The “Choice” Of Abortion This Election Year
As followers of Christ, we are called to be the salt of the earth, to help preserve the good in our country through our obedience to God’s Word and by our lived examples.
In the United States, we are very blessed to have a voice in how we want our nation to be governed. As citizens, this blessing makes it our duty to speak out for the best possible direction for our country. This means that we should contribute by openly speaking when we see things that are not right. Then, on election day, we contribute by voting for the candidates who come closest to representing God’s Will for us. It is not a perfect process. No human institution is. But, we are blessed to have this great influence over our land.
For sixty long years, our country has been in turmoil over the “abortion debate” (as if a child’s life could ever be a valid topic of debate). During all this time, we might have expected that the matter would be settled by a simple compromise: that the procedure would only be performed to save the life of the mother. Tragically, even this was not enough for politically-minded abortion supporters in this country. This is because the most vocal supporters of “abortion rights” are extremists.
Though polls show that only a tiny percentage of people approve of unrestricted abortion, extremists speak of abortion as if it was somehow “sacred”, a civil right that cannot be limited for any reason. Today, a child can be aborted for any reason, including gender selection and inconvenience.
In the last decade, one political party made acceptance of this barbaric procedure a requirement. Today, no politician can survive for long in the party if they speak about placing limits on abortions. They argue that those who do not support unrestricted abortion are “denying women their rights”.
Catholics do not need to be reminded that abortion as birth control is murder. Millennia before this profitable industry came to exist, our early Church Fathers broadly condemned all manners of killing the unborn and the child. This included abortion, infanticide, ritual sacrifices of children, and other abominations of those earlier times.
"[M]urder being once for all forbidden, we may not destroy even the fœtus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to the birth.” - Tertullian, Apology 9:8 (197 AD)
Today, the Church stands just as strongly for the unborn as it did then, but political leaders of our modern times have found power, influence and profit in this abomination. To them, it is an issue that has been “useful” to them.
And so here we are. Another election approaches. What choices do we have?
It is important that we know the truth about our options this November. Voting is a simple process now, and it is our duty to do so. In humility, I offer you this information. It is information that you can check and verify for yourself.
A Brief History
It is fairly well known that, in the 1960s, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that abortion was a “civil right”. The decision was a political one that reflected the rebelliousness of those times. To justify the ruling, the Court was creative with the law. This concerned Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the pro-abortion feminist on the Court. She warned that the decision was legally flawed and that it would not withstand a challenge in the future. She would be proven right.
The flawed ruling made abortion “the law of the land” until in June of 2022 when the Court reviewed the case again and acknowledged the error of the earlier decision. This time it ruled that abortion was not a constitutional right. (The Court was obviously correct. The right to kill an unborn child is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution.)
Abortion as a national “civil right” was overturned. This, however, did not make abortion illegal. It only meant that it was now up to the individual states to decide if they were going to permit abortion or apply limits to it. To abortion extremists, this was a great blow. They would now have to fight for this atrocity in 50 states instead of in just one federal court.
Prior to this abortion activists had made terrifying progress in advancing their cause. Few Catholics know just how far pro-abortion activism has gone in promoting abortion in the past ten years. Many politicians had come to see it as a politically advantageous position.
In 2019, a Virginia politician proposed a law that would have removed all restrictions on when an abortion was allowed. It even allowed moment-of-birth abortions if the mother was upset. When the Virginia governor was asked if he supported the bill, he said he did, and explained that “the infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable... and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”
A “discussion”? What is there to discuss? Infanticide?
This is just one example of the advancements being planned by abortion activists in our country. The politicians involved in this particular case are not well known, but there are others who profess to be Catholic, whose names we do know. We would expect them to speak in defense of the unborn, but they never do. As members of this political party, they always speak in support of abortion as if it was a righteous cause. This is because abortion has become their party’s official policy.
Whom Will Protect The Unborn?
This November, we will have an important choice on the ballot.
President Biden is currently in office and he is running for his second term in the White House. Former President Trump is running against him for his second term. Our country is very divided today, with both sides believing that “the other” is wrong. Some of us have already decided how we will vote. This may be okay, but it depends on how we came to our decision. Was our decision based on our human feelings, or was it made by prayerfully considering the words and deeds of the candidates?
We must be careful and reflect on a teaching Christ gave us for times such as these:
“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” – Matthew 7:16
How have Presidents Biden and Trump defended the unborn child? Here we briefly look at their words and deeds because it is by their works that we will know them.
President Trump’s History, Words and Actions
Donald Trump was once a popular and respected New York businessman and entertainer. He used his talents to advance his business projects in New York City, one of the most difficult real estate markets in the world.
When he declared his presidential candidacy in 2016, there was an abrupt change in how he was portrayed in American media and by the opposing political party. He narrowly won the election. After declaring his candidacy again for the 2024 election, the current administration authorized the raid of his home. He was arrested and was indicted on variety of state and federal charges that would have in prison for over 700 years.
