We are living in a time when people in our nation have greatly differing worldviews. A person believing in an all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the universe is going view the world and life on it very differently than a person with no belief in God who espouses the theory of evolution.
We recognize that not all of our patients will share our worldview or core values. But it may help them to understand us a little better if they know the basics of what we believe, what we value, and how we look at the world.
Christian/Biblical Worldview
The staff of Corpus Christi Birth Center shares a Christian and Biblical worldview. If you share this view, you probably don’t need us to say much more than that. However, if you do not, then you might be asking yourself, “What does this mean?”
Let’s start with what it does NOT mean. It does not mean that we only want to serve Christian women. Christians are service oriented, and willingly care for the needs of others, irrespective of their personal beliefs.
It does not mean that we think we are “better than others.” Quite the contrary, the Bible teaches us that we should love others as we love ourselves. The Bible also teaches us that we all “fall short of the glory of God.” So we’re all in the same boat. Our own Scriptures teach us that we are not innately better than someone else just because we might have different beliefs. Those same Scriptures teach us to be humble.
A Biblical worldview means we believe God’s original creation is perfect and we trust God’s Word (the Bible). This world view has a huge impact on how we view pregnancy and birth. We trust God’s design. We trust what is natural and how God created us. But we also recognize that because we live in a world affected by sin, things aren’t always perfect. We believe God allows us to study science, use our minds and learn ways to help as needed. But we always trust in the “design” and will not intervene except when it is truly the best thing to do.
“Will you still provide care for me even though I don’t agree with your worldview or values?”
Yes. We do not expect everyone to agree with us, nor do we require it. We will provide the same level of quality care to each of our patients, regardless of their income, social status, ethnicity, religion, sexual relationships, orientation, or identity.
This does not mean that we will violate our own values, beliefs or faith just to accommodate a patient in her beliefs. For example, requiring us to use certain terminology or pronouns might also violate our conscience and if so, this would not be an acceptable request. If you are unsure whether a particular request or expectation might violate our conscience, please feel free to ask us.
Prayer
We pray for our patients. We will never force a patient to pray with us nor will we pray “out loud” unless the patient has asked us to do so. But we believe God wants us to pray for others and that He answers our prayers. So we want you to know that we are committed to praying for you.
We Value Life. We are “Pro-Life”
We recognize and affirm that human life begins at conception. We understand that not every pregnancy is wanted, and that some pregnancies might even be the result of a terrible trauma. However, the life of the unborn child is still of value to God and He is the only One who should determine when that life should die.
If a patient is dealing with a difficult or unwanted pregnancy, we will do everything within our power to address that patient’s needs. We desire to help her through any difficult situation. But we will never facilitate or support abortion as a solution to an unwanted pregnancy. We will continue to show compassion and love and provide other resources and options that are available.
“What if I have had an abortion in the past?”
From a clinical standpoint, it is very important to know a patient’s entire pregnancy history, including abortions and miscarriages. We will answer any questions about how losses could affect a current pregnancy. No one need ever fear talking about their health history with our midwives.
We do not ask our patients about the reasons behind their past choices. If a patient wants post-abortion counseling, it is available, and we can make a referral to experts who can help. However, we will never require a patient to talk about a past abortion unless they indicate they want to have help processing it. We are here to provide care for the patient’s current pregnancy, not to pronounce judgment on them for the choices they may have made in the past.