While tens of thousands of anti abortion protesters rallied for the “March for Life” in the Nation’s Capitol on January 22 to mark the 30th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade a small group of abortion rights supporters were also holding a counter-demonstration at the Supreme Court. “Not the church, not the state, women must decide their fate!” they chanted while holding a banner that read, “It’s MY BODY & MY BUSINESS AND IT’S NO ONE ELSE’S BUSINESS BUT MINE!!”
Considering these quotes I am struck by how differently each side of the abortion issue uses our common language to define their positions. I guess in all fairness one has to admit that the pro-life people have an easier chore. We can use language in a straightforward manner. We believe that life begins at conception and that it must be protected. We believe that no one has the right to terminate a life and that it is within the province of governmental authority to protect life in the womb as well as life outside the womb. The pro-life position is clear in this regard and is in no need of obfuscatory language to defend it.
On the other hand, the abortion rights position constantly engages in arguments that obscure a fully developed exposition of their own rationale — their rationale being that it is only their bodies and fate that are at stake. The issue is formulated in feminist terms such as a woman’s equal rights, a woman’s decision about her own fate, a woman’s body and business and no one else’s. If only this were all true, I would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in protest. But the fact is, once a woman becomes pregnant, she is no longer dealing solely with her own fate or body.
Whether one believes in God or not, the indisputable fact of our human nature is that the miracle of life begins and is nurtured in a woman’s body from the moment of conception to the moment of birth. In effect, she becomes the trustee of that life within her and assumes responsibilities toward that unborn child that are uniquely hers. She becomes a mother.
The “pro-choice” mindset becomes desensitized by referring to life in the womb as a zygote, embryo or fetus. It’s much easier to terminate a zygote than an unborn child whose heart began to beat within 28 days after conception. I highly recommend a recently published book, From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds, to all women contemplating having an abortion. The authors magnificently illustrate and explain the splendor and beauty of a child’s growth in the womb as seen through unforgettable images made possible by revolutionary advances in visualization technology.
The national debate needs to become more civilized and comprehensive. Both sides screaming at each other from opposite sides of the street has gotten us nowhere. President Bush has a unique opportunity to deal with this issue and should start to explain his Administration’s position in greater depth. Sound bites are not going to change people’s hearts. We need to establish a national priority that focuses on educating our children in pregnancy prevention and also deals with more compassionate ways of assisting those women who are dealing with unwanted pregnancies. The 40,000,000 lives that have been sacrificed to the abortionist’s knife over the past 30 years are a sad testimony to how far our society still has to go before it can be described as great.
Domenick Morda is a Secular Franciscan trying to live a Gospel-inspired life. You can email him at carlfurillo@aol.com.
