Victor R. Claveau, MJ
“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matt. 5:40).
World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history. It has been estimated that WWII cost the lives of 60 million people. Among those allies who were either killed or wounded, fighting the Axis of Evil, were 416,837 Americans, (approximately 2.5% of those who served), 580,351 British (5.2% of those who served), and 10,725,345 Soviets (25% of those who served), for a total number of 11,722,533 casualties.[1]
As horrendous as these numbers appear they pale in comparison to the 65 million innocent babies aborted worldwide each year. The U.S. has averaged 1.2 million abortions over the past ten years These statistics do not include California and New Hampshire.
In 2008, there were 1,793 abortion providers in the United States. This is virtually unchanged from 2005, when there were 1,787 abortion providers. Thirty-four percent of these providers were hospitals, 21% were abortion clinics (clinics where more than half of all patient visits were for abortion), 26% were clinics where fewer than half of all visits were for abortion, and 19% were private physicians’ offices. Seventy percent of all abortions were provided at abortion clinics, 24% at other clinics, 4% at hospitals and 1% at private physicians’ offices.
Most Holocaust histories identify six major German Nazi extermination centers in occupied Poland. An estimated 2,814,500 people were murdered in these camps. The United States of America has approximately 1,780 death centers, of which, 860 are operated by Planned Parenthood; the nation’s leading provider of surgical abortions. The number of babies murdered in Planned Parenthood and other centers exceeds 54,000,000 precious souls. Today, we rightly characterize the Nazi regime as an evil empire. We must also rightly recognize Planned Parenthood as a kindred spirit of Nazism, complicit in the new holocaust.
Just as the world was slow to act against Hitler in his quest for world domination, our society has been slow to act against the evils of abortion. The commemorative monuments erected to honor the victims of abortion are an indictment to the complacency of most Americans. In many cases, they are nothing more than an attempt to assuage guilty consciences; if so, they are shameful.
“St. Thomas maintains: ‘Each one is under obligation to show forth his faith, either to instruct and encourage others of the faithful, or to repel the attacks of unbelievers.’ To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubt as to the truth of what he professes to believe. In both cases, such mode of behaving is base and is insulting to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on the part of Christians is so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom little would be needed on their part to bring to naught false charges and refute erroneous opinions, and by always exerting themselves more strenuously they might reckon upon being successful. After all, no one can be prevented from putting forth that strength of soul which is the characteristic of true Christians, and very frequently by such display of courage our enemies lose heart and their designs are thwarted. Christians are, moreover, born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured, God aiding, the triumph: “Have confidence; I have overcome the world.” Nor is there any ground for alleging that Jesus Christ, the Guardian and Champion of the Church, needs not in any manner the help of men. Power certainly is not wanting to Him, but in His loving kindness He would assign to us a share in obtaining and applying the fruits of salvation procured through His grace.” (Sapientiae Christianae, Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, On Christians as Citizens, 1890, #14)
Church history is replete with the stories of Saints and heroes who willingly risked or gave their lives in the pursuit of truth. Like them, the followers of Christ must fight from the high moral ground. We must seek to expose the evil that permeates Planned Parenthood, and to wake up our society. The activities of abortionists must be exposed to the light of truth; they must be made to scatter like vermin when light illuminates a darkened room in a squalid neighborhood.
We are at war. Millions of innocent lives have been lost and countless more are at stake. Violence is not Christ’s way. We must demonstrate our displeasure at the ballot box. Planned Parenthood receives hundreds of millions of US tax dollars annually, and must be defunded. Pro-lifers must stir the conscience of other Americans, who, in turn, will elect politicians who have the courage and conviction to finally end the holocaust of abortion.
Thankfully, there are a good number of pro-life groups in the United States. You may or may not be in a position to demonstrate your support in a public manner, but you can support these groups, with prayer and financial contributions. The day will come when we will each stand before Jesus and be judged on our life in the body. Let Him find us worthy of the name Christian.
[1] Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties