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Pro-Life Homily Talking Points

Opposition to abortion is at the heart of the church’s social justice teachings. Without respect for the most helpless and vulnerable of human beings, respect for all others doesn’t mean much. In addition to killing children, abortion hurts women as individuals and as a whole, and it hurts society. To be against abortion is to be for social justice for women and children.

• Please do not forget that whenever you speak on this issue there will be people in the congregation who have been personally touched by abortion. Remember to speak with compassion for those who are suffering, and offer post-abortion healing to those who seek God’s peace. Post-abortion healing options include secular and spiritual programs (the Catholic Church’s Project Rachel, for example), the sacrament of Reconciliation, Mass, counseling (St. Charles’s pastoral counseling), etc.

Here are some talking points to assist you in creating your homilies:

1. Scripture and Ecclesiastical References:
   1. Scripture References:
      Isaias 49:1; Isaias 49:2. Psalms 139: 14-15; Psalms 71:6; Luke 1:15; Luke 1:44; Isaias 48:8.

   2. Encyclicals
      
      1. The Splendor of Truth
      2. The Gospel of Life
      3. Of Human Life
      4. On The Dignity and Vocation of Women
      5. On Christian Marriage

   3. Letters
      1. Doctrinal Note On Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life
      2. U.S. Catholic Bishops Resolution on Abortion, 1989 (Abortion is the "fundamental" human rights issue for all men and women of good will)

2. Negative Effects of Abortion on Mother:

   1. Psychological
      Includes guilt feelings, depression, suicidal urges, substance abuse, nightmares and other manifestations of post-traumatic stress.

      "The trauma of abortion may have significant emotional sequelae [aftermath]....Few medical subjects are as fraught with strong sociological, political, cultural and moral implications as abortion." C.Hall & S. Zisook, "Psychological Distress Following Therapeutic Abortion," The Female Patient (italics), vol. 8, Mar. 1983, pp. 34/48.

   2. Physical
      1. Increased chance of infection and subsequent damage, including sterility, bleeding, and death. "Occurrence of genital tract infection following elective abortion is a well-known complication." Burkman et al., "Culture and Treatment Results in Endometritis Following Elective Abortion," American Journal of OB/Gyn (italics), vol. 128, no.5, 1977, pp. 556-559.
      2. Perforated uterus
      3. Blood clots which migrate to the lungs and cause death as a result of the premature removal of the placenta from the mother. Amniotic fluid embolism (floating objects in the blood that go to the lungs) has "emerged as an important cause of death from legally induced abortion." R. Guidotti et al., American Journal of OB/GYN, vol. 41, 1981, p. 257.
      4. Women who have had an abortion are 2 times as likely to contract breast cancer (see http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/)

   3. Spiritual
      1. Abortion, like other sins separates women and men from God. Many people are suffering and are unable to forgive themselves and seek God’s forgiveness and healing.
      2. Abortion is a mortal sin and coarsens one's respect for all life.

3. Some Rebuttals for Common Pro-Abortion Arguments.
   1. A woman has a "right to choose" abortion because "choice" is a basic civil right—and God-given power. "Choice," therefore is self-justifying.

      Rebuttal: If the "right to choose" is the only standard, then spousal abuse, as a choice, can be defended—as can rape, racism, sexism, and homophobic discrimination.

   2. A woman has a "right to choose" abortion because she has a right to control her own body.

      Rebuttal: (1) It's patently obvious that there is more than one human body at issue, the preborn's as well as the mother's; (2) At least half of all preborn are female, so not all women have the "right to choose"; (3) It is a medical fact that the fetus is a separate being, as it has a different DNA structure than the mother, different blood type, and distinct organs; (4) this separate body, scientists have found, contains 46 chromosomes of a type—human—that are different than any other life form's chromosome set.

   3. A woman has a "right to choose" abortion because the fetus is not human.

      Rebuttal: (1) In 1981, after a hearing that included 57 witnesses from the scientific community, a U.S. Senate subcommittee report on consideration of the Human Life Bill (S. 158) stated: "Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being—a being that is alive and that is a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological, and scientific writings. (2) If the fetus is not a human being from the moment of conception onward, then why are patrimony suits legal? The father contributes nothing to the embryo's development after fertilization.

   4. A woman has a "right to choose" abortion because the U.S. Supreme Court has said that she has such a right.

      Rebuttal: (1) The Supreme Court has erred in the past—and has reversed itself. E.g. Plessy v. Ferguson, which, in 1896, allowed "separate but equal" public accommodation (and schools) was reversed by the 1954 Brown v. The Board of Education.

   5. A politician can legitimately be "personally opposed" to abortion but publicly supportive because of constituent reasons.

      Rebuttal: What cries out to be asked here is, just what is the nature of the politician's "personal" opposition? If it is the realization that a human life is being snuffed out (and if it isn't a human life in the balance, then why would the politician even comment on a "personal" opposition—unless s/he's a vegetarian!) then why wouldn't someone extend this opposition to the public square (as we do with other crimes of manslaughter or murder)?

