Near the beginning of his prolific encyclical Evangelium Vitae, The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II explains, "Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, every person sincerely open to truth and goodness can, by the light of reason and the hidden action of grace, come to recognize in the natural law written in the heart (cf. Romans 2:14-15) the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end, and can affirm the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree."
Sometimes in our day, however, it is difficult to know what the truth is. So many are influenced by the media and catchphrases designed to throw us off guard or persuade us that some statement is true when in fact it is false.
For example, columnist Anna Quindlen wrote, "As the bitterest public-policy (and personal privacy) debate of the 20th century refused to resolve itself, those who believed in planned parenthood argued that easy access to birth control would make abortion less and less necessary."
How many deceptive ideas are in these 36 words?
Bitterest public policy (and personal privacy) debate
What Ms. Quindlen is saying is that the act of abortion is really not an act at all, but a question that should be resolved after serious debate is concluded. She is also saying the act of abortion is a matter of personal privacy, involving a woman and her doctor. What she is not saying is that a mother who is considering aborting her child is someone who is either terribly confused or has been hoodwinked into thinking her baby is not a baby and the pregnancy is just a problem. Quindlen wonÕt use words like "mother" and "baby."Planned parenthood
The "planned parenthood" advocates are those who tell us that some babies are unwanted and better off dead; some babies are unplanned and will live a life of misery, so they are better off dead; and some babies are accidents of nature who will cause misery to family members and are better off dead. Not once will you hear proponents of "planned parenthood" express the truth that a child is a gift from God, the Author of life. They donÕt like God.Easy access to birth control would make abortion less and less necessary
This statement denies the fact that the vast majority of birth control methods - including the pill, morning-after pill, IUD and Depo-Provera - can abort human beings during their first few days of life. These methods do not make abortion less and less necessary, but merely less and less visible.
There are three lies in these 36 words! Yet this is how most of our fellow citizens are being informed - or, should I say, misinformed.
Remember the words of Pope John Paul II and help others know the truth by explaining the facts. Help your brothers and sisters in Christ see "the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end."