Pro-life vs Anti-Abortion

Every October, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designates this month as “Respect Life Month”, where special emphasis is placed on the protection of all human life, though this is something as Catholics we should be doing every month of the year!

Let me say up front that I describe myself as a REAL pro-lifer, someone who believes in the dignity and protection of ALL human life from conception to natural death.

Unfortunately, Respect Life Month tends to be misinterpreted as “Anti-Abortion Month”, with the emphasis being placed on the evils of abortion. The other major life issue, the death penalty, tends to get pushed to the side and ignored. If we as Catholics are called to respect all human life from conception to natural death, then WHY is the focus ONLY on the protection of the life of the unborn?

One of my pet peeves regarding life issues are groups who call themselves “pro-life”, yet their only focus is on abortion. At this point, let me say that those who fight abortion and seek to have it outlawed have my respect, and I support them. However, I’ve angered many so-called “pro-lifers” over the years when they tell me they’re “pro-life”, and then I ask them “oh, so you oppose the death penalty?”. This usually leads to either confusion or anger, sometimes both, on the part of the so-called pro-lifer. Then I’ll usually ask “so you oppose abortion, but support the death penalty? Is that right?”. I then go on to explain to them that being anti-abortion is a great and wonderful thing to be! However, if you’re going to describe yourself as pro-life, then you ought to be for the protection of ALL life, not just the lives of the unborn! If your focus is strictly on the protection of unborn human life to the exclusion of the death penalty, then to call yourself pro-life is dishonest and misleading. Call yourself anti-abortion instead; at least it’s honest and accurate!

One of the most glaring examples of this occurs every January 22^nd in Washington DC at a huge anti-abortion event known as the “March For Life”. However, the participants in the march aren’t marching FOR life; they’re marching AGAINST abortion, and there’s nothing wrong with that! But if the primary focus of the day is only abortion, then why don’t the organizers refer to the event as the March Against Abortion?

It’s morally impossible to support the right to life of one group of people, but not another group just because they happen to be in prison! Last time I checked, both the unborn AND the prisoner on death row are made in the image and likeness of God! There are those who’ll say that the prisoner on death row ought to be executed because of the crimes they committed! However, if we execute these prisoners, then we have just denied them the opportunity to repent of their sins/crimes (assuming they haven’t done so already), and we just sentenced them to an eternity in hell! I for one don’t want that hanging over my head on Judgement Day! Yes, it’s rare for a prisoner on death row to repent of their sins/crimes, but it DOES happen! These same death penalty supporters will also point out that the Bible allows for the death penalty, to which I say “yes, it does”. And I’ll point out to them that the same bible also says in the Book of Deuteronomy to “Choose Life” (Deut 30:19, NAB). It doesn’t say “choose unborn life only”; it clearly says “CHOOSE LIFE”!

Finally, St John Paul II addressed the issue of the death penalty in his encyclical EVANGELIUM VITAE;

“It is clear that, for these purposes to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent!”

So in this “Respect Life Month” currently being observed by the Church, we’re reminded that we’re called to be pro-life; REAL pro-lifers!

Are YOU a real pro-lifer?