February 1, 2013

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By Fr John Parker

 

I walked in a sea of a half-million people.  I had never been in a crowd that size—though equally impressive was walking against the tide of 10,000 Muslims prayerfully leaving the old city of Jerusalem on a Friday in Ramadan in 2008.  There were people everywhere—the streets were ‘wall to wall’ with marchers.  Some climbed trees to see and hear speakers encouraging the crowds in the middle of the Mall, the United States Capitol in the backdrop.  Bus after bus dropped off Pro-life supporters who came from near and far to rally for the sanctity of human life, particularly with respect to abortion.

 

The arctic cold rapidly chilled us all, before the snow showers began about half-way through the four-hour event.  The freezing temperatures and stiff wind did not deter.  There were groups processing with signs and placards.  There were choral groups singing sacred hymns.  There was even a marching band!  Several groups, including ours, had spontaneous prayer services along the route to the steps of the Supreme Court.

 

Among the crowds, I heard languages from around the world.  I met a young couple who had come from Minnesota—the woman had ridden a bus from Nebraska in previous years.  In addition to the 10 or more Orthodox Christian bishops and countless lay people with whom I walked, there was at least one Roman Catholic Cardinal present, dozens, if not hundreds of Orthodox and Roman Catholic priests, pastors from several Protestant denominations including at least one Anglican Archbishop, and scores of young people.  With us was an Archbishop from Ethiopia, and seminarians from Jerusalem, Austria, and Romania.  In a most remarkable way, the world was present in Washington, DC, on Friday, January 25, for the 40th March for Life 

 

When I saw the front-page photo in the Washington Post that said, “Anti-abortion activists protest in front of the Supreme Court”, I thought to myself, “Does that describe me? Is that what we did?  Am I an ‘anti-abortion activist’?  Did I protest?”  I have never considered myself to be a “protester”; I have never been to a march.  Am I an activist? 

 

For me, this being the first March for Life that I have ever seen and in which I have participated, it was a half-day experience of supporting the underpinning concept of the inherent sanctity of human life—the protection of the unborn ‘weakest’ members of our society.  “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” came to mind.  Simultaneously the event was a chance for me to observe, though from the inside, what the March is all about. 

 

Haunting concepts arose.  For example, there were folks who made a cogent point, asking:  when is a fetus a human life and when is it a blob of tissue?  Answer:  According to many, it is a blob of tissue when it is unwelcome, unplanned, unwanted, or inconvenient.

 

Several statistics of the day have struck me to the core.  For example, it is widely reported that since Roe v Wade, there have been 55,000,000 abortions in the United States.  To put number in perspective—that would be the equivalent of killing every man, woman, and child in the state of South Carolina annually for 12 years. 

 

Each year in the USA there are roughly 1.2 million abortions—more deaths, by 500, than the 9/11 attacks, daily.   This would equal the death of every student at Burke high school, five times, every single day. 

 

When confronted with numbers and statistics like this, it is understandable that numbers of people would become what the Washington Post labeled “anti-abortion activists”.  (I wonder such media has not accepted the term “Pro-Life”, or why, if it insists on renaming what others have named, that it does call ‘the other side’ “Pro-abortion”.) 

 

Still, though, statistics also reveal a terrible inner-conflict for Christians: for every one finger they point at others, more than 3 point back at themselves.   65% of all aborted children are aborted by self-described Christians.  Specifically, 37% are Protestant, and 28% Roman Catholic.  If Christians alone would follow the teachings of Jesus, 2275 lives per day would be saved.  That would be a Wando High School full of children about every other day.

 

The March for Life opened my eyes to see the complex intricacies of abortion in the public sphere—a meeting of politics, social agendas, and religion.  In a rather blunt way, it also help me to observe on the one hand just how strong the support is to defend the sanctity of life, and on the other hand just how gravely Roe v Wade has impacted our country. 

 

It likewise highlighted for me just how much work Christians have to do under their own Christian roofs. What reasons do Christians offer for their abortions?  At the heart of Christianity is an obligation, in faith, to be as equally concerned (if not more so) about responsibilities than about rights.  To be bearers, protectors and choosers of life, rather than purveyors of death.

 

Finally, the March for Life reminded me that Christians, at heart, are ‘pro-choice’ people.  From the days of Moses himself, there have been “two ways to live”.  There have always been, for all men and women, two choices from which to choose:  Good or bad, right or wrong, blessings or curses, life or death.

 

The vast, vast majority, almost rounding others to nil, of pregnancies (which end by abortion) occur by some impassioned, self-indulgent, out-of-wedlock sexual encounter.  Which of us believes that men and women are not free to make such choices?  But from the Christian view, if and once “that” choice is made, and a woman is pregnant, rights must be subjected to responsibilities, and life must reign.