Education called key to protecting life

"The challenge facing parish Respect Life committees is that abortion is but one of many complex sanctity of life issues that confronts us today," she said. "Abortion is what you might call the foundational issue, and it's one that many people are tired of hearing about. They just want it to go away -- kind of like an annoying fly at a picnic.

"Of course, what happens when you shoo the fly away is that it goes off and lays eggs. Then you have maggots, just as we now have fetal experimentation, partial birth abortions, physician-assisted suicides and a host of other atrocities."

Work to do

"The media have done such a good job of distorting the facts about respect life issues that even many Catholics have become desensitized to what is actually taking place all around us," said Mrs. Lederman.

She added that the time has come to focus on education and awareness programs that will empower parishioners to put the brakes on the rapidly spreading "culture of death."

The terms "culture of life" and "culture of death" have been frequently used by Pope John Paul II, especially in his encyclical on these issues, "Evangelium Vitae" ("The Gospel of Life").

Predictions come true

"The media have packaged things so cleverly that assisted suicides are embraced as 'death with dignity,'" she said. "They've gift-wrapped it all so beautifully, you'd almost be crazy not to want it for yourself and your loved ones."

Along the same lines, she noted, women are consenting to amniocentesis with the understanding that if the fetus developing in their womb is less than perfect, the pregnancy will be terminated.

"That, of course, is a nice way of saying they're giving permission for their babies to be killed," she explained. "What these women and their doctors are actually saying is `We, not God, will decide which life has value and which doesn't. We, not God, will decide how and when it will end.' "

Front-line troops

She recognizes that not every parishioner is willing -- or able -- to participate in Life Chains or quiet, prayerful protests outside clinics and hospitals where abortions are being performed. But there are other options for them, she noted.

"The message we need to get out is that everybody can play an important role in helping to end abortions," Mrs. Lederman said. "Essentially, there are four things that will help bring this about: prayer, education, pastoral care and advocacy in the political arena. There is literally a niche for every single parishioner to fill."

Pitching in

A parish might offer non-judgmental support to a pregnant woman by assisting with physical, emotional and spiritual pre- and post-natal needs.

Parishioners might also take the initiative to learn more about Respect Life issues through Catholic publications and broadcasts so they will feel more capable of defending their views in letters to the editor and/or their elected representatives.

Respect for women

Many times, she said, women who have undergone abortions suffer tremendous remorse and have great difficulty living with what they've done to their unborn child. Such women, she said, can also help the respect life crusade by giving personal testimonials regarding the many ways abortions destroys lives.

"They don't want us to condone what they've done. They have come to realize over time how very wrong it was," she said. "What they do seek is understanding, forgiveness and support. Surely we can give them that much."

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