As a human and a Christian, I have general thoughts on dialoguing with people I disagree with, because living in 2022 means you can’t and won’t agree with everyone:
I think Jesus was willing to listen, learn, and ask questions - and we should be too. (See Luke 2:46).
I think Jesus picked his battles wisely. He often backed down from fights (see Matthew 17:24-27, 26:52-56; Mark 8:11-13; John 10:39); but, sometimes, He fought fights worth fighting (John 2:13-17). We should pick our battles wisely too.
I think Jesus was very careful with the emotion of anger - and we should be very careful too (see Matthew 5:22).
I think Jesus was kind, but also vocal about His sense of truth - and we should be too (see Matthew 23; John 5:14-15, 8:11).
I think Jesus shared meals with people He disagreed with on all sorts of topics - religion, sexuality, and morality (to name a few) - because all humans are worthy of dignity - and we should too (see Luke 7:36; John 4:1-45; Luke 19:1-10).
I think Jesus loved and healed disabled and ‘dirty’ humans, because all humans are worthy of dignity - and we should too (see Matthew 8:1-4, 15:29-31).
I think Jesus could disagree with people, friends, and family yet still love them - and we can too (see Mark 10:21–22; and juxtapose Mark 3:21/ John 19:26-27).
I think Jesus didn’t label people based simply on their bad ideas or failures - and neither should we (juxtapose Matthew 16:23/ John 21:15-19; juxtapose Acts 15:36-41/ 2 Timothy 4:11).
I think life can be really complicated and painful and nightmarish sometimes (see Mark 5:2-5; 7:25-26; Luke 8:43-48, 9:38-40) - and sometimes abortion can look like the only option.
I think Jesus requires that His followers show each other the dignity rebuking one another privately before making it public (see Matthew 18:15-17).
I think Jesus knew the difference between genuinely curious dialoguers (see John 3:1-14, 4:9-10; Mark 10:17-22, 12:28-34; Acts 16:30), and agenda-driven dialoguers (see Matthew 22:15-17, 23-28; Luke 11:53-54).
I think Jesus accepted that sometimes He’d be unfollowed (see John 6:54-71), misunderstood (see Matthew 11:25-27; Luke 2:49-51, 9:43b-45; John 12:16), rejected, hated, mocked, and worse (see Luke 4:16-30; John 15:18-25; Matthew 27:24-44) for His ideas.
I think people rarely change their opinion on an issue after being yelled at, mocked, or belittled (see Proverbs 15:1).
I think kindness can be transformative, healing, and rare (see Romans 2:4).
I think we should be slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to listen (see James 1:19).
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As a Christian, who believes the Bible is true (and presents sexual and moral ethics that are radically rigorous and difficult to live by), I have thoughts on unborn humans:
I think God made all humans with inestimable value (see Genesis 1:27).
I think sex is designed by God to be both a good gift and a serious responsibility - not just one or the other (see Genesis 1:28).
I think God loves all humans (see John 3:16).
I think growing humans are living humans (see Luke 1:41-42; Exodus 21:22-25).
I think God loves unborn humans and is meticulously invested their growth and development (see Psalm 139:13-16; Job 31:5; Jeremiah 1:5).
I think humans killing humans is wrong (see Exodus 20:13).
I think humans killing unborn humans is wrong (see Exodus 21:22-25).
I think humans killing unborn humans on a national level is twisted (see 2 Kings 8:12).
I think children are a blessing (see Psalm 127:3-5).
I think killing a child in order to avoid discomfort or inconvenience (or in attempt to secure comfort or convenience) or because of pressure (from a god, another human, or cultural system) is wrong (see Ezekiel 16:20-23, 36).
I think there are different “kinds of homicide” (see Deuteronomy 17:8).
I think Jesus doesn’t always label people based on their worst decision or mistake (see Matthew 16:23/ John 21:15-19; Acts 15:36-41/ 2 Timothy 4:11).
I think God doesn’t treat humans the way their sins deserve (see Psalm 103:10).
I think Jesus’ teachings rearranges how we’re expected us to punish people and treat enemies (juxtapose Exodus 21:22-25/ Matthew 5:38-48).
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As the father of 2 deceased unborn babies (miscarriages) and one newborn baby (5-weeks-old, who carries half my DNA, whose movements I felt while he was in the womb, and whose birth I watched every moment of), I have thoughts on unborn humans:
I think a growing human being is a living human being.
I think human life is very valuable.
I think unborn girls and boys shouldn’t be treated like their bodies don’t matter - by their mom, their dad, or their parents’ doctor.
I think unborn humans have the right to live.
I think unborn humans shouldn’t be terminated against their will.
I think terminating unborn humans is wrong.
I think the medical community should do everything within their power to save mothers and unborn babies when pregnancy is complicated.
I think society should provide all the resources and support it can for mothers (and fathers) who desire to keep their unborn baby, but who find themselves in difficult life circumstances.
I think society should provide all the resources and support it can for mothers (and fathers) who do NOT desire to keep their unborn baby, but also don’t want to kill their unborn baby.
I think pregnancy and birth are indescribably beautiful and incomprehensibly complex - providing some of the best proof for the divine.
I think abortion-survivors (whose parents attempted to abort them, but failed) deserve a bigger voice in this conversation.
I think those who aborted children, but come later to regret the decision, deserve a bigger voice in this conversation.
I think killing unborn humans should be as illegal as killing full-grown humans, because both are human - valuable and worthy of dignity and life.
I think it's possible to advocate for both women's rights over their own bodies AND to advocate for unborn babies' rights to life. But this requires taking a stand against abortion.
I think the only qualification you need to advocate for any other human being's dignity, respect, and right to life is that you must also be a human being (you can be a man, woman, child, eunuch, asexual, whatever).
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I grieve with those who have lost unborn babies for whatever reason, and understand that pregnancy's circumstances can be indescribably painful, complicated, and nightmarish. I’ll listen to you and I’ll love you, even if we disagree. You are human too. You deserve dignity. We are more than our worst moments. We are all made by and loved by God.
