Speaking Up for Life

Since its very beginning, the Christian Church has taught that a procured abortion is an act that contradicts the will of God. It cannot be justified because it clearly violates the Law of God, the moral law of the One who created the first human beings in His own image and ordered them to, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth… (Genesis 1:27—28, ESV).”
Throughout history, there have been governments that have instituted human laws which violate the divine laws. In these cases, where governments defy and overtly break God’s Law, God’s people have a moral duty and political right to publicly speak up and peaceably contest (which is recognized in the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights) and to civilly advocate for change within the society or government.
One of the greatest defenders of human life in the late twentieth century was Pope John Paul II. He was a man who provided exemplary leadership for the Christian Church, articulating the truth movingly, and presenting the beauty of the Church’s teaching throughout all times and places. He opposed evil, tyrannical forces with a grace and fortitude that is rare among ecclesiastical leaders. One of his papal contributions to the universal Christian Church is the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
In the section on abortion, it is stated: “The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation.” Drawing on a document from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the seriousness of failing to provide unborn children with equal protection under the law is observed: “When the State does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a State based on law are undermined. (CCC #2273).”
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed laws which lead to an increase in the availability and practice of abortion. Proponents of the legislation argued the laws concern bodily autonomy and relate to what they call “reproductive freedom,” reiterating the claim that American women have a fundamental right to an abortion. The proponents of abortion have obfuscated or relativized the truth about abortion, ignoring the undeniable fact that an abortion ends a human life.
On the morning of January 13, 1987, the remains of 13 aborted babies were found in a dumpster outside a clinic in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Reporters from newspapers and television stations in the Twin Cities covered the story, documenting this tragic and chilling what had happened, while many just wanted it to remain hidden. On January 16, a funeral service was held, and a dignified burial was given for the bodies of these little ones in Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights. Among the nearly 500 people who attended the services that day was a woman who had two abortions herself. She said she was able to finally grieve for her children that day, having been unable to acknowledge or address the loss in her life.
Holy Scripture teaches us that the almighty God who created us has sent His Son to redeem us, to save us from the sins which we have all committed. Our human tendency is to run from this truth. But the Good Sheperd is seeking us and will find where we hide; He does not want anyone to suffer the natural and eternal consequences of our wrongdoing. He heals the sin-sick soul, making what is broken whole and giving all who believe in Him eternal life.