For the Right to Life and Love

+JMJ+

This is something I worked on for a secular, academic audience. My boss did some edits (particularly adding the information on infertility/adoption), let me know what y'all think!

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October is Respect Life Month, when all people of good will are asked to intentionally consider the dignity and sanctity of all human life, and how they as citizens can work for the protection of all human life from conception to natural death.

The Catholic Church’s position of upholding both life and justice issues offers an approach that is consistent scientifically, philosophically, and spiritually. Standard human embryology textbooks agree that “The time of fertilization represents the starting point in the life history, or ontogeny, of the individual.” (Carlson, Patten's Foundations of Embryology). While offering a consistent approach to all life issues, the Church recognizes that some issues have greater moral significance than others. We are particularly commissioned to advocate for those whose voices go unheard, including the unborn.

In a land where abortion is permitted throughout all nine months of pregnancy, there are over 1.2 million abortions in the U.S. annually, and college-aged women account for 1/3 of those abortions (Source: Alan Guttmacher Institute). We must work for protective laws for women and children concerning abortion regulations, while also engaging in dynamic works that provide real, viable options for women facing unexpected and even unwanted pregnancies. With infertility on the rise, 2 million couples in the U.S. currently seek to adopt. Surely, there must be a way to enable the BEST choice—life. At the same time, we must advocate for the rights of the elderly and disabled, especially those who may be victims of euthanasia, as well as a myriad of other life issues, including stem cell research, poverty, war, the death penalty and ethical use of biomedical technologies.

This is significant for those engaging in academic work, because these principles are not “imposing religious opinions” as some allege, but based upon natural law. The roots of medicine affirm the quest to uphold the dignity of life. For example, from antiquity the Hippocratic Oath affirmed the immorality of abortion.

For those engaging in the debate between faith and reason, applying these principles to the collegiate culture can be challenging. Most people, even if pro-choice, will acknowledge that abortion is not the ideal solution to a crisis pregnancy. Yet, abortion is a symptom of the more deeply rooted problem facing our culture—a crisis in the understanding of human sexuality.

Modern technologies and laws have made it easier for people to engage in sexual activity while believing there are no consequences. But sexual activity outside of marriage does have emotional and possibly physical and psychological consequences. Men and women living in a hook-up culture may feel that they have found the solution to unintended pregnancy or STDs, but they are bearing the scars of activities that demean their own dignity.

The book Sex and the Soul by feminist theologian Donna Freitas tackles the problem: university campuses are a reflection of society at large; there is an escalation of sexual activity, partying and regret. The most significant point of her research, supported by countless studies over the past 10 years, is that the Risky Sexual Behavior (RSB) that college students engage in is based on a false perception. In study after study, students report that they believe their peers are engaging in more RSB than they actually are, and then make their own sexual decisions based on this misinformation.

There are so many philosophical theories that uphold the best option advocated for by the Catholic Church—that sexual morality is definitive, and is the best option for society. In a culture where moral relativism is the status quo, the Catholic Church is stepping out in the midst of all the ‘options’ say there is a BEST OPTION that does lead to satisfaction and happiness. The Theology of the Body affirms these principles, that sexuality is a gift and is meant to express the total gift of love from oneself to another.

As the Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, we work toward a holistic understanding of the human person and a greater respect for human sexuality. We advocate for sexual responsibility and moral integrity. With Faith supported by scientific research, we maintain that sexual intimacy is reserved for a husband and wife within a committed marriage covenant. By challenging society to seriously examine their sexual choices and consider the impact their personal decisions have on others, some will begin to make choices that reflect the best of our culture—which is founded on the belief that all life is sacred and has inherent dignity, and that each person has a significant contribution to make to the world in which we live.