Why should we bother changing the law instead of just accepting it? Fallible men make the laws that have been placed in this country. We have had laws in the past that would not be acceptable today, but were perfectly acceptable back in history. For example, we used to be able to buy and sell slaves. we had separate schools for whites and blacks, we allowed very young children to work long hours in factories, and we did not allow blacks or women to vote. All of these took away human rights from individuals. Our country is not infallible, and we do make mistakes, but we also have the capacity to learn and correct our mistakes.
SHORT FILM – “Volition” – by T Jara Morgan
What are the three groups and how do they view the reality of man? What do they believe is the call or purpose of man? How do they feel about the dignity of each person?
“I am pro-life, but I can’t force my morality on someone else.” Those who simply do not want to stand up or get involved with pro-life work often say this statement. This is the epitome of relativism; to say that even though someone has the truth, that abortion is the killing of a person, they do not want to push this truth on someone else. Whether someone refuses to speak up or not does not change the truth, and just because someone says they do not believe in something that is true, does not make it untrue. Morality is “pushed” on all of us everyday, and we do not see it as a bad thing. If someone is breaking the law and commits crimes, we enforce the law and give them a ticket or put them in jail. All law is a form of someone’s morality or lack of morality. The direct killing of an innocent life (murder) is not only against the civil law but is against the Natural Law. The Natural Law is common to all people in all places. All people whether they believe in God or not, understand that the killing of an innocent person is wrong. If we knew our friend was in trouble, we would call out for help. In our country, thousands are in life or death situations due to abortion and we must call for help.
What if the child does not have a chance of living long once he/she is born? It is still never acceptable to kill that child. “Aborting a handicapped child is always a serious crime, even if it is done with the intention of sparing that person suffering later on.”[i] Those few precious seconds outside of the womb are a time for the baby to be baptized and bond with his or her family.
MUSIC – “Anne Faustina – by Angela Ausmus Gill
There are many testimonies of how a son or daughter, brother or sister only lives a few minutes or days. One story is that of Samuel Francis, who lived only 10 minutes. In the 10 minutes that he lived, Samuel Francis united family members and touched many lives. Family members reflected that Samuel Francis accomplished in 10 minutes, what some people can’t accomplish in 80 or 90 years. Even unborn children who are miscarried have a tremendous effect on the lives of their love ones. The song “Anne Faustina” was written by the mother who miscarried her unborn child.
When did abortion become legal in America? Abortion became legal in the United States on January 22, 1973 with the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade. Soon after, a second Supreme Court case, Doe v. Bolton, helped strengthen abortion rights.
How many abortions have occurred since it was legalized in America? Since 1973, approximately 53 million surgical abortions have occurred in the United States alone. That equals over 3,000 babies killed in the womb each day. One third of the current generation has been lost due to abortion. To put this into perspective, the number of babies being killed by abortion is roughly the same amount of people who died on September 11th. Twice as many babies are killed in the womb than those who die in the United States from heart disease, which is the biggest health killer. Remember, these numbers are just for surgical abortions that we know of; there are millions more who have died due to contraceptives and unknown abortions that are not documented.
ACTIVITY – The Numbers
On a poster board put the following numbers: 7,000 (Drowning), 12,000 (Drunk Driving), 30,000 (Suicide), 164,000 (Lung Cancer), 572,000 (Breast Cancer), and 1,095,000 (Abortion). On the front of the board put the number, and on the back put the cause. Have six volunteers stand up and hold the signs. There are several ways you can run this activity. One-way would be to ask individuals to guess which number is the amount of abortions. If they get it wrong the poster is turned around until the correct number is chosen. Another option (and our personal choice as the best option) is to announce a cause like “drunk driving” and see if anyone can guess the match, once the match is found the person holding the number would sit down facing the group, holding the number while leaving the abortion figure until the end. Please check the validity of numbers each year to make sure that are legitimate, these numbers are estimates for America only.
How has abortion affected America? Blessed Mother Theresa says it best. "America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called ‘right’ to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts -- a child -- as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters. And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign."[ii] It has been said that when Blessed Mother Theresa and Hilary Clinton met, Hilary asked Blessed Mother Theresa, why she thought there has not been a woman president. Mother Theresa said that America has probably aborted her. Whether this story is true or false, it causes us to think about the reality of what all the aborted children would have grown up to be and what impact they would make on the lives of all Americans and all people.
Search: Fatherlessness
Can one be forgiven if they have had (or cooperated in) an abortion? Yes, of course. “I would now like to say a special word to women, who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors, which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened, and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over the humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and to his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone’s right to life. Through your commitment to life, whether by accepting the birth of other children or by welcoming and caring for those most in need of someone to be close to them, you will become promoters of a new way of looking at human life.”[iii] Two groups that help bring about necessary healing and forgiveness is Rachel’s Vineyard which is a retreat for mothers and fathers who have had abortions and Silent No More, which is an organization of mothers and fathers who have had abortions who speak the truth about their suffering, pain and healing. If there is someone in our lives we know who has had abortion or helped someone have abortion, and now is seeking forgiveness and healing we must do all that we can to find them the support and help they need.
What happens to the soul of an aborted baby? This remains a mystery to us. While it is true that one must be baptized to enter into heaven, we do not overlook God’s mercy and love, especially on those who did not even have a chance to be baptized. “The Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children, which caused him to say: ‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder them.’[iv] Allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.”[v]
[i] YOUCAT 384
[ii] Mother Theresa -- "Notable and Quotable," Wall Street Journal, 2/25/94, p. A14
[iii] Evangelium Vitae 93.1
[iv] Mk. 10:14
[v] CCC 1261