Words of wisdom as we march for babies and their moms
On Friday, January 19, pro-life people from all across America will participate in the 51st March for Life. The theme this year is “with every woman, for every child.”
This beautiful theme highlights one of the truths about those of us who fight against abortion. We truly care about both the mom and the baby. This has always been the case. One need only look at the number of pro-life pregnancy centers in the US to prove this.
According to the Lozier Institute—the research and education institute of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America—in 2021, there were nearly 3,000 pro-life pregnancy centers. What do they do? They “provide essential and professional care to vulnerable women and youth on a free or low-cost basis.” This includes medical care, pregnancy care and education, material assistance, and so much more!
Thousands of people donate their time, talents, and treasures to these centers to help moms choose life for their babies. They do this out of selflessness and love. So it’s only fitting that, during this year’s March for Life, we remind people of the availability of these services and remind them of this love.
And as we prepare to march, we also want to reflect on the words of wisdom of five leaders in the faith or pro-life movement—the people who have dedicated their lives to helping moms, to saving babies, or to teaching others about the sanctity of life. Their words and their examples inspire us to keep fighting day after day to create a culture that values and protects all human beings.
1. Judie Brown, president of American Life League, recently said, “We are not fighting to end abortion; we are fighting to restore respect for the dignity of the human person. The only way that we can succeed is to place our confidence in God and then defend His truth without apology.”
Indeed. If we don’t teach our culture the value of all human beings, people will continue to see no problem with killing the most vulnerable among us.
2. Ryan Bomberger, founder of the Radiance Foundation, said, “Abortion is slavery. It enslaves spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally and culturally.”
We see this every time we witness a woman screaming “my body, my choice” or “bans off my body.” It’s almost as if she has invisible shackles that not only prevent her from understanding the truth but that blind her from seeing the humanity of the baby whose death she is advocating for. Killing a tiny preborn baby is believed by many to be a “right” and a necessary good. This belief has permeated our culture, infected the soul of our nation, and encouraged so many woman—and men—to worship at the altar of child sacrifice. The only way we can break these chains is through education and by speaking the truth in love.
3. St. Teresa of Calcutta once lamented, “Abortion kills twice. It kills the body of the baby and it kills the conscience of the mother. Abortion is profoundly anti-woman.”
If we truly want to help mothers, we will protect them from a society that encourages them to kill their children and that assures them there will be no physical or emotional consequences.