Radio Transcript

LIFE ISSUES NO. 2240

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

First question today: They call us anti-abortion and anti-choice. If we had it to choose, what title would we use for ourselves? Well, clearly, the best title is Right to Life. Years ago, we who would protect all human life adopted this title, and it's been startlingly effective. It remains the best title. Now we do commonly also call ourselves Pro-Life, and this is a good title. But people have used “Pro-Life” in so many other ways that they've changed its original meaning, in many minds, to include those who labor against povery, against war, capital punishment, nuclear arms, and other things. Even pro-abortion people have claimed at times to be pro-life, but they never have and never will call themselves “Right to Life”.

So let's be positive. We are for protecting the unborn, protecting the mother, the aged and the handicapped. Don't ever accept the negative title “anti-abortion”. There's no anti – there's nothing negative about being for life.

Well, she asks, what then should we call them? “Pro-abortion” is obviously the best title. We can call them “anti-life”, but we must never call them “pro-choice”. When you call them “pro-choice”, you help to change the question from emphasis on the baby being killed to a question about women's rights – and we tend to lose that argument. So NEVER call them pro-choice. When you do call them pro-choice, you help them change the question, and you help them kill babies, and I don't think many of you want to be on that side of the fence.

She asks: What, then, do we call the guy who does the abortion? Good, you've used the word “abortion”, that's fine. They like to use the word “procedure”, but that would sanitize it, so do use the word “abortion”. Also talk of killing babies. But you asked who does it. NEVER call him or her a doctor. They don't deserve this dignity. Certainly don't call them “surgeons”. Call them abortionists. And never deviate from that title. That word in our culture today remains one of condemnation, of criminality, of killing – and that's the title they deserve.

If they argue with you, say, “Well now, wait a minute. You're specialists in doing abortions? The orthopedic doctor is a specialist in fixing bones, the dermatologist, of skin care. And so specialists in killing unborn babies is an abortionist.” And that's the title that we must always use.

[02/04/00]