Okay, it’s confession time. When I was younger, I used to watch Dynasty with my mom. Eventually, my sister and I got into watching Flamingo Road. Now, ever since I got married, I watch Desperate Housewives with my wife. As always, the man is blaming the woman (a la Adam, see Genesis 3:12).

What was amazing to me, however, was discovering two pro-life gems in the last few weeks on Desperate Housewives, a show filled with stories of lying, cheating, adultery, murder – yes, sin of every kind.

The first scene is about one of the characters contemplating abortion. Although the word “abortion” was never used, you pretty much knew what they were talking about, and the “choice” she was considering.

The second one has to do with  marriage, and what one husband sees as one of his primary roles within that relationship.

I took the liberty of reproducing the scripts from the two episodes below. Many thanks to abc.go.com where I could watch the scenes repeatedly to get the exact wording from the shows. Enjoy! And keep your eyes open for little pro-life gems in the midst of everyday life.

From Episode 602: Lynette, working mother of four children, is pregnant with twins.  Lynette has been torn between her new position at work and her pre-born babies.  She is not sure if she wants to “keep” the babies;  she cried out to her husband, “I don’t love these babies!” in a previous episode. As we follow the story this week, her friend Susan’s daughter, Julie, was attacked and is in a coma in the hospital. Lynette blurts out that Julie may be pregnant so they won’t perform any harmful x-rays on her, and Susan wants to know how Lynette knows that Julie may be pregnant:

Lynette: I hear Julie opened her eyes; that’s great!

Susan: Yes, yes it is.

L: I’m sorry you’re mad at me.

S: I’m not mad. I just can’t understand why she went to you instead of me.

L: That day that Julie found me crying…the reason she opened up to me was because I told her…and no one else can know about this…that I’m pregnant.

S: You are…that’s amazing! Wait, why were you crying?

L: Oh, let’s see, I’m in my 40’s, my husband is back in school, I’m the sole bread-winner, I don’t know how I’m going to do this whole baby thing again, and also because…

S: What?

L: Because I can’t quiet that one voice in my mind that keeps saying, “Maybe I shouldn’t.”

S: Oh, honey.

L: Yeah.

S: Lynette, uh, you can do whatever you think it is you need to do.

L: (Sadly) Yeah, I know.  Lucky me.

S: It’s weird, everybody talks about a kid being a gift. It’s the only gift where you puke for nine months before you receive it and then scream the day it arrives.

L: (Chuckles) That’s true.

S: But they are a gift, Lynette. I know that because I’ve spent the last few hours thinking that I was going to lose mine. I realized that I would trade everything I own, I would give everything that I ever will have, for just one more day as Julie’s mom…but I’m not telling you what you should do.

L: Actually you are. And I’m glad you did.

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and don’t know what to do, please call the Option Line at 800.395.HELP (800.395.4357) or visit their website at www.optionline.org. If you have had an abortion in the past and are experience strong negative emotions associated with that decision, please also call the Option Line or visit their website for more information. They are there for you.

From Episode 605: Lynette fires a handyman (Roy) who told her she emasculates her husband, Tom, because she is always the one making all the decisions in their family. She is upset that Roy is judgmental of the leadership role she assumes in the marriage. Tom sees Roy on the porch across the street and goes to speak with him.

Tom:  Hey Roy, can I talk to you?

Ryan: Sure thing, pally. (Tosses Tom a beer.) Here, take a load off.

R: If it’s about me getting into it with your wife, though, I have to stop you first and say, “I’m sorry.”

T: Well, thanks.

R: I mean, I know times have changed, but a man’s still a man; and you deserve to have your wife respect you.

T: She respects me plenty, Roy. (Roy looks skeptical.)

T: Here’s the thing you gotta understand about Lynette. She grew up without her dad. Her mom was a drinker. So she had to be responsible for everyone.

R: Yeah, well, that’s rough.

T: Yeah..it left her with this constant fear that everything could suddenly fall apart. And that’s why she needs to control everything. Of course she can’t…nobody can…but she can control me…if I let her…so I do…because it makes her feel safe.  And that is my job as her husband…to make her feel safe.

R: You’re a good man, Scavo.

T: I try. Now I have a hamburger to fetch.

If you’d like to read more about biblical manhood and biblical womanhood, click here to go to the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood.