As members of the new student organization, Calvin College Students for Life, we find it important to share what it means to us to be pro-life on Calvin’s campus. Depending on many factors, students may have a variety of notions of what it means to be pro-life. We hope to share what it means to us, and what we hope Calvin College Students for Life will do on and off Calvin’s campus.

People who take on the title “pro-life” are committed to promoting the inherent dignity and value of all persons, often with emphasis on those persons affected by induced abortion. These individuals seek to acknowledge and support the sanctity of all human life, to educate on life issues and to supply help to those in need so that life is a promising choice.

To us, being pro-life college students means to live out our beliefs by helping to provide education, resources and prayerful support to those involved in an unplanned pregnancy as well as the general public.  We recognize that abortions are happening in our society and often have painful repercussions for all parties involved. Our desire is to love and provide all that we can for those affected.

We believe that loving well means promoting education on human development as well as the real physical and psychological risks of undergoing an abortion. We hope that educational events on campus will help achieve a better-educated society. Our mission to love also means caring for mothers, fathers and children before, during and after birth.

To love in this way, we hope to volunteer with local organizations that provide safe and nourishing environments for those families that may otherwise struggle to support a child. We also believe that joining together in prayer for the lives of those threatened by abortion, as well as those affected in other ways by abortion, is a powerful piece of our call as pro-life college students.

In all that we do, we seek to demonstrate and communicate the overwhelming love that God has for all of God’s children at all stages of life. At the first meeting of Calvin College Students for Life, the leadership team informed those in attendance that we are not a political activist group. Personally and as a group, we find it much more pressing to reach out in love in the ways described and thus change the hearts of our society than to change the laws of our society.

The purpose of this club is first and foremost to love, which is what we are called to do as disciples of Jesus. This is why our group will refrain from making any dehumanizing or hateful comments towards opposing opinions; we refuse to abuse any form of human life through physical or verbal abuse.

We are a group that not only promotes life but speaks life as well. We are, however, willing and in fact eager to discuss our views with anyone who is interested, regardless of whether they agree or disagree with our convictions.

We are a young group; we do not claim to be experts, but we do hope to facilitate education, service and prayer opportunities for our members as well as the Calvin College and Grand Rapids communities.

We believe it is your call to be involved in this mission as well. To learn more about why we think this, for more information on Calvin College Students for Life, to get involved, or to arrange to meet with us to further discuss our beliefs and goals as a group, please “like” and message our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CalvinCollegeSFL.

This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily represent the views of Calvin Chimes or Calvin College.