"Of course, you don't believe in abortion..."

As some folks know, I've been looking for a part-time job (or two) recently. Having both breadwinners in the house being self-employed kind of sucks in a down economy. Add to that the fact that one of them is in real estate and it's an even bigger hit. I've been working at home for four years and it's hard to think of going back to a real job. One of the first things the kids said to me was, "Does this mean you're not going to be a stay at home mom anymore?" That'll break your heart into about a thousand and one pieces right there. I've been there when someone got sick and didn't have to "arrange" to work from home to take care of them. I've been there for field trips and picking up from school and all of that. It's been marvelous and I'm doing everything in my power to STILL be able to do all of those things.

Anyway, I recently went to an interview for a job that I'm fairly certain I won't get just because I was honest and I don't fit the mold they're looking for. Whatever. It was for a part time admin for a Christian non profit. Honestly, working for a religious based organization would never be my first choice of job but I did think that, despite the religious bent, what they are doing is a fantastic thing and well needed. Anyone that knows me...REALLY knows me...knows that, despite my distance from any organized church and my unwillingness to identify with any one church, I still have faith, I still believe in God, I still believe the Bible is His inspired Word, etc. Given my experiences with God's people, though, in the last 15 or so years, I've certainly lost faith in THEM in general. I have, in fact, found more compassion and acceptance from what some would call the most God-LESS people over the last several years. What I have seen from "God's people" is hypocricy to it's fullest extent. What makes a group of people so quick to brand another as unworthy? Aren't we all sinners? Don't we all have a scarlet letter to wear? Let's see, that's A for Adultry, B for Blasphemy, C for Coveting... Let's be honest, we should all be wearing Sesame Street alphabet shirts.

Anyway, I'm climbing higher and higher onto a soapbox and diverging from the actual incident that precipitated this blog. What else is new, right? So, I'm in this interview because (A) my availability suits the position, (B) I have office administration skills that, quite frankly, would rock any boss's world, and (C) my resume shows that I graduated from a private Bible college that is one of, if not THE, best in the nation. So, I'm being interviewed and we're talking about my skills and I'm letting them know how I would manage the tasks they have and how my skills would be a tremendous help to them (I'm not lying here, they really would be) and we get to the religious part. Because they are a non profit, they can ask those kinds of questions and I knew they would come up.

So, the first question out of the gate is, "Tell me about your walk with Christ." Hmmm...my "walk with Christ"? I love cliches. I don't like to think of it so much as a "walk" but more of a journey. Sometimes we drive, sometimes we skip, sometimes we power walk, sometimes we just lay in bed and think about the situps we should be doing. Anyway, I tell the woman that "to be honest, it's been about...16 years since I've been to church." THAT freaked her out. "Oh," she says, "uh...OH." I explained why; I explained how some of God's "higher ranking" people have treated me in various situations; I explained that, when it all comes down to it, it's about a personal relationship (for lack of a better, non cliche-ish phrase) than it is about being "right" in someone else's eyes. I explained that I didn't believe that God cared whether I wore all black on a regular basis or not. That He doesn't care if I love to go dancing. That he doesn't care if my hair is purple or my head is half shaved (it's not, by the way, but what would it matter if it was?); that being friends with someone doesn't have to mean you espouse to everything they do and vice versa. Anywho, she seemed satisfied enough with my answer to not count me out yet and move on.

The next statement/question, though, is where this all comes together. It's one of a few hot buttons for me in the religious community and I'm sure they're still talking about "that one woman that came in for an interview". Good. I hope they talk a lot about me and what I had to say because I think it bears contemplating. She says, "Of course, you don't believe in abortion then?" She says it less like a question than a statement. I'm sure she was sure of what my Bible girl answer would be. Her face, though, upon hearing my reply, was stunning. "Actually," I said quite confidently and matter of factly, "I'm pro choice." Silence. Add an H for heretic to my letterman's sweater. I explained that I felt it was wrong for the government, ANY government, to tell a person what they could or couldn't do with their own body. *sidebar - yes, I know that the argument goes that the woman is doing something not to HER body but to someone else's but, let's be honest, if you're laying on a bed with your feet in stirrups, something's being done to YOUR body.* I fell short of bringing up the Chinese government and how they regulate how many children a woman can have, etc. but explained that, when screaming and protesting and picketing about how pro choice is sooo wrong and Godless, I think too many people forget that the reason we even have choice over ANYTHING in our lives is because, right from the Bible they are beating upon, God GAVE it to us! Yes, that's right my "brothers and sisters in the Lord", choice is a God given right! I told her that I believe we are given a very big responsibility in being given the right to make our own choices and that many of the choices in front of us require us to use the brains in our heads to make the best decisions we can. However, that is OUR responsibility and not the government's. Did I really answer her question? No, not exactly; but that's not the point. The point is that too many Christians are still walking down a long, narrow path simply because of the enormous blinders they have been told to wear. I think I kind of scared this woman, though. Geez, give a girl a Bible education and then slap her in the face with it and it becomes a dangerous thing.

So, anyway, if you disagree with my position, that's totally cool. It's your choice. Right? I would ask of you, though, to consider for a moment your own children if you have any. Is your firstborn a girl? If so, consider throwing her in a river to drown. Do you have more than one child? Consider giving away all but the first boy. It sounds trite but I challenge you, if you dare, to really think about what you would feel if you were forced into that situation. Unable to choose the outcome of your family for yourself. It's so NOT about whether you believe abortion is right or wrong. It's about exercising your God given ability to choose and to make the best choice for yourself. Because only YOU can choose what is right for YOU. No one else can and no one else should choose what is right for another person's life.

Finally, the letter for the day is not C for Choice but T for Think. Being pro choice doesn't mean the same thing as being pro abortion. It means what it says. Pro CHOICE. Thank God for the choices you are able to make everyday. Your choice to decide what grocery store to go to. Your choice of what career path to follow. Your choice of housing and friends and clothing and... And, especially if you're a woman, thank the judicial system for Roe v. Wade and giving you your right to choose.