On January 22nd I jumped into a vehicle with 5 other people at 4 AM and headed to DC for the March for Life. I had not been to the march for several years, mostly due to my frustrations with it. I had a mostly good experience with it but my frustrations are definitely still there. An example of my frustrations: the march is always proceeded by a rally in which various people speak about abortion. The rally started off this year with a brief concert by Matt Maher, a Catholic m

It was my body and his choice I had a heart; then I had none There was no crime yet I was jailed; Mourning without a grave, alone You were fragile and I loved you They said it’s the right thing to do To live our lives, you had to go Numbed, I bled you ex-utero I cried in vain and life grew dark My prison cell became my ark I forgot you with all my might Busy, marching for “women’s rights” I fell again and paid the price O Choice, you are so cruel and vile Then Love, true Love

The encounter. This is what brought us together. On a rainy spring day, Saturday, March 29, in Philadelphia on the campus of Villanova University, I had the honor of learning from, and strategizing with, an impressive group of devoted and unique advocates for peace and life. This gathering, I humbly propose, should—and I earnestly hope will—be a guiding light for the future of the pro-life movement. And it all starts with: the encounter. Life/Peace/Justice: A Conference on Li

Conflict is not always a bad thing. It is, at times, even necessary to use conflict effectively to bring internal tensions to the surface and bring conflicting individuals to a better understanding of each other’s perspectives. Conflict of this kind is better than allowing brooding over differences, which can cause greater turmoil. It is the method by which we argue or even “fight” that makes the difference as to whether conflict is bad or good. The way we handle our disagree

At the inaugural Life/Peace/Justice Conference in Philadelphia this past March, I had the opportunity as a representative of Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty (CCATDP) to join Kristen Day of Democrats for Life of America (DFLA) for the panel “Going Against the Political Grain for Peace and Life.” Both DFLA and CCATDP seem, at least to some, to be unlikely advocates for the issues they champion. When CCATDP launched at CPAC in 2013, some news outlets expressed su

One part of promoting a consistent ethic of life is a cause very dear to my heart, namely, the pursuit of peace, of finding ways for nations or other communities to resolve their conflicts nonviolently, without resort to the organized, large-scale killing that is war. In this piece, I will explain precisely how, as a Christian and specifically a Catholic, I understand the pursuit of peace and why this cause is important to me. I will then offer some comments on the peace move

Purdue University hosted a joltingly eye-opening debate March 3 on the resolution “Is Abortion a Human Rights Injustice?” Arguing the affirmative was the young Seth Drayer of Created Equal, a pro-life organization that argues against abortion on human rights grounds. Purdue University’s Professor of Communications Ralph Webb, PhD, argued the negative. What made the event particularly jarring was Webb arguing not only that abortion doesn’t violate human rights, but that, in tr

When most Americans think of war atrocities, they usually think of Nazi concentration camps or “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia, Uganda, and other distant countries. Few Americans realize that our soldiers in Vietnam were guilty of many war crimes ranging from the torture of Vietcong prisoners to the slaughter of unarmed men, women, and children in villages such as Son My. Many factors contributed to these violent incidents, but most to blame was the leadership and training of th

Fourth Wave Feminism reflects the emerging phase in the evolution of true feminist thought. The First Wave of feminism (1840-1920) was focused on getting the vote for women. This struggle was won by the suffragists’ holistic inclusion of equal rights in their philosophy. Women not only sought legal equality with men but also supported the rights of other oppressed segments of the population. Suffragists supported abolitionism, child labor laws, worker and immigrant rights, an

The 40 film is a documentary that examines the pro-life movement 40 years after Roe v. Wade. It features interviews with dozens of pro-life leaders, including yours truly. But in case that isn’t enough to persuade you to see it, here are four more reasons (and I’ll try to be as objective as possible!): 1. You can bring your pro-choice friends to see this movie. Does 40 have an agenda? Well, it’s distributed by an outfit called Pro-Life Champions, so obviously the answer is

