The Twenty-First Century Battleground: Man Against Helpless Child

Anti-life political candidates should not be given the opportunity to hold public office in our nation

". . . a new cultural climate is developing and taking hold, which gives crimes against life a new and -- if possible -- even more sinister character, giving rise to further grave concern: broad sectors of public opinion justify certain crimes against life in the name of the rights of individual freedom, and on this basis they claim not only exemption from punishment but even authorization by the State, so that these things can be done with total freedom and indeed with the free assistance of health-care systems" -- Blessed John Paul II, Evangelium vitae 4

GLADE PARK, CO (Catholic Online) -- "And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him" (Gen 4:8). Blessed John Paul II noted that this first murder presented in the Book of Genesis "has universal significance: it is a page rewritten daily, with inexorable and degrading frequency, in the book of human history" (Evangelium vitae 7 § 2).

The blood which cries from the soil for God's vengeance has never before run so deep as it does at present; for today the blood of innocent children is intentionally shed on an horrific and unimaginable scale.

Given the feelings of guilt that should be present, it would seem such an unspeakable evil would be supported only covertly, in hidden places, under cover of night. However, in broad light of day, political candidates and incumbent politicians alike stand before the nation as self-proclaimed proponents of this river of blood. They do so unabashedly, without fear, apparently proud of their conviction to uphold the legal and intentional killing of unborn children as a so-called right.

It is appalling, unacceptable, and shameful. The anti-life agenda is physically, spiritually and emotionally damaging untold millions of women, men and children. Yet is this perceived as a problem by the political adherents of abortion? Nope. Why should it be. It has not been a problem thus far. For decades Americans have flocked to the polls and "punched their cards." We might ask, how did we arrived at this sad state of affairs?

Sin, of course, answers that question. From that point of departure, there are numerous and complex structures of sin engrained in contemporary society which contribute both directly and indirectly to the anti-life ideology. But there is another facet of this problem that should be addressed: it is the notion that abortion is strictly a cultural problem, not a political problem, and therefore cannot and should not be dealt with in the political arena.

There are a number of reasons why such a line of thinking is mistaken. First, it betrays an ignorance of how the judicial system in America functions: the men and women who serve as Supreme Court justices are first nominated by the president and then confirmed by the Senate before they ever dawn their black robes and serve on the nation's highest court. These justices are therefore installed through a political process. Further, prior to their confirmation, the Senate Judiciary Committee questions each candidate concerning their political philosophy, ideology, and whatever else they deem appropriate. Supreme Court justices are therefore chosen by subjective standards. The defeat of Roe v. Wade is as near as the appointment of the next pro-life Supreme Court justices.

We often hear this argument: if we eliminate the anti-life culture, we too will eliminate anti-life politicians. That is, there will be no political candidates who support abortion due to the lack of demand for it. Which brings us to the second issue: many people assume that since abortion is legal it is therefore moral. This should come as no surprise to anyone. Immorality breeds immorality. Legalized abortion perpetuates abortion. If we want to affect positive societal change in which the dignity of the human person is properly respected, the logical and most efficient means of doing so is to protect human life, which presupposes the protection of the lives of innocent children -- something we are obliged to do in any case.

Another point is this: what are we to say to the millions of unborn children who will be intentionally killed in the meantime? That is, while we wait for this hoped for "cultural trickle-down-effect" to take place -- which, given the continued election of anti-life political candidates, could take a very, very long time -- about 1.5 million unborn are forcibly evicted from their mother's womb each year on American soil.

Further, it is quite ridiculous to imagine the "culture of death" will gradually slink off into the distance and disappear, supplanted by the "culture of life" through osmosis, when the positive law continues to support and teach and perpetuate an ideology in which authentic human rights do not exist. Legalized abortion is an evil that will determine to a large extent the future of American society, since it is a direct attack on human life and thus a dangerous undermining force against the health of society. Therefore the continued support and election of anti-life political candidates is a significant factor in the ongoing erosion of cultural norms and values.

The notion that the only remedy to this atrocious situation is to repair the culture from the bottom up, while at the same time ignoring or even supporting those powerful anti-life political forces at work in the public sphere, is a little like insisting the best way to restore an ill person to health is by a strict diet of both nutrients and poisons.

Third, moral consistency places on Catholics and other Christians the obligation to oppose the intrinsic evil of abortion, always and everywhere, since there can be no legitimate separation of our spiritual life of Christian faith from our public life in society -- this, of course, includes the voting booth. The true Christian disciple is not a man or woman who exercises their faith only within the context of religious worship, who then divorces themselves from their Christian beliefs and attitudes the moment they enter the public sphere. Rather, the Christian disciple embraces the truth and lives by it, whatever the social context in which they find themselves, and acts in a manner that is morally coherent with the Gospel. Since abortion is an intrinsic evil and is therefore incompatible with the Christian faith, it must always be opposed.

Fourth, while some Catholics and other Christians readily admit that anti-life political candidates' views concerning the unborn are flawed, they nevertheless suggest the overall character of these candidates to be such that it is possible to easily overlook their support for legalized abortion in favor of their "good intentions concerning other important social issues." Perhaps they have forgotten that human life belongs to God; therefore "whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God himself" (Evangelium vitae 9). And the Council Fathers noted that whatever is opposed to life, such as murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia and so forth, is a supreme dishonor to the Creator (Gaudium et Spes 27).

Here the words of Blessed John Paul II are particularly relevant:

"At the root of every act of violence against one's neighbour there is a concession to the 'thinking' of the evil one, the one who 'was a murderer from the beginning' (Jn 8:44). As the Apostle John reminds us: 'For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother' (1 Jn 3:11-12). Cain's killing of his brother at the very dawn of history is thus a sad witness of how evil spreads with amazing speed: man's revolt against God in the earthly paradise is followed by the deadly combat of man against man" (Evangelium vitae 8 § 4).

In the twenty-first century, the river of blood runs deepest in the deadly combat of man against helpless child. Americans must rise above this despicable and abominable evil. Anti-life political candidates should not be given the opportunity to hold public office in our nation, since by their words and actions they have openly declared their opposition to the right to life: the foundation of society and the basis upon which human freedom stands.

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F. K. Bartels is a Catholic writer who knows his Catholic Faith is one of the greatest gifts a man could ever receive. He is a contributing writer for Catholic Online. Visit him also at catholicpathways.com

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