Guest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
One of the key events in the upcoming weeks as pro-life Americans gather in marches, rallies and educational conferences surrounding the 53rd anniversary of the now reversed Roe v. Wade decision is the National Prayer Service, an interdenominational gathering in Constitution Hall on the morning of the March for Life in Washington, D.C., Friday, January 23rd.
Among the notable features of this year’s service, pro-life leaders will point to the 250th birthday of America in 2026, marked by the Declaration of Independence, acknowledging God as the source of our right to life, and the government as responsible for securing it.
‘This prevalent and callous disregard for innocent human life indicates that America has, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “forgotten God.”’
An awareness of the spiritual roots of the problem, furthermore, indicates the path to a solution.
For decades, the movement has asserted – and rightly so – that science itself makes clear that the child in the womb is a human being, one of us.
Moreover, ethical reasoning even by those who have little or no faith is capable of concluding that it is wrong, and harmful to society, to kill babies in the womb. The experiences of those who have done so, and the evident harm to individuals and families, reinforces this conclusion of human reasoning.
At this point in the history of our movement, we have made that very clear, and there is hardly any dissent within the movement. Pro-life advocates are routinely trained on how to make their arguments to a secular audience, and how to refute the assertion so often made by abortion supporters that “this is just a religious issue.”
But now we risk going too far down the road of pointing out the “human reason alone/secular arguments” perspective.
We are in danger of under-emphasizing a key and essential component of victory for the pro-life movement, namely, its religious basis.
Religious faith is alive in America. Most Americans do in fact believe in God, pray, and read the Bible.
So why should these key aspects of their lives be disconnected from their pro-life position?
While reason alone can conclude that abortion kills a baby and is wrong, the arguments from Faith clarify and reinforce that truth. God made human beings in his own image. God became a human being himself in Christ. Jesus Christ gives human life a place on his throne. And God’s Spirit empowers us to save lives by laying our lives down for our brothers and sisters just as the Son of God did.
As confusion reigns in our world today, the light of Faith is more necessary than ever to rescue human reason from the fog of sin. God’s Word and grace are more necessary than ever to enable people to tap into the strength they need to persevere in the hard work, and face the persecution involved, in striving to restore protection to the unborn.
Moreover, while it is one thing to persuade people of the truth of the pro-life position, it is quite another to have the perseverance to endure the sacrifices, over years and decades, that are necessary to actually protect those lives, change public policy, and heal the wounds of abortion. The strength, grace, and virtue to do this come from religion and faith in God.
Nothing can be farther from the truth.
And fortunately, religious faith will in fact be on full display, not only at the National Prayer Service, but at the March itself, as crosses, rosaries, religious clothing, and signs with Scripture quotes will be evident to all who look.
Even in San Francisco, on the day after the D.C. March, the Walk for Life West Coast will be marked by vigorous religious expression.
Many are concerned that clergy don’t speak up enough about abortion. Maybe part of the reason is that we’ve been tacitly, if not explicitly, telling them that religious arguments have no place in the pro-life debate.
So let’s gather to march, and let’s gather to pray! Hope to see you at the National Prayer Service!
Prolife Leader Frank Pavone is the National Director of Priests for Life and President of Prolife Vote.
For more information on the political work of Priests for Life, see our c-4, ProLife Vote.
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