Voting Pro-Life, Why?

Fr. Paul L. Berschied, Parochial Vicar

In last month’s Communications we explained the teaching of the Church regarding the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death. This teaching is not new but is to be found time and again throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The Church of our Lord Jesus Christ has never strayed from this teaching because it has been given to us by God the Father, reiterated by God the Son and is protected by God the Spirit.

Clearly then it is our duty to vote for candidates and issues that validate the pro-life message of God that is found in the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. This is not a religious issue. This is an issue of creation which is grounded in God’s Divine Plan for all of humanity, which was recognized by our founding Fathers. Our Constitution states that we all have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. As good American citizens and citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) we must protect life at all stages.

When we vote for individuals who hold positions that favor killing babies in the womb, or allowing babies who survive abortion to die without medical help, or killing babies for the sake of stem cell research or killing adults who are sick and old, then we are not conforming our lives and wills to the Will of the Father. God has freely chosen men and women to be partners with Him in creation and salvation. He allows us to create new life with Him. God obviously prefers that children be born of stable marriages; however, He will not violate His own gift of freedom to us. Even if there is a conception of new life occurs outside a stable marriage, God will not deny that physical form the animating principle of life – the soul, which only He can give. Instead God favors life and grants to the child that is conceived all of His love and grace for happiness in this world and in heaven.

We sometimes forget that Mozart was the product of woman of ill-repute and that Oprah Winfrey is a product of rape. These two individuals are certainly great successes in human terms and they are not the only ones that can be cited. Have we killed by abortion the person who would have cured cancer or developed an alternative fuel for industry or found the cure for some other disease, or brought about a modern invention that would help the progress of human development? The average number of abortions in the United States alone is over 1.2 million every year – 1,200,000+ – every year!!

How can we ever achieve true peace and equality in our country if we seek to kill the most defenseless of God’s creations – children in the womb and old and infirm adults? Jesus has told us that we will be judged by every action and deed that we do. We must not violate the great gift of Life that is given to us by God the Father, in and through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.