The "Pro-Life 'Possum"

Please indulge me in a bit of a mental exercise. Think of how upset America was over "Pearl Harbor" or "9/11," (even today many Americans still express hard feelings). Now consider how Americans have responded when our citizens were murdered by an enemy as mentioned above? Next, contrast that with how we respond to child-killing. How are we responding to the murder of 3,000-4,000 innocent children that happened yesterday and will happen today?

Which one of us would respond with the same level of apathy as we–the Pro-Life Movement–collectively respond to babies if it were somebody we loved about to be murdered?

Some may read this and be upset with me, but please listen to me closely. Who defines 3,500 babies dying as a victory? Who thinks approaching 60 million murdered babies in our country by only "abortion," (Not even including the numbers of murdered babies which the poison of abortifacients claims daily at an even more sickening rate), is a success? After 40 years of failure, of losing, it is time to sober up, to grow up, and put our egos on a shelf. God does not define Justice or Victory as many in the Pro-Life Movement seem to be these days.

This article is intended to alert the reader to the enemies the Pro-Life Movement has within its camp, amongst its rank and file and even leaders. It is also meant to assist the Pro-Lifer in identifying good and bad actions from ourselves and others, and most importantly to promote the virtuous actions while fighting to extinguish the corrupt actions.

One of the best things for us is a healthy amount of perspective. (Reading good historians' biographies on great men and women is a good place to start, see William Manchester and Churchill.) Even if we were to outlaw the murder of babies by "abortion" and "abortifacients" tomorrow, we would still have lost hundreds of millions of American citizens. Even when we do win, it will only be bittersweet, for there is no bringing even one of those babies back. If it were my neck on the line, I would be begging that it were tomorrow that America was freed from this curse.

If nothing else, we must never forget our primary objective: "The Goal of the Pro-Life Movement is to make it a criminal act to kill a child from conception to birth," (Randall Terry). We must memorize this goal, and refer back to it often!

With that being said, the Pro-Life Movement's ability to function and to achieve success is related directly to each individual's virtue. Without each of us fully demonstrating "love your neighbor as yourself" we lack the key to victory as a collective movement. Specifically, what I mean is every member of the Pro-life movement has to commit 100%, to know the Pro-Life principles 100%, to live these principles 100%, and to fight for the Pro-Life Goal 100%. We must act as if it were our own life, or that of a family member, because we risk our very soul if we do not "take up the Cross and follow him," as Jesus told us to do.

Pro-Lifer, if we want to have victory, to conquer evil, and to serve our King Jesus, then we must know which way is the path to victory and which is the path to defeat and then choose the way to victory. It seems simple, right? It is simple, but difficult to do. And this leads me to the point of why I am writing.

Pro-Lifer, let us weigh our own hearts and minds, let us start with ourselves and with our own duty. Let us be humble, repent, and pray that God help us and correct our own errors before we go to assist our fellow Pro-Lifers and the Pro-Life Movement.

After observing the Pro-Life Movement from the outside my whole life and from the inside for the past three years, there is vital information for me to relay to any Pro-Lifer who desires victory and not merely hopeful words. I do realize that there have been many good Pro-Life measures which have continued to push the Pro-Life issue. Nevertheless, the Pro-Life Movement is in a precarious position, and it is up to each of us to look closely at ourselves–that is, we have fear, and cowardice in our own hearts (not to mention our own pride blinding us to our own cowardly actions). We cannot relax our guard and leave our individual responsibility up to the recent "victories" because 4,000 babies are being murdered today. There is no time for cowardice. Allow me to provide an illustration to aid us with attaining some healthy perspective and identifying the path to victory.

To assist in revealing the truth of ourselves and to aid our memory, I am forced to resort to the unfortunate analogy of…the Opossum. The 'possum is a rodent and yes, if you could not tell already, they are detestable creatures. I believe they are, for all intents and purposes, overgrown rats. And I realize that even to suggest that we pro-lifers are to be compared with the opossum is nearly unbearable.

Now let us pause for a (painful) moment to know what a 'possum is and does if we are to avoid mimicking them in any fashion. So, here is my definition. A 'possum is a creature of the night with lowly intellect, a scavenger feeding on the dead, a coward that will play dead or simply feint in an unavoidable conflict, a hunter of more noble creatures young, and a rapid reproducer of its kind often carrying a clan of its cowardly offspring on back or in pouch wherever it travels.

