Angie Kim, president of The Teenage Life Club
Editor’s Note: We have covered The Teenage Life Club and their projects in previous articles. In this article, their president, Angela Kim, shares answers to important questions the teens are often asked.
We are pro-life. We are Christians. There are ten of us. And we are all teenagers.
We call ourselves The Teenage Life Club, and we have been around since April 1, 2011. Our goal is to spend our teen years fighting the injustice of abortion, to fight for our helpless brothers and sisters who have no voice of their own. We want to open up an opportunity for people (like us) with pro-life views to stand up for life and make a difference in small ways. As we act within the pro-life movement, striving to glorify God through all our actions, several questions are constantly pressed upon our ears.
In order to answer these questions, I have interviewed three fellow members from The Teenage Life Club. To start out, we focus on the basics.
- Why are we pro-life?
“I’m pro-life because first of all, I’m a servant of Jesus Christ and He commands that we do not murder,” says Elise, “… because it’s inhumane and cruel to kill children in their mother’s womb, which should be the safest place for them.”
Blake says, “I’m pro-life because very simply, all life is from our Creator. And only He should be able to decide whether someone’s life ends or keeps going. We are clay, He is the potter, and honestly, I think we don’t view it that way very much anymore.”
“To kill an innocent person is murder. And I believe murder is a terrible thing.” Natalie says simply. “Also, on a more personal level, I have a little brother with special needs, and abortion often targets other children like him. I hate that. People need to be educated on other ways to cope with having disabled children.”
- Do we ever feel like our efforts are useless, being teenagers?
“Yes,” says Natalie. “I often feel that my efforts are useless. I’m just one person. I don’t even have a high school diploma yet. But that’s why it’s so encouraging to me to know that God isn’t expecting me to do anything on my own. He is strongest when I am weakest, and He’s also placed me in His bride, the church. All of us Christians working together can do amazing things, and that has been promised in Scripture and proved throughout history.”
Teens can change their world.
“When I start to think, ‘But my efforts aren’t helping,’” says Blake, “[God] says, ‘It’s not about you getting all the glory. I am working all things out for good.’”
Laughing, Elise answers, “Maybe once or twice! But I know that I am a part of the next generation, and it’s my vote and my opinion that are going to matter in 20 years. If we, as teenagers, don’t stand up now, what makes us think anyone will do it later?”
- If we could say something to every pro-life teen in the world, what would we say?
“Be passionate,” says Blake. “Know your facts; don’t let people tell you, [but] search for yourself. Believe what you are saying; if you don’t believe it no one else will. And make God more important than you wanting to make a change.”
“Do research!” Natalie says. “Don’t sit back and be all like, ‘Yeah, I’m pro-life.’ Know why you’re pro-life, and once you know the facts, be willing to take a stand on that issue. It’s too easy for us teens to get wrapped up in stuff that won’t matter when we’re eighty. Whether I finished every season of ‘Monk’ won’t matter then. What will matter is how many people and lives I was able to influence for Jesus. Have I done everything I can to glorify Him?”
Finally, Elise answers, “I would tell them to stay strong. It’s easy to listen when people tell you, ‘You’re just a teenager, what can you do?’ But you are the next generation, even though you can’t vote. Your opinion matters. Keep going, and doing your part to save children everywhere.”
