As "pro-life" demonstrators descended upon Washington to mark the anniversary of Roe V. Wade this past week, I wondered how did the religious right get to own the term "pro-life"? And where were all these people who believe in creating a "culture of life" when we were about to enter an unnecessary war (resulting in countless lost lives) in Iraq? Will these defenders of life support our new president as he pursues a health care policy that protects all Americans? What about the death penalty? Poverty? "Pro-life" somehow only refers to those who oppose abortion (and perhaps the right to die, i.e. Terry Schiavo). A more accurate definition of pro-life includes several other issues. An inclusive definition of "life" leaves an opening for progressives to claim the "pro-life" label for themselves.
I was raised as a laid back, Midwestern Catholic. I remember only one time when a priest gave an anti-war sermon (and he was the most controversial, most intellectual of our parish priests), but anti-abortion messages were everywhere. The poster of the tiny fetus feet, the families that went to protests at the state capital, the pro-life pamphlets and the CCD (Sunday School) discussions. On one special occasion when I was eight, my grandmother -- the queen of corny poetry and friend of fundraising happy priests -- wrote a trite anti-abortion piece for me to read at mass. Yes, we talked about how Jesus embraced the poor and how peace was important, but our collective outrage was saved for abortion.
The Vatican, at least, is fairly consistent about its "pro-life" stance. The death penalty, abortion, poverty...these are all viewed as immoral threats to life. Evangelical groups are embracing environmentalism and work with the poor as "what would Jesus do" causes. So, why does "Pro-life" only refer to those who oppose abortion rights?
It's time for progressives to claim the "pro-life" label for themselves. If a Catholic bishop refuses communion to a pro-choice politician, then he must refuse communion for politicians that support war and the death penalty (pretty sure Jesus had a problem with that one).
I've lived in three of the most liberal cities in this country and attended a fairly lefty university and not one person I know loves abortion. Most people espouse the view once expressed by Bill Clinton that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare." For those of us who believe in minimizing abortions, who believe that we should properly support a mother -- who chooses to have her child -- with adequate health care and daycare, that we should clean the environment, work to eliminate poverty, etc....we have a claim to the "pro-life" label. Pro-life should be an all-encompassing view of the world, not a narrow definition belonging to only one issue and one political party.