   6. Only women are qualified to comment on the abortion issue, as men are incapable of bearing a child.

      Rebuttal: This reasoning would mean that women doctors should not be allowed to practice on men; and that veterinarians are overstepping their bounds! Human rights should be of a concern to all citizens.

   7. Legalized abortion reduces “unwanted children,” and, therefore, child abuse.

      Rebuttal: (a) Child abuse has increased over 1000% since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 (US DHHS). (b) There are 2 million pre-approved American couples awaiting adoption.

4. To Be Pro-Life is to be Pro-Woman
   1. To be in favor of abortion is to contradict the core feminist principles of justice, nonviolence and nondiscrimination. Without known exception, the suffragists who started the feminist movement were vehemently opposed to abortion.
      1. Susan B. Anthony called it “child murder.”
      2. Elizabeth Cady Stanton said, “When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."
      3. Mattie Brinkerhoff said, “When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society - so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged."
      4. Alice Paul, the author of the original ERA said, “Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.”

   2. Abortion is violence against women and children, and violence does not solve problems (consistent life ethic). We should promote peaceful alternatives that benefit both mothers and children.
   3. Most women do not have abortions because they choose to – they feel they have to, due to a lack of resources and support. We need to refuse to choose – between women and children. Women should not have to sacrifice our children for career or educational success. Children are not our enemies – the lack of resources and support is. Women need to be supported and empowered, not abandoned. We should be celebrating the life-giving capacity of women, rather than treating it like a disease and promoting the idea that women have to be like men in order to succeed.
   4. Women deserve better. Abortion is a reflection that we have failed women.

5. Famous Conversions from the Pro-Abortion Cause.
   1. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, one of the pioneers of the abortion legalization movement, abortionist, and ultimate convert to the pro-life side produced the video "Silent Scream" and told pro-lifers: "We would never have gotten away with what we did if you had been united, purposeful, and strong."

   2. Norma McCorvey, the original "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade, who admitted she lied about being raped to advance her 1973 case, converted to Christianity in the 1990s and then to Catholicism. She has said: "I am Norma McCorvey. I became known as Jane Roe on Juanary 22, 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court released the Roe v. Wade decision, which created a woman's 'right to abortion.' I am now a child of God, a new creature in Christ; I am forgiven and redeemed. Today, I publicly recant my involvement in the tragedy of abortion...."

   3. "Baby Roe," McCorvey's baby, is now 33 years old and pro-life

   4. Sandra Cano, the "Mary Doe" of the Doe v. Bolton 1973 Supreme Court abortion decision (effectively extending the "right" to abortion throughout the 9 months of term), is now a pro-life Christian. She has said: “I am against abortion; I never sought an abortion; I have never had an abortion. Abortion is murder. For over twenty years, and against my will, my name has been synonymous with abortion. The Doe v. Bolton case is base on deceit and fraud...."

6. Statistics (unless otherwise noted the following statistics are from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a research organization affiliated with the abortion industry)
   • Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, almost 43 million U.S. babies have been aborted (Priests for Life Web site), much more than the combined U.S. deaths in all wars
   • An abortion occurs every 23 seconds in America (other source)
   • 1.37 million surgical abortions were performed in the U.S. in 1996
   • There are 3,753 surgical abortions in the U.S. every day, and 99 percent of them have nothing to do with rape or incest (Priests for Life Web site)
   • No act of U.S. violence claims more lives than abortion (other source)
   • Current U.S. law on abortion, which allows abortion throughout all nine months of term, is supported by only 11 percent of the U.S. public (1999 Within Group poll)
   • One out of every 3 U.S. women will have an abortion by age 45
   • In 1996 one in five babies in the U.S. were aborted (21%)
   • In the U.S. 56 percent of women having an abortion are in their 20s and 88 percent live in metropolitan areas
   • Thirty-two percent of U.S. women having abortions are black non-Hispanic; 41 percent are white non-Hispanic; 20 percent are Hispanic
   • In Virginia (1996) of 1,580,346 WORA, 147,738 became pregnant. Twenty-two percent (32.502) had abortions
   • Abortions in Virginia represent 2.2 percent of all abortions in the U.S.
   • Forty-three percent of U.S. women obtaining abortions self-identify as Protestant; 27 percent as Catholic
   • According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, three out of four women having an abortion give career reasons for their decision; two out of three say they can't afford a baby; and one out of two say they do not want to be a single parent or say they don't want problems with a husband or partner
   • In Virginia, the teen (15-19 yrs old) abortion rate is 40 abortions out of 100 pregnancies—the 13th highest in the country. California's teen abortion rate is 42 percent; Connecticut is 50 percent; Washington, D.C. is 54 percent; Maryland is 50 percent; and New York's rate is 56 percent. The U.S. rate is 35 percent
   • Worldwide there are an estimated 46 million abortions taking place each year, 20 million illegally
   • Fifty-two percent of all U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25 years old; 33 percent of all U.S. abortions are obtained by women 20-24 yrs old; teens account for 19 percent
   • In 1999, there were 9,762,000 women in the U.S. under 20 years of age of which there were 856,380 pregnancies. Fifty-one percent of these pregnancies (249,660) ended in abortion
   • According to the latest Guttmacher Institute figures, 97 percent of all abortion providers perform abortion up to the 8th week of pregnancy; 86 percent perform abortion up the 12th week; and 13 percent perform abortion up to the 24th week
   • If there were a memorial wall for the post-1973 victims of U.S abortion similar to the one for Vietnam War victims, it would stretch for 60 miles

