Heated conversation surrounding the abortion issue has heightened in recent months as states have continued to pass “heartbeat bills” and other laws restricting abortions.
Alabama is the latest to join a wave of conservative states that have taken a pro-life stance through heavy limitations on abortion. Governors in Mississippi, Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia are among those who have outlawed the procedure after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Hundreds of celebrities have also weighed in on the matter through sharing personal stories, rallying for boycotts, and starting movements championing for change via social media.
Last week, Christian rapper Lecrae took to Twitter to share his sentiments about what it means to be pro-life, arguing that children’s lives outside the womb matter just as much as those inside.
He also admitted that he’s paid for an abortion in the past and regrets his decision.
“I’ve paid for an abortion. I regret it,” wrote Lecrae.
“I won’t pretend I’m fully educated on the policy nuances or women’s experiences. I just don’t seem to hear the voices crying against the murder of children inside the womb, crying about those outside the womb.”
The comment ignited a wide range of responses, from those who emphatically agreed to those who strongly felt the rapper’s claim was out of line.
In response to the latter group, Lecrae wrote, “Haven’t seen the same support for the marginalized communities I’ve served in for 15 years. Most of my friends in urban ministry lack support. They are dealing with the families and societal injustices AFTER the kids are born.”
Perhaps the most notable voice that joined the conversation was former NFL tight end, Benjamin Watson.
“Here I am bruh,” Watson wrote in reply. “In the womb, outside the womb, conception to grave count me in. Standing for life does not have to be a mutually exclusive event.”
🙋🏾♂️ here I am bruh. In the womb, outside the womb, conception to grave count me in. Standing for life does not have to be a mutually exclusive event. https://t.co/nS3n7CfEz9
— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) May 16, 2019
The ‘amens’ and ‘hallelujahs’ in support of the well-known pro-life advocate’s response flooded in across Twitter.
— Abigail Eide (@AbigailEide) May 16, 2019
And it’s certainly not the first time Watson has publicly taken a holistic pro-life stance.
The former New Orleans Saints tight end spoke out about our culture of “abortion on demand” back in February after New York passed its law allowing abortions up until the moment of birth. He admonished our society’s draw toward moral relativism that allows people to not be held accountable to any objective truth.
“We’re living in a time of abortion on demand,” Watson said in an interview with Fox News. “We’re living in a time of relativism, and while I would agree that hopefully, these happen in very rare instances where someone will wait [nine] months before having an abortion, the fact still remains that whether it’s at [nine] months or whether it’s at [eight] days or 18 days — when the heart’s developing, when the baby’s breathing, it’s still the same life, and so no matter what the reason is, science proves it that this is an individual entity; an individual person with their own DNA with their own dreams, with their own blood type even.”
The NFL star elaborated that it is not enough for us to only care for life inside the womb, but we also need to care for the lives outside that are affected by this new life.
“It’s important to not only be people that stand for abortion as if it’s some sort of political stance, which it kind of turns into sometimes — but be someone that stands for whole life,” he said. “Be someone that’s willing to support not only this baby that’s coming into the world but also to support the mother and the father that may be in crisis, whatever they may be going through.”
Further, Watson charged that men, in particular, need to “step up” and be held to a higher level of accountability when it comes to this hot-button issue:
“Men are in a role of leadership in many areas. Men are protectors, we are providers. Many women would not be seeking abortions if the men involved in their lives were doing what they were supposed to be doing.”
