by Bob Sullivan
When I first started attending pro-life events and working with pro-life groups, I met members of many Catholic parishes across the state. For a long time, it seemed like being pro-life was synonymous with being Catholic. This was because nearly everyone you met was Catholic, especially the leadership.
Over time, I have started meeting pro-life advocates who are not Catholic. At first, I was surprised. Then I wondered if they were soon to be Catholic but had not yet made the inevitable decision to join the Catholic Church. While some have, I don’t think most have. In recent years I have started to meet more and more non-Catholics who are very dedicated to life, marriage, and the parent’s role as the primary educator of their children. While Catholics continue to make up the large majority of the pro-life movement, you cannot assume the next pro-life advocate you meet is Catholic, and this is a great thing.
Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that the Catholic faith contains the fullness of truth, the purest form of worship, and the best plan for our salvation. What I’m saying is that the pro-life movement, the defense of traditional marriage and family, and the parent’s primary role as the educator of their child, needs non-Catholics who are willing to join Catholics in these missions.
Why do Catholics make up the majority of the members in these groups? There are lots of reasons, but I think the two most frequent are the fact that many non-Catholic Christian churches do not have leaders (for one reason or another) who urge their members to be active advocates of life. While many of the members are pro-life, or would if they were encouraged to learn more about it, there are more non-Catholic church leaders who avoid the topic than there are those who are vocally and actively pro-life.
If there is one thing about the pro-life movement, it is the sense of community it offers to its members. Going to a talk, a walk, or a fundraiser is like a family reunion in a sense. You get to reunite with people you have gotten to know over many years, and it is good to join together with friends and not only enjoy their company, but to identify as a united front against evil. For the non-Catholic who does not have a pro-life leader or group in their own church, walking into an event where everyone seems to know everyone else, would be a lot to ask of most people.
Secondly, some non-Catholics are warned against becoming too friendly with Catholics. Some Christians are taught that they should not pray with Catholics, enter a Catholic church or event, or “fellowship” with us. As a result, some people actively avoid socializing with Catholics if they are not compelled to do so because they are related to them or have a work-related relationship with a Catholic.
In a nutshell, some non-Catholic Christians decline to participate in the pro-life movement because it is “too Catholic.” I have met with some very faithful non-Catholic Christians who struggled with their desire to be more active with their pro-life beliefs, but who have declined to join the local pro-life group because it is just too Catholic. While this is an extreme, it is also real, and it keeps some great disciples from being more effective in pushing back against the growing pagan culture in which we live. This is very unfortunate.
If there is one thing the world needs right now, it is more disciples giving a public witness to Christ. You don’t have to be Catholic to do this, nor does everyone have to agree on every theological matter. In the pro-life movement, you don’t even need to be Christian to join in. In fact, there are some very persuasive and effective non-Christian advocacy groups such as Secular Pro Life. While their approach may not have the spiritual horsepower a Catholic or non-Catholic Christian can offer, there is a certain type of person who will be more receptive to a secular pro-life explanation than a Biblical or historically Christian explanation.
Because of this, I think pro-life Catholics and non-Catholic Christians should reach out to other non-Catholic Christians and be more intentional about inviting them to pro-life events, talks, and walks. While it might lead someone to a conversion to Catholicism, that isn’t the goal of the pro-life movement. If a non-Catholic ends up converting to Catholicism, which does happen because of the people they meet and the experiences they have in the pro-life movement, that is just an unintended good. The goal is to build a culture of life and to do that, we need to simply convert a lot of people to the belief that abortion is evil, unnecessary, and unrewarding.
I believe that non-Catholic Christians are an untapped resource in this battle to build a culture of life.
Do you have a non-Catholic family member, friend, or acquaintance who might be pro-life, but is not active in pro-life advocacy? Invite them. Not only that, but offer to pick them up and go with them. That way, they aren’t walking into a group of strangers who all seem to know each other. If they think they would feel out of place, point out our common beliefs, such as the fact that Jesus is God (the second Person of the Trinity), that God creates all life and tells us that all life is precious, and that it is evil to destroy someone who is not only innocent but defenseless. These are common beliefs of all faithful Christians.
So, invite them, focus on common beliefs, and let any theological discussions come naturally as you join together and advance the culture of life in Nebraska.
