What's Wrong with the Pro-Life Movement?

CatholicExchange.com ^ | 1/27/2005 | Paul Nowak

[WildReeling]

It has been 33 years since Roe v. Wade, and abortion on demand is as legal as it was three decades ago, with over a million victims each year. While some progress has been made in curbing the number of abortions, and individual states have had varying success in passing legislation, perhaps it is time to ask, Why haven't we done more?

It's easy point to the opposition: a non-profit running on taxpayer dollars promoting the very abortions that help fuel their propaganda machine; a major political party with a platform dedicated to keeping abortion legal. However, there is a competitive and managerial strategy called “playing your own game,” in which a team's own efforts are considered, instead of reacting to or blaming the competition for failure. Are we, as pro-life advocates, at the top of our game?

A quick glance at the landscape tells us no. Victory could have been as simple as every professed Catholic voting pro-life. Considering how many non-Catholic pro-life advocates there are, it becomes painfully obvious we can do better.

Perhaps we should examine our attitudes. At the March for Life earlier this month, I noticed the variety of the signs. One sign had the phrases “Save a Whale” and “Save a Seal” crossed out, with “Save the Humans” written below. How do you imagine such a sign is received by the animal rights lobby, among whom there are also many pro-lifers? Doesn't being “pro-life” mean supporting good stewardship of our world? Why shouldn't the pro-life movement be pro-environment?

Another sign read: “Save a baby, krush [sic] a Liberal.” How does this build allies or welcome pro-life advocates from, say, Democrats for Life of America? As it would happen, representatives of DFLA were marching in the same throng, just a few yards from the sign.

[WildReeling]

Like the article mentions, please respect the copyright of the site that published the article! (as well as other articles)

[msnimje]

Like the article mentions, please respect the copyright of the site that published the article! (as well as other articles)

Who do you think we are, Joe Biden? :~)

[funkywbr]

Dont you remember what happened with the Texas sodomy law when it got to the SCOTUS?

[mnehring]

IMHO, what we need is a better legal strategy. The pro-abortion crowd has argued the case based on privacy laws and what they 'do with their own body'.

From a scientific basis, a baby, even not born, is a unique individual with unique DNA, and thus, not just a growth on someone's body.
The legal arguments need to move this to a civil rights issue. Does a child have a civil right to live? Can one person 'own' another person's life? When does one's civil right to privacy interfere with another's civil right to live?

Although correct in it's meaning, we've been fighting this on a 'moral' ground. Morality unfortunately doesn't win court cases.

[kindred]

[propaganda machine; a major political party with a platform dedicated to keeping abortion legal.]

If it looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck and it waddles like a duck, than it is a duck! The political pubs support abortion also, as they do Kelo and activist judges.
America has become despotic and only the victims(useful idiots, as Stalin named them) don't know, near as I can tell. You shall know them by their fruits is more to it.

[uncbob]

Maybe it is because there are too many like the one whose car I see on the local CC parking lot during Mass

Pro life sticker next to a Kerry/Edwards sticker

[The Lumster]

The "Pro-Life" movement doesn't really want to end abortion. As long as abortion is legal the donations keep coming. "Pro-Life" politicians continue to get elected by talking tough about abortion but never really doing anything of substance. Again, that keeps the money rolling in.

Abortion will continue as long as well meaning Christians continue to put their trust in men. Trusting in politicians and judges will never end abortion.

God would end abortion in this country tommorrow if his people would repent from their trust in men and seek his face!

[donbosco74]

It is useless to clarify the rights of persons when SCOTUS doesn't acknowledge the personhood of the preborn. We have had a lineup of 9 wise guys who don't know what a person is. Let's see if that can improve, first.

[MineralMan]

"It is useless to clarify the rights of persons when SCOTUS doesn't acknowledge the personhood of the preborn."

The SCOTUS has a problem. The Constitution deals only with "born" persons. It's right in there, especially in the 14th amendment.

By specifically mentioning persons "born" in the United States as citizens, that amendment pretty much locks in the position that a person is someone who has been "born."

It's going to be a tough job to get the Justices to stray away from that wording, which is why the fight against abortion is done from a different angle.

That may not be right, but it is the problem.

[mnehring]

The "Pro-Life" movement doesn't really want to end abortion. As long as abortion is legal the donations keep coming. "Pro-Life" politicians continue to get elected by talking tough about abortion but never really doing anything of substance. Again, that keeps the money rolling in.

Sadly, I believe this is true in many cases. Just like the environmental movement is bigger business than the 'evil' big oil companies they fight against. Activism, in all forms, is big business. The real test is if someone fights for a business that they know, if they succeed, will be out of business.
There are a few 'heads' of our fight that I truly suspect are in it for the money or ego.

[theFIRMbss]

>God would end abortion in this country tommorrow if his people would repent from their trust in men and seek his face!

Right. And if Anna
would just go out with me once
she would fall in love . . .

[thepizzalady]

"...IMHO, what we need is a better legal strategy. The pro-abortion crowd has argued the case based on privacy laws and what they 'do with their own body'...."

It is my opinion that the pro-abortion crowd knows that abortion is an abomination. Why else would they need so much propaganda to carry out their agenda?

I've never understood how liberal men, can so unashamedly argue the case for abortion. So called "men" such as Kerry, Schumer, Kennedy, etc. Unless of course they're renouncing responsibility for a long line of potential offspring in their past. The more likely truth is it's just another ploy to gain votes for those who have no conscience.