7. Improving Developments
   • In Virginia (2000) 28,780 women obtained abortions, a reduction of almost 4,000 over 1996 figures
   • In 2000 1.3 million American women obtained abortions or 21.3 per 1000 women of reproductive age (WORA, 15-44), which was a 5 percent reduction over 1996 rate. There were 51,000 fewer abortions in the U.S. in 2000 than in 1999
   • In 1996, there were 2042 abortion facilities in the U.S.; in 2000, there were 1819
   • In 1996, there were 57 abortion facilities in Virginia; in 2000 there were 46, a decrease of 19 percent
   • Nationally, among Hispanic teens (15-19 yrs), the abortion rate has dropped from 43.2 per 1000 live births to 38.6 per 1000 between 1992 and 1996
   • Between 1986 and 1996, the proportion of teenage pregnancies ending in abortion has dropped from 46 percent to 35 percent
   • In 2000, 87 percent of U.S. counties had no abortion provider; in 2000, 84 percent of Virginia counties had no abortion provider
   • In Virginia, parents of a minor must be notified before an abortion is performed; a woman must receive mandatory state-directed counseling and then wait 24 hours before receiving an abortion; and public funding and public employee insurance for abortion is available only in cases of rape, incest or fetal abnormalities
   • There were 110,000 fewer abortions in the U.S. between 1994 (1.42 million) and 2000 (1.31 million)
   • In 1996 1.37 million surgical abortions were performed in the U.S.; in 2000 there were 1.3 million surgical abortions

8. What You Can Do To Fight Abortion
   • Pray and fast to end abortion
   • Inform yourself and others on the issues and the illogic that support abortion
   • Volunteer or donate to St. Charles Borromeo's Borromeo Housing, a refuge for women with crisis pregnancies, or another pregnancy help organization, such as Project Gabriel, the Nurturing Network, CareNet, Birthright, or a local pregnancy care center
   • Reach out to women who are struggling with a problem pregnancy
   • Learn about true feminism—the pro-life kind—by contacting Feminists for Life (www.feministsforlife.org)
   • Make sure your workplace/school has policies that support pregnant and parenting women, including distance learning, affordable housing and child care, health plans with maternity coverage, telecommuting, job sharing, child support enforcement, etc.
   • Urge your parish priests to preach on pro-life topics and support priests who step out on pro-life issues
   • Volunteer to baby-sit sometimes for a newly blessed couple in your neighborhood
   • Puruse the Priests for Life website http://www.priestsforlife.org or other pro-life websites. We have a list of links on our main Respect Life page under "Respect Life Resources".
   • Donate to pro-life organizations
   • Join the St. Charles Borromeo Respect Life Committee or another pro-life organization
   • Maintain a prayerful vigil at a local abortion clinic on Saturday mornings (there is one at 900 S. Washington Street in Falls Church)
   • Use checks that carry a pro-life message
   • Look into Project Rachel, on which the diocesan Family Life Office has documentation
   • Join the "Life Chain" today at 1 p.m. in Falls Church (it assembles at the corner of Broad and Washington Streets
   • Participate in the annual March For Life on January 22 in Washington, D.C.
   • Write a letter to the editor of your local paper or elected officials re some pro-life issue or about some relevant legislation pending in Congress or locally; write to your legislators to let them know your opinion, as well

9. A Note On Phraseology

   It is important in talking about the abortion question not to succumb to using the tendentious terminology of the pro-abortion lobby. It therefore is recommended to use the following, when speaking about pro-life/abortion issues:

   • "pro-abortion" or "abortion proponents," not "pro-choice." Only pro-lifers are truly pro-choice as they seek to protect the choice of the preborn. The term "pro-choice" is intentionally misleading. It equates an evil choice (an intellectual decision) with the faculty of free will or "choice," thus confusing the public, as everybody is for free will.
   • "Abortion mill," "abortion facility," or "abortuary," not "clinic." A clinic is for healing people.
   • "Abortionist," not "doctor." Doctors "first do no harm."
   • "Pre-born" is preferable to "fetus" or "unborn."

   God Bless,

   The St. Charles Respect Life Committee

 

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