Almost 35 years after his death at the hands of right-wing forces in El Salvador, Oscar Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, offers important lessons for Catholics in living a spiritual life. A common understanding of spirituality tends to imagine individuals meditating or praying in a room alone. The modern human is less likely to speak of spirituality in common day-to-day experiences. For Oscar Romero, however, his spiritual life was of profound importance and informed h

While trekking across the country from Chicago to Philadelphia the last weekend in March for Life Matters Journal’s one-day Life/Peace/Justice Conference, I thought I was pretty devoted to the consistent life ethic. Looking back, that’s nothing, at least compared to the witness of the speakers present. Add the rapt attention of the roughly 150 conference attendees, and you’ve got a small movement on fire with activism. Abby Johnson, an outspoken pro-life advocate who was form

BY NICHOLAS NEAL We often hear partisan pundits criticize their opponents for the opponents' inconsistencies about killing people. We hear that pro-life advocates do not respect the sanctity of life in war zones. We hear that peace advocates are not so peaceful when it comes to unborn children. What is the answer to this inconsistency? The simple answer is being consistent. This ideological position is known as the consistent life ethic. The foundation for this ethic is

BY NICHOLAS NEAL The abolition of the death penalty in Illinois began when Governor George Ryan placed a moratorium on capital punishment in the state in 2000, after seeing an alarming number of death row inmates being exonerated. Eleven years later, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill officially abolishing capital punishment in Illinois. It was then up to Pat Quinn to sign it. Now, although Governor Quinn is a Democrat, he had previously spoken in favor of capital

BY OLIVIA MELDRUM While I am mistress of my mind, You will sleep safely every hour. No morning will you wake to find My warmth turned cold, or sweetness sour. A fragile burden do I bear (O precious visitor; flesh brand-new) - I forget my face and clothes and hair In pain and consciousness of you. My little one, your mama hurts. She shakes at every strange man's gaze. You've joined the Dance - this you deserve; But our dance, dear, limps through a maze. I am not mistress of my

BY MARY KRANE DERR The right to access the full range of voluntary family planning methods is often neglected or actively undermined in the name of prolife, especially but not exclusively in the United States. Yet there are nine good reasons -- at least -- why fostering this right is essential to respect in practical deed for all human lives, already born and unborn. 1. Family planning freedom prevents millions of human deaths every year. Voluntary access to modern methods o

BY NICHOLAS NEAL & AIMEE BEDOY On Tuesday, August 23rd, the rebel forces in Libya stormed Gadhafi's capital of Tripoli, thus declaring victory over the tyrannical leader who had once imposed unjust and inhumane purification laws against his own people. After 42 years in power as an autocratic dictator in Libya, Muammar Gadhafi has been removed from power by rebels within his own borders. Gadhafi is currently out of power and in hiding from NATO forces, but in an effort to k

BY AIMEE BEDOY & STEVEN OETJEN A quandary of major proportions faces our nation in this day and age. It could be a matter of life and death for countless persons -- we cannot truly be sure. This paper seeks to examine abortion through the lens of Constitutional law, science, and justice, and lastly to apply these faculties to the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act recently passed in Nebraska. In brief, our recommendation is always to stand for justice and ultimately

BY BILL SAMUEL What should our attitude -- as individuals, social movements and nations -- be toward war? When, if ever, is war justifiable either as to our own participation or as a decision of a nation or social movement? How do we get to a meaningful peace? These questions have been discussed and debated for millennia, and may be even more vital in this day of advanced weaponry. They have been discussed by people from many different religious traditions, and from none.

BY LILIANNA SERBICKI Swollen, a dream on its way to fruition; Nothing romantic. Lense (soft-focus) gone. Real fruit bruises; a real fruit stays the motion We make ourselves. Our unkempt pieces drawn Into alignment; some beings are too real To smudge with soft words. Some beings delight In waking up the small pith in the chest With beating limbs. It is a sudden sleight Of soul, not hand; the itch will soon persuade Myself to love my stippled skin far more Than when it held jus