The Pro-Life Movement's Problem With Morality

The Washington Dispatch ^ | June 6, 2003 | Cathryn Crawford

[aristeides]

Summary of Dred Scott decision here.

[Cathryn Crawford]

I'm sorry you disagree with me. I was raised in a strict Christian home. Both my parents, while great people, used this argument in teaching me their beliefs in abortion. I was told that if I was stupid enough to get pregnant, I'd damn well better not have an abortion, because that would send me "straight to hell." This was the case for most of the people in their church and also most of the people that were members of the local right-to-life chapter in the small town I grew up in.

I'm glad you've had a better experience than I.

[Cathryn Crawford]

My point is that we are not going to be able to change people's mind using the moral arguments that make sense to us.

[ADSUM]

Morality is God's law; and Ethics is Man's (Economic) Law.

There are often conflicts between them.

Instinctively, we know right from wrong, but we can choose either. We often choose wrong because it benefits us. It is sometimes hard to be morally right in action. It is easier to see what is morally correct (or incorrect) in others.

Excellent point.

[cpforlife.org]

Cathryn,

Congratulations on your article. It has drawn significant attention, and that is very good. I would like to add to the discussion.

As Pro-Lifers, we want to change the laws Re abortion as well as the culture’s understanding of the citizen waiting to be born. The Pro-Life movement has worked tirelessly, attempting to change the hearts and minds of adults in the voting booth and in government. However, this is addressing the problem after their minds have already been made up. Changing an adults mind on this subject is VERY difficult.

Recent news indicates that young people are increasingly MORE pro-life than older generations. The reason for this appears to be because they are exposed to more of the facts: Scientific, Biological, Logical—as well as moral & Religious. Many of the scientific data have only been available in recent years and are a powerful anecdote to the pro-choice propaganda we all are exposed to, especially for the youth who have yet to form their opinions on this.

More to the point on youth and this subject: Ask a first grader what is inside a pregnant woman’s “tummy,” she will say a baby. If you ask if it would be okay to hurt that baby in any way, she will say no. Try it with a thousand first graders; their answers will all be basically the same. The fact is, as little ones we are naturally pro-life.

My point here is that the pro-life movement has been missing the opportunity to educate an entire group of people who are already pro-life—and to help properly form their consciences and understanding about the rights of their fellow American citizens waiting to be born. I am focusing here specifically on Christian and private schools. With comprehensive Pro-Life education (Scientific, Biological, Logical—as well as moral & Religious) in Christian schools, from K-12 (and beyond), we can greatly reduce the number of natural pro-lifers in the 1st grade who become pro-abortion later on.

The sanctity of life of the unborn person is a simple truth that can and must be taught like any other subject. In Christian schools it should be the preeminent subject in religion class and receive the greatest attention and highest Respect. The war between the cultures of life and death is the single thing that has a bearing on the destiny of our nation and the very survival of our society. Every student beginning kindergarten is naturally pro-life. If the Christian schools were to nurture this gift and guide the proper formation of their Christian consciences with ongoing teachings while continuously building on successive lessons—over the course of thirteen years the vast majority of these students would be solid pro-life citizens. Protestant and Catholic leaders who control schools, Bible study, CCD etc. need only the will to make this happen. Each day this doesn't happen is another day of victory for the pro-abortion forces, because ignorance of the masses is the only hope the pro-abortion forces have for survival.

The solution to ending the culture of death does not realistically lie with changing or “reversing” the minds of pro-abortion adults; it lies with preserving the 99+ % of children that are already pro-life on their first day of school.

Parts of my thoughts here are from an article I submitted to Washington Dispatch this week entitled “Even Patricia Ireland Used To Be Pro-Life” I hope they accept it and publish. The rest comes from my work as founder of Christian Patriots For Life , and our main document entitled THE MISSING KEY OF THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT.

I would like very much to be on your ping list and if you would like I’d be very happy to add you to mine. We should all work together to help educate as many people as effectively as we can, because comprehensive education is THE MISSING KEY OF THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT.

Kevin

[Ben Bolt]

Yeah ..

[Cathryn Crawford]

I will definitely add you to my ping list. I have a column at TWD every Friday and I occasionally write for other publications.

I absolutely agree with you. I was raised in homeschool until tenth grade, so my early years were formed solely by my parents. They taught me to be pro-life; both of them were very passionate about that cause. However, I finished my last two years at a private Christian prep school, and it was amazing that the topic never really came up. We had theology and religion classes, and sanctity of life was not a large part of the curriculum. That's amazing to realize now, when I look back on it.

I took a look at your profile page. Congratulations on all your work in the pro-life movement. You're making a difference.

[Kuksool]

{I long ago abandoned anti-abortion arguments funded in the Bible or biblical based morality}

Good advice. Arguing the Bible with someone who doesn't believe it to be God's inspired Word, is a pointless activity.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Arguing the Bible with someone who doesn't believe it to be God's inspired Word, is a pointless activity.

BY GEORGE, YOU'VE GOT IT!

[Kuksool]

I noticed that when ever a religious conservative brings up a Bible verse in a public debate, the opposition quickly uses 2 tactics: (1) Accuse the religious conservative of imposing his/her religion on non-believers and/or (2) Purposely misquote a Bible verse. Thus forcing the conservative to waste time explaining what the Bible verse really means, instead of talking about the real issue at hand.

[Romulus]

Morality doesn’t bind everyone together

But she's right (or half-right), and I'd have thought anyone with a Greek Christian handle would have been specially sensitive to this point. When we're bound together with God, morality becomes irrelevant, for the very reason that God isn't moral. God isn't law-abiding. God just IS, and his essence is both Truth (by virtue of his transcendant existence) and Love (by virtue of revelation, including the revelation implicit in creation's very existence). Salvation that consists of communion with God is not an ethical achievement, but existential -- a mode of being, not acting. Men are meant to be bound to God as sons, not slaves, and therefore in love, and not law.

[MHGinTN]

bump to reason

[luckymom]

Thank you! I'm late into this discussion, but that was my very reaction. I was in a huge high school then (4,000 kids), and I've NEVER known of anyone, or anyone's friend or relative, dying from a "back-alley" abortion.

[Ben Bolt]

This is where you truly state what you are . Who you are .

[Cathryn Crawford]

What do you mean?

[cgk]

Debating with a liberal is like trying to nail jello to a wall.

Yet another outstanding line from you.

[BOOTSTICK]

The author is a complete idiot, as well as a Christian basher.

[Ben Bolt]

Read yourself .