How Does Our Language Affect Abortion Rights?
TweetRecently, I was having a conversation with a person when they said something that made me really think about how we view the unborn. I suspect that those who are pro-choice, pro-life and “undecideds” are all guilty of this act I am about to describe.
First, let it be assumed that our language, that is, the words we use are, in fact, important. Jesus said “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). I think it is important that we understand the way we communicate, and there must be a level of objectivity by which we determine what is being communicated to us and from us.
I was telling a person I worked with about the baby that God gave my wife and me a couple of years ago. At the end of 2009, the Lord gave us a child who died before ever seeing the light of day. I told my coworker that we had named our child, Lily. She seemed to find it incredible that we had named the child already (Lily died in the first trimester) and said, “you already named it?”
At that point I realized how our attitude toward the unborn is manifested in our speech. No one reading this blog (in the realm of reason) would ever refer to an adult or child of unknown gender as “it.” Yet we call unborn babies “it” as easily as we refer to inanimate objects in the same manner. Maybe if those of us who DO KNOW that unborn babies are people would start to eliminate this word from our vocabulary when referring to babies, we might show our due respect for others who are made in God’s image and impact those around us who will be affected by unborn babies being personalized.
So the next time you refer to a person of any age of unknown gender, say “he or she” instead of “it.”
Beautifully said…and although I am staunchly pro-life, I have been guilty of using “it” rather than he/she. Thanks for the reminder. God bless.