The reality is that law or no law, abortion is wrong and having the law on your side doesn't make it right. Courts or laws will not prevent abortions. Legal or illegal, abortions still happen. Only a change of heart can prevent them.

The unchanging fact regarding laws, is that a law does not prevent a crime, it can only point out the lawbreaker. What is legal today may be illegal tomorrow and visa versa.

[WorkingClassFilth]

"Maybe it is because there are too many like the one whose car I see on the local CC parking lot during Mass[:] Pro life sticker next to a Kerry/Edwards sticker"

BINGO!

Part of the problem is that people are not theologically or ideologically grounded. I know a Catholic woman heavily into the iconography of Catholicism and a regular parishioner. She is, however, clueless about the tenets of the faith and the radical discrepancy in her political, moral and ethical beliefs.

When leadership in the Pro-Life movement spout stuff like this:

"How do you imagine such a sign is received by the animal rights lobby, among whom there are also many pro-lifers? Doesn't being “pro-life” mean supporting good stewardship of our world? Why shouldn't the pro-life movement be pro-environment?"

...it is no surprise to me that everyone else in contact with this guy is clueless as well. You might find a few people in the "animal rights lobby" that are pro-life, but you'd have to look for a long, long time. Truth is, the animal rights lobby has received its power and reson d'etre from the psychological disconnect of a culture that no longer holds the sanctity of innocent human life in high regard. If this dolt also thinks he's going to co-opt the environmental movement or find fellowship within its ranks, he just don't know his carrots from his peas.

In my opinion, the Pro-Life movement has done a great deal in 33 years. Recall that when Roe was foisted on America, the RAT's controlled everything in our political lives (outside of the executive branch - on occasion). The culture, academe, the Legislative and Judicial branches were all their province. Today, their Legislative advantage is gone. Their other strong holds are under direct assault and their propaganda machine is forever damaged and effectively countered. In fact, we stand at the threshold of their final redoubt - the SCOTUS. All that from the actions and commitment of a fractional portion of the populace and, I would add, the favor of a righteous God.

If people want to know what can be done to improve our commitment or hasten our chances to take down Roe, I'd say it begins with a deeper knowledge of the truth of things and a firmer conviction to sound ideals.

[Oniolover]

Good article. I used to consider myself very conservative until I stumbled upon this site. Boy, did you guys ever prove me wrong. I noticed this site has very conservative members but many members don't see abortion as their number one issue. I've seen over and over again people say they consider the gay marriage, immigration, or taxes as their number one issues.
I would trade everything for a ban on abortion. I would even vote for a Democrat for a ban on abortion.

How people on this site can possibly justify spending time hours protesting gay marriage, or immigration, or even taxes but couldn't that time be better spent volunteering at for the pro-life agency. A child's life is worth a million times more than a ban on gay marriage. If we're going to blame anyone for abortion continuing, we should look at ourselves first and examine what we could do.

This may just be my background, my family is full of pro-life democrats who often feel left alienated from the more conservative views of the main anti-abortion groups.

[Wonder Warthog]

"How do you imagine such a sign is received by the animal rights lobby, among whom there are also many pro-lifers? Doesn't being “pro-life” mean supporting good stewardship of our world? Why shouldn't the pro-life movement be pro-environment?"

The "author" is either disingenuous or completely naive. The vast majority of "animal-rights" and "pro-environment" types believe that the human race is a cancer on the face of the planet, and the more that are killed off (except for themselves, of course), the better.

[WildReeling]

The "author" is either disingenuous or completely naive. The vast majority of "animal-rights" and "pro-environment" types believe that the human race is a cancer on the face of the planet, and the more that are killed off (except for themselves, of course), the better.

Wow. Way to sterotype - the same way pro-aborts sterotype pro-lifers as women-haters.

The next paragraph of the same article:

I am personally aware of a few cases in which political opponents of the "Religious Right," even ACLU members, have made common cause with the pro-life movement. Consider, for example, the upcoming book, The Liberal Case Against Abortion by animal rights activist Vasu Murti.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Way to sterotype - the same way pro-aborts sterotype pro-lifers as women-haters."

Two phrases---"Earth Liberation Front" and "Animal Liberation Front". Now, tell me again about "stereotyping".

I've watched the eco-nutcases in action for forty years, I know what they are all about.

[donbosco74]

Thanks, MM. What you say makes a lot of sense.

[WildReeling]

...then "pro-life" activists are all like Eric Rudolph. Every activist group has its extreme militants. You cannot characterize the entire movement by the extremist factions.

Otherwise:

All muslims are terrorists.
All WASPs are KKK members.
All priests are pedophiles.
All American soldiers take pleasure in the sexual abuse of others (a la Abu Ghuraib).

and so on.

"Do unto others as you would have them done unto you."

We will get nowhere if we are considered women-hating, zionist, radical Christian doctor-killers. So we certainly do not want to stereotype other groups by the extreme actions a few professed members.

[Wonder Warthog]

"..then "pro-life" activists are all like Eric Rudolph. Every activist group has its extreme militants. You cannot characterize the entire movement by the extremist factions."

Eric Rudolph is a single individual. The violent nutcases in the "environmental movement" number in the thousands, and their "useful idiot" supporters number in the hundreds of thousands.

The two cases are NOT anywhere nearly equivalent.