Bishop John T. Steinbock
There is talk by some politicians of finding common ground regarding the abortion issue. This common ground could be such things as parental rights regarding minors and outlawing partial birth abortion. With both of these issues the vast majority of Americans are in accord, but some of those seeking common ground are not even in agreement on these two issues. It is difficult to find common ground when the rights of one of the parties that is being considered, the unborn, are categorically denied.
The exercise of all human rights must be balanced with the rights of others. One of the very purposes of government is to assure the rights of people, and where there is an apparent conflict of rights, to balance those rights through its laws, enacted through the legislative process. This process was bypassed when in 1972 the Supreme Court’s
Roe v. Wade decision denied the right to life of all unborn children. At that time, the Supreme Court took those rights away and took the issue of abortion out of the hands of the American people and out of the democratic process. Two of our highest American values were denied: the God given inalienable right to life and equal protection under the law.
Common ground could certainly be found in working together to eradicate the many causes that often force women to seek abortion, taking away their very freedom and right to bear their own children. Amongst those causes are the breakdown of the family (and I mean one man and one woman forming that family); the lack of good education in so many of our poorer areas; the lack of good job opportunities and a just wage; affordable childcare, affordable housing and affordable health care. What mostly needs to be promoted is respect for marriage and the family, respect for human life, respect for one’s own dignity and of one’s own sexuality, and respect for the physical expression of intimate love for bringing forth life within the commitment of marriage.
Seeing what our children are bombarded with everyday in the media, and now in our public schools, as well as new bills being introduced into legislatures throughout the country, ignoring our traditional American ethics and values, this is a real uphill struggle. With reason the Pro-life movement is more important now in our country than ever. Pro-life work is not only about saving the unborn, but it is about helping to move our culture of death and hedonism to a culture of life and respect for oneself and others. I give special thanks to all those involved in the pro-life movement and ask God’s blessings on all of you and your families. Changing our society to reflect the goodness and love of God is the work of us all, and it begins with prayer, as all is dependent on God’s grace to touch hearts, where change alone can begin.