Abortion: A Child's VIewpoint

Baby bottles were passed out to the members of our church on the Sanctity of Life day. The goal is to fill the bottle with money and return it to be given to the pro-life pregnancy center in town.
As I was putting a donation in it today one of my 3 girls asked me why I wanted to give them money.
It took me a few minutes to decide whether or not to explain abortion to them. They knew the word, but I'd never explained the concept. I decided to take the conversation as far as they wanted it to go, and told them it was for the pregnancy center and that they needed the money to help babies. Here's the conversation we had.
Me: The pregnancy center is a place that helps moms and babies, and to do that they need money.

Kids: What do they use the money for?
Me: They use it to help tell people about abortion, and to help out mom's who want to keep their babies.
Kids: Why wouldn't they want to keep their babies, what would they do with them if they don't keep them?
Me: Women who go there with babies in their tummies think they might not be able to take care of them or just don't want to are thinking about abortion. That's what the pregnancy center does, helps them think about what they should do and helps with giving some stuff to the babies the moms keep.
Kids: What's abortion though?

This is where I took a deep breath. How do you look your own child in the face and explain an unneccessary evil in their world?

Me: That's when they take the baby out of the mommy.
Kids: And what, take care of them for the mommy?
Me: No, the baby is usually too little to live if they take it out of the mom's belly because it isn't developed all the way, and if it is they make it not alive anymore before they take it out.
Kids: You mean they KILL the babies?
Me: Yes.
Kids: Why?
Me: For what I said before, they don't know what else to do or just don't want to.
Kids: Don't the baby's mom try to stop the people from killing her baby?
Me: Not usually in our country. Mostly the mom agrees to let the doctors do it.
Kids: Won't they go to jail though?
Me: No, in our country they're allowed to do this.
Kids: Aren't babies allowed in orphanages?
Me: Yes
Kids: Aren't there people who take care of other people's babies and become their mommies?
Me: Yes
Kids: Then why don't they just do that, why do they have to kill them.
Me: I don't know, they just do. Maybe sometimes they just think the baby won't have a good life or they don't want to be pregnant, or they just don't know what to do. That's why the pregnancy center is there, to tell them what they can do and help them out.

At this point ALL of my children went in search of their baby bottles and started putting their allowances in it. I had also given each of them money to save for a special art class, but when I tried to stop them from putting that in the oldest exclaimed "But they're killing babies! We should try to help them stop doing that!"
It really hit a nerve with me. I was taking old change that was laying around the house, feeling like a hero for giving up loose change that had been sitting around in couch cushions and junk drawers. I'm the adult, I'm supposed to be the role model Christian for my children, and where was MY sense of urgency? Where is everyone else's? My children heard the message, saw the need, and didn't say "When I save up enough money I'll help out too", or "that's really sad, I hope it stops". They IMMEDIATELY took action in the only way that they knew how.
Shouldn't we react the same way as Christians when we see a need out there?
The next time you're spending money ask yourself if it's really worth it. Look at what you're buying and tell yourself "they're killing babies, or there are people without bibles, or that they're passing laws that take away people's rights, or that there's someone out there who doesn't have enough food", and see how fast you may change your mind about what you need to be spending money on. If you truly cannot give funds, try telling yourself "I either have to give money or I could _____". You'd be amazed how fast you can fill in that blank when it comes to either giving cash or coming up with an alternative way to help out with an issue! In other words, you're without excuse.
Just one more thing I have to repeat from my kids because it was precious...at the end of our conversation they commented that there shouldn't be less kids in the world, there should be more, and my middle daughter said "why would anyone want less kids, we're cute, we're snuggly, we're ADORABLE!"
Anyone who knows our family knows exactly which parent she inherited this attitude from.
Gina

 

Yep, go for it Don.
There was so much to that conversation, it's amazing how kids can make you think. I had to fight back tears during part of it when Nina asked how they do it to babies that are tinier than your finger, if they use tiny little guns.
The things that happen in our world and have to be explained to our kids sooner or later are sickening. My kids lost yet another bit of their innocence today, and I'm so sorry things have to be this way right now in in our world. This place should apologize to all the kids!
Gina

 

For those that don't know, no that isn't my birthday
It's the day abortion was legalized in our country...nationwide.
Gina