Will our reasoning be enough?

If we believe that we can put the abortion issue aside this election in favor of other things we believe to hold "equal" or "greater" moral weight, what will the consequences be? Will our reasoning be enough to justify our actions when someday we meet the victims of abortion face to face?

There are two ways of thinking I wish to address: the first is the idea that even if you are personally against abortion, you should not "impose" this viewpoint on others--i.e. that abortion should remain legal. The second is the idea that even if you believe abortion is wrong and should be illegal, there are other issues of equal or higher importance that should take precedence. For many, abortion is a done-deal--unfortunate, yes, but not worth wasting your vote on.

To those who identify with the first: it seems your fundamental argument is not that the unborn are not human beings, (after all, science has unanimously disputed any claims to the contrary), but that the right of the woman to "choose" supersedes the right of the unborn to live. Here I ask you to consider the words of our dear late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II:

"The Holy See insistently proclaims that the first and most fundamental of all human rights is the right to life, and that when this right is denied all other rights are threatened. The assumption that abortion and euthanasia are human rights deserving legislative sanction is seen by the Holy See as a contradiction which amounts to a denial of the human dignity and freedom which the law is supposed to protect. A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members; and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying."

How are we to have any rights if we are first denied the right to live? And if the unborn person is undeniably a person, which he or she surely is, does abortion not single out the unborn as the only group denied this fundamental human right? What if a candidate were in favor of denying gays, minorities, or children who have just been born the right to life? (Oh, and by the way, we do have a candidate who is in favor of denying the just born the right to life.) Would we consider it "imposing our views" to speak out against the candidate? Would not that one viewpoint sway our vote even if the candidate held other opinions we agreed with?

Those who vote pro-life first are often accused of being single-issue voters, placing aside all other concerns. But pro-lifers are not unique in this--we all do it. The question is not whether you care for all issues equally or care for one issue alone, but which issue concerns you the most.

For those who identify with the second idea: I point you also to the words of the Holy Father. But I also want to address the issues of this election that are pulling your heart in other directions, as they are not without merit: the war in Iraq, the failing economy, care for the poor, illegal immigration and many others. These are all important issues, but when nearly 4,000 babies are aborted in this country every day, (over 1 million per year) all else pales in comparison. Our Church is very clear about this. And if we believe that a candidate who doesn't see the moral corruption in abortion can make sound moral judgements elsewhere, we are sadly mistaken. A candidate's seemingly good economic policy, or his promise to fund programs for the poor, or his plan to pull the troops from Iraq on a set time-table does not outweigh or excuse his view that this holocaust of abortion is morally acceptable. If babies are not people worthy of human rights and protection under the law, how can we expect sound protection of our own rights?

In a recent interview, Barack Obama sited Jesus' words "whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me," saying that the maxim should apply to victims of poverty, sexism and racism. And while none of us can disagree with him there, Obama misses the mark by a long-shot in his disregard for the absolute "least" among us--the unborn.

As Archbishop Chaput warns us, God willing, someday each of us will meet the victims of abortion in Heaven. As we stand face to face, what will we say to them? Will we be able to look them in the eye and defend our choices on earth without shame? Will we be able to say with confidence that we did all we could to protect them? Will our reasons for not defending them be sufficient to release us from any complicity in their deaths?

This November, challenge your heart, inform your conscience, and vote life first.