As someone who has been in the pro-life movement since I learned what the word “abortion” meant, I can sometimes find it difficult to relate to pro-choicers. I often exclaim in exasperation, “How could they think that? How could someone believe that?” To cut through the thick fog of propaganda most people have been fed all their thinking lives, what we really have to get to is THE HUMAN PERSON.
THE HUMAN PERSON.
“…the person is a good towards which the only proper and adequate attitude is love” – Pope Saint John Paul II
Who are you? I’m a human person. I gather, if you’re reading this, you are too. You have a human body with human DNA (unique to you and maybe a twin), cells, and organs. I also happen to believe you have a soul. You think. Even if you didn’t think, I wouldn’t slight you for that. The body is how human beings relate to each other. I understand you may have heard catchphrases, learned concepts, and you may be hurting. I get that. I’m a human person.
Sometimes it’s easy to dehumanize those we protest against while we are busy fighting for the humanity of the pre-born.
When we’re fed propaganda about a population, it’s easy to dehumanize them. These people cease to be humans in your mind’s eye. They become tissue, or angry protesters. I’m going to suggest that I think it’s important to cut through the propaganda in this movement. Increase our credibility. Be real. Live in reality. It’s easy to forget our “proper attitude” towards “them” should be love. Love through truth and love through charity.
If we’re going to change minds and hearts about the abortion issue we need to show the truth, cut through all the “It’s my body” and “Get your rosaries off my ovaries” propaganda and bring humanity back to the issue. It’s also important for the other side to realize that feelings and sensitivities aren’t as important as human lives.
The fetus is a human person with an innate dignity. It’s a delusion to believe that murdering a pre-born human with abortion is normal and acceptable. It’s not okay to murder a human being. Bottom line.
The pro-choice protester is also a human person with an innate dignity. It’s also a delusion to believe that pro-choicers are all evil loving murderers.
Maybe one day, they can shake hands. Like humans.