It’s not always easy as a student. I’ve sat in a desk on numerous occasions: sweating, heart beating fast, even shaking sometimes.
What’s the anxiety?
To come out as pro-life.
Recently I was in a class discussion about abortion. From the start I knew that nearly all of my peers were pro-choice. And knowing that they didn’t really know how I felt about the issue, I knew I could easily stay quiet and let the class pass by without causing any strife.
But, in my heart I knew this wasn’t what being pro-life was about.
In a pause where it seemed everyone had exhausted their every thought and objection, I raised my hand and instantly caught the professor’s eye, as I hadn’t really spoken at all, and speaking was usually my forte.
In a calm voice, I first laid out all my cards for my peers: “I’m coming from a different side of this because I am pro-life, but I do have something to offer here.”
And more than accept my honesty, they were even surprised. To them, being pro-life looked like someone screaming and condemning those who disagree with them. I saw that they were intrigued and wanted to listen, and after I contributed my own perspective, it not only aided the discussion, but enhanced it and led to a greater complexity of dialogue.
I hear so often that students who are pro-life struggle to express their opinions, as I am also one of those students. But when the task is viewed as a true dialogue, and not a disagreement or fight, the results can turn out positively and even enjoyable for those involved. Talking about abortion is difficult, undoubtedly, but when we start with the similarities between opposing views, we can find a starting basis from which to build a discussion on the reasons for our differences.
Both sides of this argument have deep passion for their perspectives. But one side ends with the killing of a child and the other does not. Discussions about the fundamental moral choices pertaining to life cannot occur without a dose of confidence on the part of the pro-life student. It’s intimidating, it can end in conflict, but we can’t engage our minds until we open our mouths to speak—and sometimes the results can be even better than anticipated.
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