You may be asking, how on earth does this apply to a Pro-Lifer or the Pro-Life Movement? Your next thought is likely, "He better not say that I am some nocturnal rodent!" Just wait, it gets even more offensive or endearing, but please allow me to complete my metaphor before jumping to conclusions.

Anyone can be a Pro-Lifer, right? So too, any Pro-Lifer can be a "Pro-Life 'Possum." The "possum state" is not necessarily permanent and it can be corrected.

The 'possum avoids conflict at all costs, often moving quietly behind the scenes to remain safely unseen and hidden in darkness. Similarly, the motives and intentions of a "Pro-Life 'Possum" are hidden and secret, in some cases even from the individual who possesses them. The "Pro-Life 'Possum" is great at justifying failure and cowardice; i.e., "I don't want to hurt the feelings of a woman who had an 'abortion.'"

Keeping ourselves in consideration, what have we failed to do? Do our actions reflect fear and remaining safe and unseen from real cultural conflict and confrontation?

Now, using this same analogy, let's turn our gaze onto the larger "pro-life" picture in this nation. "Gird up your loins," reader.

Let's be honest: there are individuals and groups in the "Pro-Life Movement" that are "Opossums." In other words, dead-weight that is impeding the Pro-Life Goal and unwittingly becoming enemies to the Pro-Life Goal (if one assumes the best case scenario). Nevertheless, the "Opossums" should be viewed as enemies within the "Pro-Life Camp," specifically because they give cover and aid to the enemies of babies. That means they share in the murdering and the "bloodguilt" indirectly, and maybe worse.

For example, if a random person on the street, who is indifferent to injustice and truth, were to say to a (Pro-Life) 'Possum, "Images of murdered babies do not help your cause and they traumatize young children!" The "'Possum" hearing the criticism will go limp, (play dead), and never bring an image of a murdered baby out in public. Just as likely, this 'Possum will tell others not to as well. 40 Days for Life fits this description. They will not even allow a person who is running for Congress–doing the very thing we must do to change the law–to be in charge of one of their "prayer vigil sites" (just ask Angela Michael, www.AngelaMichaelForCongress.com).

The history of victory in social revolution does not matter to this group; if you do not believe that statement to be true, then try to bring a picture of a murdered baby to one of those events, and see for yourself. There is nothing intentionally confrontational about the 40 Days for Life, their public actions, or their website; but, if I was about to be murdered, would you please actually confront those who are about to take my life, pretty please? Ask Mrs. Michael about the teenage mom who called to tell her that, after seeing Mrs. Michael's graphic "aborted" baby TV ad, she cancelled her appointment to kill her baby.

Let me be clear. I am for praying at the abortuaries! I am not anti-prayer. However, I am anti-lethargy and irrelevance, because prayer is not the sum of our responsibility. I must be the Samaritan, and not the prayerful Levite–the prayerful 'Possum–passing by when Jesus condemned such lack of mercy.

And I confess that I have acted cowardly; I have been a 'Possum in the past. In years past I intentionally avoided confrontation. And there's still a part of me that wants to play the 'Possum. But the truth has set me free. There really are innocent babies dying and I am responsible to help them, to bring them Justice, and to protect the innocent. How else shall I stand in front of Jesus Christ and tell Him I love Him. How shall I say, "I loved my neighbor" or "I loved you so I kept your commands?"

Furthermore, it is of utmost importance that Jesus prays, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," and then He lives it. He lived this and so must I.

Knowing that we each have a tendency toward self-preservation it's important to seek the whole truth about ourselves, which includes the way we view ourselves and our "leader," even when there exist good intentions. Christ repeatedly told us, "Do not be afraid." We must bravely confront our own fears and run to the frontlines of the battle. And we must remember ourselves when we confront other "Pro-Life 'Possums," because this creature, being wary of any disturbance, will flee from its position, regardless of the virtue of that position. We know this is true, when we consider our own past failures to fight evil.

True, some "Pro-Life 'Possums" may be turned from their folly, but it is better to spend our resources pursuing the Pro-Life Goal or main objective. If we pursue the criminalization of child-killing 100%, then those 'Possums, seeing our deeds and hearing the truth, have the best opportunity to experience a conversion.

Jesus Christ told us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Let us put aside our fears, we have the Holy Spirit on our side, for crying out loud. He expects us to conquer the world by relying on Him and His teachings, so what are we going to do about it? We must all start with repentance and prayer that is followed by actions worthy of our Lord Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb.

This is an introduction; there is much more to discuss regarding the Pro-Life 'Possum. I will talk about this in future articles.

But whatever the case, do not be the "Pro-Life 'Possum!"