Christmas. What does this miraculous event mean to those who believe? When God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, He succeeded in both consecrating and redeeming human life in one miraculous moment in time and eternity. This event, in which the Lord became a little child, entrusting himself to the care of a human mother, adds a dimension of holiness to motherhood that is joyously depicted in the nativity scenes of the Christmas season. Yet, the vocation to motherhood and the gift of new life are increasingly devalued in our largely Christian country. The growing specter of over 48 million abortions since 1973 demands nothing less than the full attention of every Christian of our generation, and the lifting of every voice in protest.
The worst crimes against humanity have been perpetrated at those times when certain groups of people are perceived as less than human. The horror of the Holocaust, the tragedy of African slavery, the destruction of Native Americans, and the Rwandan genocide are only a few examples of times when otherwise ordinary, upstanding people participated in unspeakable crimes against entire populations with their society’s tacit approval and seemingly without qualms of conscience.
The holocaust of abortion is being permitted today precisely because many deny the humanity of the unborn child. The fact that life begins at conception is increasingly evident as medical science detects signs of life in the tiniest embryo, which, left to its natural course, will grow into a human child. If the most basic human right to life is unprotected, can any human rights truly be upheld?
In his Gospel of Life, the late Pope John Paul II warns of the dangerous ground we enter when we tolerate the destruction of the most helpless among us:
The worst crimes against humanity have been perpetrated at those times when certain groups of people are perceived as less than human. The horror of the Holocaust, the tragedy of African slavery, the destruction of Native Americans, and the Rwandan genocide are only a few examples of times when otherwise ordinary, upstanding people participated in unspeakable crimes against entire populations with their society’s tacit approval and seemingly without qualms of conscience.
The holocaust of abortion is being permitted today precisely because many deny the humanity of the unborn child. The fact that life begins at conception is increasingly evident as medical science detects signs of life in the tiniest embryo, which, left to its natural course, will grow into a human child. If the most basic human right to life is unprotected, can any human rights truly be upheld?
In his Gospel of Life, the late Pope John Paul II warns of the dangerous ground we enter when we tolerate the destruction of the most helpless among us:
"A society lacks solid foundations when …
it asserts values such as the dignity of the person,
it asserts values such as the dignity of the person,
justice and peace, but … radically acts to the contrary
by allowing human life [to be] devalued and violated,
especially where it is weak or marginalized.
by allowing human life [to be] devalued and violated,
especially where it is weak or marginalized.
Only respect for life can be the foundation
and guarantee … of democracy and peace."
It is worth noting that, in retrospect, that many believe the Church did not protest loudly enough at the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. How will history judge today’s Christians if we remain silent as the number of abortions continues to mount? We have reached a crossroads in the history of our nation as Congress deliberates on health care reform and seems about to permanently redefine abortion as "health care." The time has come for our generation to speak out against this ultimate violence perpetrated against women, children, and families - let your representatives know that abortion is not health care!
and guarantee … of democracy and peace."
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