My entire life I have believed that life begins at conception.  The majority of my family believes that, my church believes that, and naturally, many of my friends (though not all) are pro-life.  I know that this belief is a fundamental pillar of my faith.

The majority of pro-life marketing focuses on and emphasizes life before birth, as it should.  Perhaps the sole purpose of many pro-life organizations is to guide the mother-to-be through her options and give her support by way of ultrasounds and baby supplies should she choose life for her child.  

I am all too familiar with the core slogans of the pro-life movement: Life begins at conception. Abortion is murder. Choose Life. Etc., etc., etc.

I am familiar with life chains and protesting in front of abortion clinics or high-traffic areas, carrying signs with those aforementioned slogans and disturbing images of aborted babies (Side note: Can we stop doing this, please?)

Then the protest ends and everyone shuffles back to their homes. Maybe they changed someone’s mind, maybe they didn’t.

But then what?

Friends, if you are pro-life, your duty does not end when you get home from a life chain event.  Your commitment to the cause is only beginning.  Pro-lifers encourage parents-to-be to choose life, despite their economic circumstances, their relationship status, their level of education, or their family history.

Knowing this, are pro-lifers as dedicated to these individuals – parents who chose life and their children – as they are to the cause of unborn children?  We should be.  Pro-lifers need to acknowledge that if we expect parents to choose life, it is our responsibility to support those families when they do.

Many parents who choose life will find themselves in less than ideal circumstances, which may mean their children will end up in foster care.  These children may no longer be cute, innocent babies. They may be hard-to-handle elementary age kids or teenagers with their own juvenile record. Their birth parents may be heroin addicts, domestic violence survivors, or even felons.

Do their lives matter?

They should.  Foster care enables us to stand in a much needed gap in our society.  It enables us to care for those who cannot care for themselves. It allows us, in a sense, to put our money where our mouth is, to support those we advocated for before they were even born.

Is it hard? Yes. 

It is uncomfortable? Yes. 

Is it risky? Yes. 

However, it is our responsibility, our duty, and our commission as a central principle of our faith to carry out the charge in Psalm 82:3: “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed”.

Foster care IS our responsibility.