answers. If we have free will – the right to choose – then why can’t a woman express this right by choosing abortion? What makes a woman’s right to choose abortion and a woman’s free will different? The answer is simple.

For the pro-life movement, human rights are the cornerstone in the fight against abortion. Abortion, which directly, arbitrarily, and without due process, violates a human’s right to life, was determined a “right” by faulty humans, not by the laws of nature. Our founding principles and the spirit of human rights guarantee equal protection for every person — born and preborn. Free will was granted to us not by human error, but by perfect insight.

During this time of questioning, I had turned to my family for clarity. My sister answered it best: “We cannot take away someone’s choice that directly affects them, but we can take away someone’s choice if it directly harms another human being.”

Many women go through the terrible experience of having an abortion, and this should never happen. Dr. Anthony Levatino, who performed over 1,200 abortions, explains what a second trimester abortion procedure looks like:

2nd Trimester Surgical Abortion: Dilation and Evacuation (D & E)

As human beings, our free will and our rights end when the rights of another human being begin; and abortion is a direct violation of the first human right of our most vulnerable members: preborn children.

The pro-life movement isn’t about taking away rights— it’s about upholding the human rights of those weaker than us. Without life, what other rights can one be afforded?

My advice to fellow pro-lifers in this fight to win it: don’t put yourselves down when you face struggles and temptations that are trying to waver your convictions. Instead, look to your family, friends, church, and community for support and answers. The war is not easy, but the victory will be rewarding.

We as human beings will fail; we’re not perfect, after all. But we are stronger together, and we can impact the world in a positive way when we speak the truth and deny— even for a night— tribulations facing us. Let us use free will not to kill, but to empower the most vulnerable.