And...
MY OPINIONS COUNT!
I am so tired of people trying to push other people's opinions out of the way. If you don't agree with the majority, then you don't count. Or if you don't agree with popular opinion, then you are a bad person who doesn't care about others or their feelings.
I am pro-life, but I have friends who have had abortions. Do I love them less? No. Do I look down upon them? No. Do I wish they felt like they had other options at the time? Of course! My being pro-life DOES NOT in any way affect how I feel about my friends and family who are pro-choice. It just means that for me and my faith, I feel that pro-life is the way for me. BUT, when I say I am pro-life people automatically tune me out as some crazy person who wants to push what I believe on to you. That is sad to me. Ask me WHY I am pro-life. If someone asked me, I would tell them I am pro-life NOT just because of my faith but also because I have seen a baby born before he was supposed to be here. I have watched that baby struggle and grow. I have seen a baby alive, breathing and holding onto life when other people CHOOSE to end their babies lives. That is why I am pro-life. While I have never walked in the shoes of those who have had to make this choice, I wish that there were more options for those who have to.
So the next time you are talking to someone and they take a stance that is not what you necessarily believe in, take a moment and ask them about it. Maybe their stance is not just the knee-jerk reaction that you think it is. Maybe they have a valid reason for believing that they do. And even if it is something that they believe "just because" they do, don't they deserve to have an opinion too? Even if it isn't what popular culture dictates should be acceptable? I think so. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and they should be able to speak their mind WITHOUT worry that they will just be tossed aside as a "crazy Christian girl" or a "pro-life radical".