If you've been pro-life for a while, or have been actively engaged in life-affirming work, it's easy to forget that not everyone is on the same page as you regarding the abortion issue. We assume that the people attending our church or Bible study are built-in with the same knowledge and convictions that we have on the topic.
Having been plugged into the abortion issue for nearly six years now, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that abortion–at any stage in pregnancy–intentionally kills an innocent human being.
Before reaching this conclusion, however, I was on the fence (and frankly apathetic) about abortion. As a millennial Evangelical, I was at best "personally pro-life"–holding a personal belief but not wanting to push those beliefs on others. The notion of making abortion illegal seemed unreasonable to me. Until one evening...
I first heard The Case Against Abortion at an apologetics event at Living Oaks Church in California. The speaker was Alan Shlemon of Stand to Reason. I was touched by the message of the full humanity and personhood of the unborn child from the moment of conception.
Alan Shlemon featured in The Matter of Life.
In the presentation, Shlemon clearly unraveled the basic pro-life case: (1) it's wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being, (2) abortion does that, (3) therefore abortion is wrong. Last but not least, he showed images of the gruesome aftermath of abortion. This was definitely an "aha" moment in my life. And it was met with a vision for a film that would eventually become The Matter of Life –a documentary that clarifies the abortion issue through science, philosophy, history, and powerful personal stories.
Before that monumental evening, I was of the mindset of so many Christians who haven't yet been presented with this information. To these well-meaning Christians (and others), the personhood of the unborn child (and therefore the moral permissibility of abortion) exists on a spectrum.
Comedian Louis C.K. brought up abortion in his 2017 standup routine: "I don't think it's killing a baby—I mean, it's a little bit like killing a baby," and he ends, "It's totally killing a whole baby." His audience laughed, but his lines reflect the conscience of the pro-life movement–abortion is killing a whole human being.
My hope is that every individual in our society will have their minds and hearts touched with this clarity. I believe a powerful way to affect this change is to show peopleThe Matter of Life. I invite you to follow the mission of showing the film to as many people as possible.
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The film is coming to theaters nationwide for two nights during May of 2022. If you are active in pro-life work, rallying your community to see this film is a great way to spark awareness and support for your mission. This is an opportunity to engage your church or community on abortion, or simply meet a friend or family member (12+) who is as yet unsure what they believe.
Christina Bennett featured in The Matter of Life.
At the end of the film, Christina Bennett shouts to a crowd in Times Square in 2019, "You are part of a movement of hope. This is the human rights movement of our day." This statement is so true, but it's also–unfortunately–still controversial. And with this film, we are addressing the controversy with clarity.
I pray this film provides value and inspiration to you as you take part in this movement of hope –of rescuing babies –yes, whole babies– from abortion.