Anti-Life terrorist sentenced, forgiven

A self-described "pro-choice terrorist" has been sentenced to almost 4 years in prison for plotting to kill pro-life advocates Fr. Frank Pavone and Princeton University's Robert George. Theodore Shulman threatened to attack and harm the men on his blog in January 2010. 

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Shulman was serious. When he was arrested, police found poison in various forms, including cyanide, rosary peas, and castor beans, all which are fatal if ingested. 

He also made a number of statements of his intent, including a claim that if Scott Roeder, a man who killed the abortion doctor George Tiller, were to be acquitted, then Pavone and George would be killed. 

Shulman ran a very militant blog site where he routinely advocated the use of violence to suppress and intimidate prominent members of the right-to-life community.

Fr. Pavone told LifeSiteNews in an interview that he has forgiven Shulman and that he prays for the man every day. He added, "I also renew, with my friend Bill Baird, known as the Father of the Pro-Choice movement, the joint statement we made years ago rejecting hatred and violence in word and deed between those on opposite sides of the abortion issue." 

It must be understood that the threat of violence, and violent acts, including murder, are deeply and morally wrong. This is what makes abortion so abhorrent. However, vigilante murder, even in the name of life, is also morally wrong. 

The path forward should not be fraught with threats and intimidation, but rather it should be straightened by education, understanding, and love. 

Ft. Pavone has set the standard, by publicly forgiving and praying for his tormentor. We should all follow this call and forgive and pray for Shulman, in the hopes that he too can come to a knowledge of the truth concerning the dignity of every human life and the call to compassion while abandoning the way of evil and death. 

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