Reading the comments thread on my previous post, I realized that, while there is ample reason (in my view) to strongly criticize the pro-life movement as it exists today, we do need to be careful that we avoid the language of “us versus them.” We should not forget that, on the issue of abortion, all pro-lifers by definition are on the right side–“the side of the angels,” to use the words of Mark Shea. Many of them give significantly of their time and treasure to aid pregnant women who find themselves in desperate situations. We can criticize the political methods employed by a large group of people within the movement, and we can certainly criticize the moral contradictions that are apparent in the way that many pro-lifers approach other social justice issues, but let’s not forget that when it comes to opposing the legalized murder (yes, murder; that’s what it is) of the unborn, we are on the same side.
I’m new to Vox Nova and to the Catholic blogosphere in general, so this view may be born more of theory than of experience, but I think that a major reason why we are often accused of being “pro-abortion” is that we sometimes are too harsh in the language that we use when referring to the “mainstream” pro-life movement. I do not in any way suggest that my fellow contributors and I back down from the moral positions that we hold; if you read my posts, you’ll see that I do not hesitate to point out what I see as strategic errors and instances of blatant moral hypocrisy within the movement. However, in the spirit of charity and humility, we do have the duty to constantly examine ourselves, and ask whether we are always extending to others the same presumption of good faith that we (rightfully) demand for ourselves.
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