Preloader

By Jordan Smith

If there’s any Bible verse that pops into your mind when you think about why a pro-life worldview is so important to followers of Christ, it is likely to be Psalm 139:13-14. The two verses offer praise to God: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” These verses not only confirm that God makes each and every little finger and toe on a pre-born child, they also assert that He makes them fearfully and wonderfully. He crafts every person lovingly. The sanctity of His works—of life itself—is very important to Him. 

“ Students for Life in America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the rights of unborn children by establishing pro-life groups on campuses around America, aims to educate students on the sanctity of life. ”



Students for Life in America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the rights of unborn children by establishing pro-life groups on
middle school, high school, and college campuses around America, aims to educate students on the sanctity of life.  Every day, the organization fights to protect unborn children through activism and education. Their mission is to not only educate students on the extreme wrong that is abortion, but also to abolish it entirely. As one of the most vocal and passionate groups in the country, they are present in almost every arena where the pro-life and pro-choice debate is held.

“ Though they started on one campus, their goal was to create a conference where pro-life students from campuses all around the country could gather and discuss their beliefs. ”

 

Students for Life in America, or Students for Life for short, finds its roots in Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In 1988, American Collegians for Life was formed. A student-run, volunteer-based group, they held an annual conference that was the centerpiece of their organization. Their website and publication helped to spread their message. Though they started on one campus, their goal was to create a conference where pro-life students from campuses all around the country could gather and discuss their beliefs. For 18 years, the group’s focus was on their annual conference. In 2006, however, that changed.

“ They wanted to grow activists in the young students that walked America’s campuses. ”

 

One of the most visible changes made in that year was the hiring of a new president. Kristan Hawkins, the newly declared leader, was responsible for helping to reorganize American Collegians for Life into what it is now known today: Students for Life in America. The organization also hired a staff and opened up a national headquarters in Arlington, Virginia (now moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia). Hawkins shifted the focus from the annual conference to helping Students for Life be more present on school campuses around the country.

The organization started to focus on educating students about the dangers of abortion and providing a safe place for pro-life students to gather. They wanted to grow activists in the young students that walked America’s campuses. Since 2006, Students for Life has opened 1,100 groups in schools all across the country. They are located in all 50 states, and have two conferences now: one on the west coast and one on the east. Students in the groups are encouraged to come to a conference. The organization also helps students plan activism ideas that they can carry out in their communities.

“ More so than anything, Students for Life wants to end abortion.  ”

More so than anything, Students for Life wants to end abortion. It is stated explicitly in their mission statement: the organization “exists to recruit, train, and mobilize the pro-life generation to abolish abortion.” For them, it is not just about telling the dangers of abortions or how Planned Parenthood is corrupt—it is about making sure that abortion is no longer a danger to our country and Planned Parenthood ceases operations. And in the past several years, the organization has made great strides to do that. 

Students for Life’s collective goal is to fight abortion on multiple fronts. They call it the 5 Pillars, and each one has a memorable, alliterated name. The first of the five is Effective Education. This is what the conferences are intended to accomplish. According to their website, nearly 2,000 students attend the East Coast Conference each year. The conference is a place for students to not only be educated but to learn how to educate and debate others on the dangers of abortion. Students for Life believes that students should know how to assert their beliefs in the public arena.

“ Student's for Life's collective goal in fighting abortion is called "The 5 Pillars: Effective Education, Industry Impact, Public Policy, Rapid Response, Supportive Services." ”

 

The second goal is Industry Impact. One of the most successful events Students for Life do every year is the National Sidewalk Counseling Day, where students stand outside abortion facilities, meeting and talking with mothers who are considering aborting their child. Their approach is one of peace and care for the mother and child. The goal is to redirect the mother from the abortion clinic to a pregnancy resource center. 

Public Policy is the third goal. Through events like #sockit2PP, which focused on defunding Planned Parenthood of taxpayer dollars, the public is also educated on the pro-life work that Students for Life does. Students within Students for Life collect signatures, call their state senators and representatives, and sometimes speak in churches to get their message out. 

The fourth goal, Rapid Response, focuses on being able to quickly respond and mobilize to any issue involving abortion. When a Texas bill was proposed to ban abortions after 20 weeks (when the fetus can feel pain) in 2013, Students for Life coordinated a student mobilization and connected with all pro-life groups in the Austin, Texas area to bring students to the capitol to rally, hand out flyers, pray in front of clinics, and take a public and visible stand in support of the bill. The debate between the pro-choice movement and the pro-life movement in Texas was raging, and Students for Life was in the center of it, displaying their commitment to activism. And they did all of that with only a week of planning. 

The final goal is Supportive Services. This is focused on providing expecting mothers on college and high school campuses with help and support, even when the school they attend is not supportive of them being pregnant.

“ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14 ”

 

Students for Life in America is not affiliated with any religious organization, however, the work that students do through the organization reminds us that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God—even, and particularly, the unborn. 

Jordan Smith is a freshman at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, majoring in journalism. I am pleased to announce that Jordan will continue to be a regular contributor to “Living Letters.”

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