I am pro-life. I have been for as long as I can remember. I went to crisis pregnancy center events with my parents when I was a kid. I remember painting pro-life signs with my mom. I believe that every life is precious and every human being is created in the image of God. I believe it because it's a core tenet of my faith and it says so in black and white in the Bible. I believe that God has a plan and purpose for each life, that he can utilize unintended beginnings for greatness.

I have never wavered in my belief, but I have often wrestled with how to bridge the gap between both sides of this emotional, divisive and heart-wrenching issue. I have friends who have had abortions. I have a family member who has had an abortion. I have friends who work for Planned Parenthood and friends who work in the pro-life movement. No one I know takes this issue -- or the decision to have an abortion -- lightly.

There are those on the right who have demonized women for having abortions; the current GOP candidate has even suggested punishing women for having one. But the left often casts anyone who is pro-life as anti-woman and anti-feminist. They fail to respect the deep moral and religious conviction that drives the belief.

But the caricature the right paints of "abortions on demand" is far from the norm. There are many consequences and circumstances that lead a woman to make what such a weighty choice. In fact, I did my grad school thesis on the question: "Can you be a pro-life feminist?" because it is a label I had used that was met with skepticism. I surveyed more than 100 women about their opinions on the issue and was surprised by what I found. While many women were pro-choice, they told me they would not personally choose abortion. But they did not want to make that decision for others. I don't agree with their view, but I can understand it.

My faith dictates that it is important we care for and respect all people , born and unborn. And that is one of the undercurrents of our political climate that is most concerning, that only some lives have value and worth. This is not a Christian value. I believe that immigrants (undocumented or otherwise) and refugees are created in God's image. That Muslims, Jews and Hindus all have God's imprint. Again, I believe this because it says so in black and white in the Bible.

I believe it is the height of hypocrisy when we scream from the top of our lungs about protecting a baby in utero, yet neglect to provide basic resources for those same children once born.

In Texas we have some of the most restrictive laws on abortion. But we also fail to protect the most vulnerable among us, including infants and children born into poverty. We have some leaders who want to drug test welfare mothers and cut their benefits if they test positive. I can think of few more desperate populations than children born into poverty and into a cycle of addiction. If their lives had worth when they were in the womb, shouldn't their lives have worth now? Shouldn't we want to protect them, provide them resources and get their parents back on track so they can better raise and nurture them to be happy, healthy contributing members of society?

We have thousands of children in child protective services who were born into less-than-ideal circumstances. They face the ravages of poverty, addiction, domestic violence and abuse. Our state fails to properly fund the CPS system -- because it's more politically valuable to shrink government than to grow it -- so we have children sleeping in the hallways and offices of government buildings. There are children we know have been physically and sexually abused, but no one checks on them because state agencies are understaffed. Some policymakers would rather tout shrinking state budgets and fewer bureaucrats, than their efforts to take care of the "least of these." Again, if their lives had worth when they were in the womb, shouldn't their lives have worth now?

Aside from providing a safety net for children born into need, I believe we are focused on the wrong problem. The problem isn't abortion. The root of the problem is unintended pregnancies. Until we are willing and able to have honest conversations, and do everything we can from a public policy standpoint to address the root cause, overturning Roe v. Wade is a moot point. Until we offer sex education that is scientifically sound and teaches more than abstinence (which data and common sense tell us don't work); until birth control is widely available and health insurers are required to offer it; until adoption is simple and affordable , the demand for abortion will persist, regardless of legality.

I am pro-life. I do not agree with Hillary Clinton's position on this issue. My support of her does not mean that I support all of her policy positions -- in fact, I disagree with many of them. Were Donald Trump not at the top of the Republican ticket, I would be proudly supporting any number of the qualified candidates who ran against him. But, as a wise woman and mentor of mine often says: "Every election is a choice, and perfect is never on the ballot."

Given the options we have, I have made the conscious and deliberate choice to support the more substantive, stable and experienced candidate , even if I disagree with her on this vital issue, among others. (And, given the fact that Trump was pro-choice until it was politically expedient to be pro-life, his stated views on this issue, as with many other recent roadside conversions of his, are meaningless to me.)

I am disheartened by how many in the Christian industrial complex yell and spew hate toward Democrats, immigrants, gays and anyone else whose world view doesn't comport with theirs. The Bible has strong words for those who claim to love God, but fail to love their neighbors.

So, for those who question my faith, and ask how I can support a pro-choice candidate, while being personally pro-life, I offer you this: you are not the judge and jury. You cannot peer into the soul of another human being. My relationship with my savior is personal and I sleep soundly at night knowing it's a strong one. I challenge you to spend just as much energy fighting for the voiceless children and families in our society who live among us, homeless, jobless, living in poverty, battling addiction and threatened by violence, as you do the unborn. Their lives have worth too. As Christians we should be championing policies that reflect Christ's vision for the world, that we love one another.

We should not use our faith as a political tool or a bludgeon. We should use it to extend mercy and grace to those around us. We could all use an extra dose of each these days.

Jenifer Sarver is the founder of Sarver Strategies, a strategic communications consulting firm in Austin. Website: sarverstrategies.com