Readers Respond 3-3-12

Pro-life or pro-birth?
Harahan
    The primary goal of the pro-life movement has been to put an end to abortion by awakening the hearts, minds, and consciences of those who embrace what Pope John Paul II referred to as “the culture of death.” In order to do this, we must be consistent, not selective, on all life issues, or the pro-life movement will be dismissed, as the hypocrisy will be evident.  Our response to the loss of 2,792 lives on Sept. 11, 2001, was retaliation: bringing death for over 110,600 men, women and children.  John Paul II called the Iraq war “a defeat for humanity,” and Pope Benedict XVI stated:  “Reasons sufficient for unleashing a war against Iraq did not exist.”
    Our church consistently teaches that war must be our last resort in “legitimate self-defense,” challenging our instinctive retaliatory impulses and inviting us to embrace Jesus’ radical commandment to “love your enemies.” Yet,  the pro-life movement  allows our leaders to be the aggressor in war now? We become hypocrites if we are inconsistent.  Will your conscience allow political candidates to wear the “pro-life” label with this horrible atrocity ongoing?
DENNY ARNOULT