What was, and is, President Trump’s position on abortion, then and today?
Let us look at five examples of his words and actions.
When Trump ran for office in 2016, he promised to appoint Supreme Court judges that would ensure the nation’s laws follow the U.S. Constitution. He told his supporters that Constitution-abiding justices would reverse the faulty national abortion law. After winning the 2016 election, he appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court and the flawed Roe v Wade decision was reversed.
When Trump entered office, he restored “The Mexico City Policy”, a special rule that forced global agencies to stop using American taxpayer money for abortions.
On January 19, 2018, Trump addressed March for Life and Pro-Life leaders. He thanked them for their work, saying “Under my administration, we will always defend the very first right in the Declaration of Independence, and that is the right to life”.
Trump proclaimed November 2020 to be National Adoption Month, encouraging “all Americans to observe this month by helping children and youth in need of a permanent home”.
Trump proclaimed January 2021 to be National Sanctity of Human Life day, declaring that “Every human life is a gift to the world. Whether born or unborn, young or old, healthy or sick, every person is made in the holy image of God.”
President Biden’s History, Words and Actions
President Biden is the world’s most well-known American Catholic. He served as both senator and vice president over his political career of 52 years. In 2020, he was elected president, narrowly defeating President Trump. The expectation was that President Biden would be a more humble, moderate and accommodating leader.
What was, and is, President Biden’s position on abortion, then and today?
Let us look at five examples of his words and actions.
When Biden entered office, he reversed President Trump’s policy supporting the “Mexico City rule”. This rule prohibited the use of U.S. taxpayer money to promote and fund abortions in foreign countries. With President Biden’s signature, abortion programs and funding were restored.
When the Supreme Court ruled that abortion was not a constitutional right, President Biden and leaders of his party condemned the decision as being against women. They publicly threatened the Supreme Court justices, with Biden calling on abortion supporters to protest at the justices’ homes in violation of Federal law.
At a campaign rally, President Biden appeared on stage with an abortion supporter. The speaker complained to the audience that Florida state law was changed to lessen the time allowed for abortions from 15 weeks to 6 weeks. On hearing this, President Biden smiled wryly and performed the Sign of the Cross, to signal to the audience that Florida’s tighter restriction was unfortunate. (It is sacrilege to invoke the Blessed Trinity in this manner.)
President Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign announced that it would spend $1 million on advertising intended to convince Latino men that abortion “rights” were in their own best interest. (It is not clear why his campaign thought Latino men would want support abortion.)
At a presidential campaign rally, President Biden assured Black voters that he would put politically-flexible judges on the Supreme Court.
"The next president, they’re going to be able to appoint a couple justices, and I’ll be damned — if in fact we’re able to change some of the justices when they retire and put in really progressive judges like we’ve always had, tell me that won’t change your life."
Joe Biden, Philadelphia Biden-Harris Campaign rally, May 29, 2024.
It is not clear why President Biden believes that Black Americans want progressive justices, but he did say that he was “determined to restore the federal protections of Roe v. Wade”.
What must we do?
As citizens of this democratic republic, we are called on to protect the country we live in from the creation of unjust and immoral laws. We must discern, pray and then act on the best possible options as we are guided by the Holy Spirit.
We cannot ignore our responsibility. Voting is a simple process in which we do our best. We cannot say that we do not know how to vote, or that we do not know the other issues on the ballot. Our failure to perform our civic duty means we will have committed a sin of omission. We had the chance to stand up for the unborn child, but we chose not to, allowing the voice of immorality to dominate through our silence.
Forty-eight million children have died from abortions in the 51 years since Roe v Wade. We must pray that God, in His mercy, will withhold His judgment on our nation so He can see how we act in defense of His most innocent and vulnerable children.
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. -- Deuteronomy 30:19
Our Father, in His mercy, has answered decades of prayer with the canceling the evil Roe v. Wade decision. We cannot allow this gift of victory over death to be taken away dark-hearted politicians because of our inaction.
As Catholics, we do not owe our allegiance to any politician or any political party. No party or politician can expect us to vote for them because we might have voted for them in the past. If a politician has done a good job, more will be given to them. To a politician who does poorly, all is taken away.
We must vote for candidates whose words and deeds support the life of the unborn. This November, we must choose those who best move our nation closer to the protection of children and the family, even if those candidates are flawed or imperfect.
I, the anonymous writer of this note, have done my best to obey the call I received to encourage you in your duty as an American citizen. The rest is up to you. The last presidential election was decided by just a few tens of thousands of votes out of the many millions cast. Look at the signs of our times, pray fervently, decide and then vote.
May God bless you.
In California, you may register to vote at this official site: https://registertovote.ca.gov/