In a scene reminiscent of the ancient gladiator contests in the Roman Coliseum a couple from Minnesota is taking an online poll asking whether the woman who is 17 weeks pregnant should have an abortion.
Apparently the life of their innocent unborn child is to be determined by the crowd’s vote of thumbs up or thumbs down. On their website the couple simply ask, “Should we give birth or have an abortion?” Their callous action demonstrates their depravity but also shows how deep our society has fallen into the culture of death.
Pope John Paul II prophetically proclaimed that “a nation that kills its own children has no future.” This news story illustrates how the evil of abortion has become not only acceptable but tragically routine in our nation. This couple’s wanton act of depravity pales in comparison to the millions of unborn children killed by legal abortion on demand over the last 30 years yet it deserves severe condemnation and renewed prayer for the culture of life.
We join the rising call of condemnation of this immoral action and join those who have asked the couple to stop their wicked publicity stunt. Abortion is evil enough on its own but voting on whether an innocent child should live or die by an internet vote is the height of depravity. It can never be acceptable for the life of any human person but most especially the life of an innocent unborn child to be put to a vote. We urge all those who respect the sanctity of human life to join in praying for the parents of this innocent unborn child and urge the parents to reject the allure of the culture of death and stop their journey into the heart of darkness that is the culture of death.
This Saturday we have the opportunity to join Catholics the world over in praying for an end to abortion and the building up of the culture of life. For on November 27th at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate a “Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” coinciding with first vespers of the First Sunday of Advent. The Holy Father has recommended that the faithful take up this time of prayer on behalf of building the culture of life in parishes and churches across the globe. He suggests that “the period of preparation for Christmas is a fitting occasion to invoke God’s protection on all human beings who have been called into existence, as well as to give thanks to God for the gift that each child is to his parents.”
May we join the Holy Father and prepare the way of the Christ Child during the Advent Season beginning with praying for an end to the evil of abortion and the end of the evil publicity stunt in Minnesota. If our nation is to have a future let it begin with the life of this innocent unborn child in Minnesota.
