Pro-Life Means Pro-LIFE
I’ve been following the George Tiller story, and there’s one thing I just don’t understand: Why are so many pro-abortion advocates drawing a connection between this killing and the pro-life movement? Anyone with any acquaintance with the pro-life movement will know the aim of this movement is the protection of life from conception to natural death. This means that the pro-life movement entails a lot more than just an anti-abortion agenda. The agenda also includes being anti-euthanasia, anti-human cloning, anti-human embryonic stem cells research and anti-death penalty (It should also include being anti-contraception, but I’m not going to debate that right now).
George Tiller did not die a natural death; therefore, the person responsible for his death is not pro-life. In case any pro-abortion advocates miss this, I’ll say it again. The person responsible for George Tiller’s death is not pro-life. It is a contradiction to say that a murderer is pro-life. The issue gets a little fuzzy with the just war theory and with self-defence, but in this case, the issue is clear: it was wrong for George Tiller’s killer to take Dr. Tiller’s life.
Over and over again, pro-life groups have been denouncing Dr. Tiller’s killing and demonstrating they had no involvement, but they really shouldn’t have to. When a drug lord is murdered, anti-drug advocates don’t have to denounce the killing or prove their innocence to the media. Why are pro-life groups not given the same courtesy?
The man arrested and charged with Dr. Tiller’s killing, Scott Roeder, has no connection to any legitimate pro-life organisation. His family members, however, say he does suffer from a mental illness. Why doesn’t the media and pro-abortion advocates attack the mentally ill? We (that’s right, I have a mental illness) usually don’t kill anyone, but, unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Pro-life advocates, on the other hand, never kill anyone, if they do, they are no longer pro-life advocates.
It is a sad fact that some mentally ill persons succeed in killing people, most commonly themselves. It is an even sadder fact that far more people are killed through abortion than through mental illness. For the most part, people involved with abortion don’t fully realise that a person is being killed. If they did, only a few mentally ill persons or the most callous of people could actually go through with it. Many times the after affects of abortion induce mental illness, sometimes resulting in suicide.
The death of babies and the suicides over their deaths are what the pro-life movement is trying to prevent. Murdering an abortionist will not achieve this goal. Even though the facts prove otherwise, it seems that George Tiller is becoming a martyr for the pro-abortion cause. People believe the lie that “it’s not really a baby,” so they’re likely to believe the lie that the pro-life movement killed George Tiller.
June 8th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
It looks like Archbishop Joseph Naumann has made a distinction between being anti-abortion and pro-life. Scott Roeder appears to be anti-abortion but not pro-life. The distinction has been made. From this point on, responsible media must make an effort to correctly label pro-life individuals and organisations as “Pro-Life,” and only use the label “Anti-Abortion” for individuals and organisations that are not pro-life but anti-abortion.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Scott Roeder was allied with the “pro-life” movement for over a decade. When he was arrested he had Cheryl Sullenger’s cell phone # on the dash next to him. She is a leader in Operation Rescue and was previously convicted of plotting to bomb a clinic.
I believe Sullenger admits to having given Roeder information about Tiller, including where he lived and went to church.
There was at least one previous Operation Rescue attempt on Tiller’s life when arsonist Shelley Shannon fired numerous shots at him, hitting him in both arms.
Wichita Pastor Mark Holick of the Spirit One Christian Church and Operation Save America was said to have called Tiller’s assassination “a miracle.”
Fred Phelps and his family of the “God Hates Fags” Westboro Baptist church rushed away from his important work of disrupting GIs’ funerals to demonstrate at Tiller’s vigil, the day of his death, and at his funeral a week later.
June 9th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I looked into your accusations, and it seems you don’t have all the facts straight.
You are right that Shelley Shannon was at one time connected with Operation Rescue; however, sometime in 1991 she left Operation Rescue and the pro-life movement to pursue anti-life anti-abortion activities. These activities included setting fires at several abortion clinics in Oregon, California, Idaho and Nevada, and on August 19, 1993, shooting Dr. George Tiller. These activities took place after she left Operation Rescue and the pro-life movement.
Cheryl Sullenger went the opposite direction. She was involved in anti-life anti-abortion activities until she was arrested in 1988 when she confessed to a conspiracy to bomb the Alvarado Medical Center abortion clinic. After serving two years in prison, she joined the real pro-life movement and renounced all violence. She now works as a Senior Policy Advisor for Operation Rescue and serves on the Central Committee of the 75th District of the San Diego Republican Party.
Scott Roeder was never allied with the pro-life movement. This is the statement released by Operation Rescue:
As to Cheryl Sullenger’s connection with Scott Roeder, this is her response:
As to Mark Holick and Fred Phelps, I can’t take anyone seriously who groups them with ligament pro-life leaders like Archbishop Joseph Naumann (by the very nature of their office, all Catholic bishops are pro-life leaders).
Mark Holick is most famous for his sign that said, “America We Have a Muslim President This is a Sin Against The Lord! Ex. 20:3.” Mr. Holick seems to be under some delusion that the U.S. is some sort of Christian Holy Land. Even if President Obama where a Muslim, I fail to see how that violates the First Commandment. If Mr. Holick really did say that Dr. Tiller’s murder was “a miracle,” he just proved that he’s not really pro-life, and his willingness to follow Christ’s commandment to “love your enemies” is very questionable.
Fred Phelps also seems to have a problem loving his enemies. I even wonder if you can really call him a Christian. The Christian God is a God of love. Mr. Phelps’ god appears to be a god of hate. This is evident in the slogans of his church, such as the one you pointed out, “God Hates Fags.” All followers of Christ should be completely appalled at such an insensitive and offensive statement. Another offensive slogan from this church is “Priests Rape Boys.” The anti-Catholic views of Mr. Phelps’ church were clearly seen on their website the day after Pope John Paul II died. An altered photo of the pope appeared with horns emanating from his forehead with this caption:
I stand by the statement that Scott Roeder has no connection to any legitimate pro-life organisation.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Former abortion practitioner Bernard Nathanson, who has since converted to the pro-life position, was a former mentor of George Tiller, the slain late-term abortion practitioner. In a new interview, Nathanson said he was surprised that Tiller never became pro-life himself because of new medical technologies.
http://www.lifenews.com/state4235.html