The first time I remember defending the preborn was back home in Colorado. I was probably in middle school at the time, and my father held the belief that abortion was okay in cases of rape and incest. This really got to me because if a preborn child conceived by two consenting parents could live, then why couldn’t a preborn child conceived in rape or incest live? Afterall, both persons were created by God, and if you were to show anyone photos of both preborn children, no one would be able to tell you which person was conceived by consent and which one was conceived in an act of violence.
So I made the following argument to my father: God is the only one Who can bring life into this world and He’s the only one Who can take life out of it.
Now it didn’t take much for my father to come to this obvious understanding – that all humans have the right to life – but it wasn’t something he had given much thought to prior to our conversation. I say this because there are millions of people out there who believe what my father believed, and yet, the answer to why abortion is wrong in cases of rape and incest has been in front of them all along.
As faithful Catholics, it’s our inherent duty to defend the dignity of human life – especially the preborn. We know what the Church teaches on abortion, but for some reason or another, we have sidestepped our call to action to protect the preborn. Being a voice for the voiceless isn’t a once-a-year ordeal; being a defender of life means bearing witness to the reality of the horrors of abortion that occur in our country everyday.
Since speaking with my father about abortion, I have become heavily involved in pro-life efforts to make abortion unthinkable. I had the opportunity to work for a nationally-recognized nonprofit pro-life organization for a year as the Social Media and Development Associate, and now, being a part of Human Life Action, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to continue defending the most vulnerable as the organization’s Social Media Coordinator.
Human Life Action, an initiative of NCHLA, “believes in the inherent dignity of every life and the power of every American to raise his or her voice in defense of the vulnerable.” While there’s much work to be done with promoting a culture of life on social media, I’m excited to be a part of a team that is dedicated to helping millions of people be heard on Capitol Hill in defense of the life.
You don’t have to be protesting outside a Planned Parenthood facility in order to fulfill your duty as a faithful Catholic. You can pray your daily Rosary, offering up intentions for the preborn and their moms. You can volunteer at your local pregnancy center. You can even write a pro-life blog encouraging people to get involved in the movement. Wherever your niche is, do it well and be committed to the cause, because our preborn brothers and sisters are counting on you!
