Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen writes in Life Worth Living, “Nothing ever happens in the world that does not first happen inside human hearts.” Abortion is here because first in society’s hearts we’ve accepted lies and now we are propagating those lies to future generations.
Abortion is a hot topic and likely always will be. Hopefully, it won’t always be promoted and legal. As the pro-life movement continues to promote the right to life from conception to natural death, let’s consider what abortion is telling us.
Pro-abortion advocates want us to believe that abortion is all about women’s rights and choice, but what message is the legal ending the life of a child for medical, financial, circumstantial, or genetic reasons telling society?
5 Lies Of Abortion
- You shouldn’t be pregnant unless your life is perfect.
Not true. The reasons offered for abortions to be legal are all about someone’s life not being perfect to support another life. It is not anyone’s fault that we, as humans, procreate by growing another, delicate human being inside of us. That’s just how we are made!
So what if your “ducks” aren’t all “in a row”? Your life will completely change having children anyway. It’s actually an incredible time to transform into a stronger person, however unprepared you may feel.
This lie requiring perfection opens pregnant people up for judgment and causes people who might otherwise want a child to rethink that based on worldly standards of perfection. They might start to think that they aren’t ready and seek an abortion because they are unsupported and nervous, rather than have resources to help with any obstacles or put any “ducks in a row.”
Consider that the word “perfect” itself means complete. Many of us with children would agree that without them our life would be incomplete and, therefore, far from perfect.
- Fertility is an inconvenience, and pregnancy is bad.
On top of promoting the birth control industry, which has horrible side-effects for women (https://catholic-link.org/nfp-not-catholic-birth-control/ )and relationships (https://catholic-link.org/paul-vi-prophetic-warnings-birth-control-humanae-vitae/ ), popular society also demands abortion to be legal. This means that pregnancy is looked down upon two-fold: fertility itself is stunted because it is inconvenient and if you become pregnant you’re just a burden. What about your career? Do you expect maternity leave? Are professors going to allow you to go to class? Is there childcare available? Are adoption agencies going to be able to make this an easy process?
Fertility is a natural thing and a gift. When it leads to pregnancy, that should not be looked upon as a negative burden, but rather a natural, wonderful gift. If the mother isn’t ready, there is someone struggling with fertility who is ready to receive her child. Why can’t we start promoting adoption instead? https://catholic-link.org/love-your-neighbors-worldwide-the-joy-of-adoption/ Why can’t we provide better support for pregnant mothers and promote fatherhood as an honor?
- You need to prove your worth because you are an investment, not a person.
If you were allowed to be born, then what makes you so much better than those who weren’t allowed to be born? It is a reminiscence of dystopian society literature to have standards that if unmet justify the choice to end a life. You must not be conceived in inconvenience, you must not be a burden, and you must not be disabled—otherwise, people might not like you.
A huge downside of legal abortion is that the society where it is legal is saying that these lives that were ended were not chosen because of their unworthy state, but those who are born were deemed worthy and wanted. By consequence, are we going to have to spend the rest of our lives be convenient and accepted?
- It’s not worth living if you’re genetically, mentally, or physically dependent.
If an excuse to abort a child is based on their genetic state, then how can we look at people who are born and living among us in that same state without wondering if we are wrong to allow others like them to be aborted? How can we as a society honestly explain ourselves for aborting children based on imperfect physical or mental capabilities (or the possibility of the latter)?
We’re all different. We’re all imperfect. Some people’s imperfections are just more noticeable than others, and yet they still love fruitful loves because someone loves them.
Furthermore, if someone is permanently injured in an accident or by disease, does that mean their life isn’t worth living? (See our article on the movie “Me Before You” https://catholic-link.org/me-before-you-guide/.) Is life’s value based on having perfect bodies and always-sharp minds?
This is a whole new, horrible level of body shaming. With genetic imperfections as a reason for legal abortions, we’re making the choice for another person that his or her life will not ever be worth it and that anyone currently living with that imperfection must be miserable and we don’t want them in our society. If it was impossible for a child to live, then a miscarriage would have occurred. Otherwise, there is always hope. Let us hope! Let them hope. There is no need for us to deny a person’s chance of happiness by judging their life on their behalf.
That’s simply not acceptable. If someone can’t support a disabled child and is scared, we should be promoting policies for adoption—not abortion—and support of parents with children who are atypical.
- In an advanced, first-world country, we simply can’t bother to use our resources to make those with physical or mental differences feel included.
I thought we moved past shunning people into leper communities or locking people away for being different. We brag about how great we are as a society, but we make being different inconvenient. We should be looking for solutions to disease and disorders; not attempting to justify terminating a pregnancy due to a reason for which we should be able to accommodate. Considering that it is not a child’s fault for being the way they are, why would be as an advanced society punish them for it by taking away their life and unique opportunities?
Iceland thinks it solved the problem of Downs Syndrome by aborting Down Syndrome children. (https://catholic-link.org/down-syndrome-policy-tragically-working/ ) That doesn’t solve anything; that just brushes the genetic disorder under the rug, so to speak. It avoids the issue and all the difficult work it would take for medical research to somehow remove the cause, rather than remove the person affected by it. Let them be born however they form. Let us find the value in life that is lived differently than our own. Let us help each other live healthy, happy lives—mothers and babies.
Or are we just too lazy? Come on, people. We’re a first-world country. We believe everyone has the right to equal opportunity and to be treated without prejudice. Let’s start taking care of people like everyone is a first-class citizen whether born, pregnant, or pre-born!
CHOICE42 – Louise’s Story
More Pro-life Resources
What We Can Learn About Being ProLife From Sts. Zelie And Louis Martin
A Litany Of Pro-life Saints
“We Are the Pro-life Generation” – And Here’s How We’re Proving It!
Want To Be Pro-life? Stop Doing These 10 Things!
Related content:
Early Church on Abortion: Even if it is Legal, It is the Greatest Impiety!
“Women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder…”
20 Things To Remember When Having A Conversation About Abortion
People Are People, Not Choices…Right?
A Powerful Testimony On Forgiveness After Abortion
The Business Of Abortion “Blood Money”
How Does Abortion Look Through The Eyes Of A Child? Touching Responses
What I Wish Nicki Minaj (and others) Knew About Abortion
Abortion: A Modern day Massacre of the Innocents
