The Right to Life

As I put together the words for this blog, hundreds of thousands of people are gathering at the National Mall in Washington DC, for the annual March for Life. The obviously polarized (and polarizing) media have already been stooped in its coverage since it was announced that President Donald Trump would make an appearance at the rally today – a first in the history of the March. Debates about the size of the crowd, the sincerity of the President’s intentions, and also all the usual arguments from both sides of the issue have been in full swing for a few days already.

All the language seems to be the same every year, and each year we just add new faces, names, and specifics to the argument. Frequently the discussion moves away from the specific issue of abortion and into all the other issues. “The left” says things like, “you worry about things like abortion while innocent children are locked in cages at the border.” Meanwhile “the right” says things like, “you worry about the treatment of children at the border but have no concern for the innocent life in the womb.” The guy in the middle says, “all life is important, both the one in the womb and the one in the cage at the border.”

The guy in the middle hits the nail on the head in many ways. All life is important. All life is in fact SACRED. The life of every human person: born and unborn, regardless of age, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, social class, political or religious affiliation – and all the other particularities you can imagine – are all, 100 percent, completely and solemnly sacred. The life of the woman who has had an abortion is SACRED. The life of those who support abortion and those who preform them are SACRED. All life, means all life.

However, today’s events are not about “life” as a general concept. It is about the life of the unborn, and a national reality. We need to admit that, because that is important.

Today is about the anniversary of a ruling that enshrined the right to abortion in law, and in doing so, we became a nation that allows the extermination of innocent life in the womb, before it is given a chance to take its first breath. If that is our baseline, why should we be surprised at any other instance where life is not respected?

Our Constitution speaks of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Take note which of the three is listed first! We can have life without liberty, or the freedom to pursue happiness. We can have life and the freedom to pursue happiness without true liberty (isn’t that the story of the suffering addict). However if someone does not have life, the other two are impossible. The right to life is the fundamental human right, as articulated by the Constitution, multiple Sacred Texts of different faiths, and by a rightly formed conscious.

Today is about courage.

Today is about having the courage to speak up and give voice in defense of those who cannot speak for themselves. Today is about recognizing that standing up for the unborn may in fact mean receiving the derision and criticism of others. Today is about separating this fundamental issue from all the political agendas and platforms, and embracing it for what it truly is.

The March for Life is perhaps the most beautiful display of diversity that we have on that National Mall. In that crowd marching today you will find an amazing mix of people. People of every demographic you can imagine come together and express their common support for life. Among banners I have seen in past years include: LGBT, abortion survivors, people who were conceived through rape, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Protestants and Christians of every sort, Democrats, and women who have themselves had abortions – to name a few.

Today is NOT about shaming or judging women who have had abortions in the past, or tearing down people who disagree with our view. Today is not about any of us who are alive today at all…today is about the unborn, and about the particular right to life that currently is not a reality in our nation.

We all need to take time to think about that, and what that means. We need to take time to think about that apart from our politics, fears, and even our religious affiliations. We need to think about it for what it is, in and of itself: and then we need to embrace the courage to give voice to the voiceless.

To those “clergy” of the Christian faith who brush this issue aside as unimportant: shame on you. To those “Christian clergy” who openly promote a pro-choice stance – you are, in fact, not Christian. To reject the truth that life begins in the womb is to reject the truth of the incarnation. If we do not believe in the incarnation, how can we call ourselves Christian?

Today may we all have the courage to take that good long, difficult look at this fundamental issue in our nation. May we truly see it for what it is. Today is not a day that is about party lines: it’s about the unborn. Today is not even about all the peripheral discussions of either "side" of this issue: planned parenthood (and what they do or don't do), the need to provide better supports for struggling families, the contraception battle, communion for politicians or how I vote. Today is about one simple reality: that the right to life is our fundamental human right, and it is current legal in this nation to deny that right to anyone.

If this topic fires up guilt – lets work together to heal that guilt and move forward in the truth.

If this topic makes you uncomfortable, good, it should.

We already know this topic brings up a thousand questions in terms of realistic solutions - but we aren't even there yet. Let's come together on the main issue first, then we can find solutions. Let's agree that as a nation we have a serious problem.

There is a quote by Niemöller that is frequently used to justify advocacy for various groups:

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

I would add a point to ponder:

Then they came for the unborn, and I did not speak out- because I forgot that I was once one of them.