Love, the heart of the Gospel message, is also the heart of the pro-life movement

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

It has been said, quite rightly, that the pro-life case can be made in purely secular terms. In other words, someone could be an atheist, and still believe in the sanctity of human life. But it is also important to note that people of faith have additional reasons for supporting the pro-life cause, based on Scripture and religious teaching.

While perusing the Sunday bulletin from my church, I came across an interesting piece by a woman named Ruth Weber of Davenport, Iowa. Weber deftly addressed the issue of minors having abortions.

“Minors need parental consent to have their ears pierced. Minors need parental consent before caregivers can give them an aspirin or their prescribed medicine. Minors need parental consent to go into the military. Minors need parental consent to marry.

“Why then is Planned Parenthood (the nation’s largest abortion operation) so against parental consent before they perform abortions on minor girls? I will tell you why—they will lose money! Planned Parenthood is big business.”

Weber also wrote about the clear-cut nature of the issue of abortion.

“There is no common ground here. You are either pro-life or pro-death. A baby is a gift from God to be loved and cherished—not be thrown back in His Face.”

Love…the heart of the Gospel message…is also the heart of the pro-life movement. As pro-life advocates, we love mother and child…father and uncle…grandmother and grandfather. It is a love without limits and without qualifications.

Weber summed up her argument with this succinct observation: “A baby has a right to life and a right to expect that we, our judges and our laws, will protect them.”

And in that simple statement lies an undying truth: in a civilized society, we have the obligation to protect the most vulnerable from harm. That is why, in addition to pro-life ministry, we need protective pro-life laws.

Laws—and the love behind them—save lives.