"First, I am pro-life. I am pro-life across all its dimensions: unborn, mothers’ health, health care, children’s rights, immigrant rights, against the death penalty, etc.
Second, I honor Sister’s military service as a doctor and a surgeon and I honor her religious life. She is committed and concerned and she has shown it with her life of service on the front lines. Her life is exemplary.
But, I think she is absolutely wrong on her conclusion that Trump is pro-life and she fails tragically in her argument that Trump deserves our vote because he is the “most pro-life President” of all times. He is not.
Trump is not pro-life. He may be anti-abortion (and that is doubtful) but that does not mean that he is pro-life in the fullest sense of Catholic social and moral teaching. The reasons are clear and his policy arguments and actions indicate this.
He wants to dismantle universal health care, without providing an alternative model. He has shown us no alternative model of health care for Americans. His dismantling would lead to 20 million people losing their health care immediately. Health care that is thorough and available, especially to the poor, is a human right, according to the Catholic Church.
Trump is for the death penalty, which is against the Church’s moral teaching on the dignity of human life.
Trump has separated children from their parents, without plans to reunite them, and has continued to put them in cages. This is not pro-life.
Trump’s ignorance, lethargy, resistance and failed policies on the COVID pandemic have led to tens of thousands of needless deaths. This is not pro-life.
Trump has trumpeted the sexual assault against women, has paid off a porn-star with whom he had an affair, and has been accused of assault and rape by at least 19 women. This is not pro-life.
Trump has trumpeted the sexual assault against women, has paid off a porn-star with whom he had an affair, and has been accused of assault and rape by at least 19 women. This is not pro-life.
He has supported gun policies that have flooded our streets with the most lethal forms of weapons and has produced no policies to curb the accessibility of arms on American streets and around the world. This is not pro-life.
Trump has gutted the climate remediation efforts globally, making America the only country in the world not to sign on to the Paris Climate Accord. He has relaxed efforts to clean up the environment. This is not pro-life.
Trump has promoted two judges to the Supreme Court who in turn voted to uphold Roe v Wade policies. This is not pro-life.
Trump has actively promoted the administrations of Syria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Korea, which have histories of extra-judicial murders of state “” including journalists. This is not pro-life.
Trump has promoted or justified the actions of white supremacists and ridiculed the disabled. This is not pro-life.
If you are Republican and want to vote pro-life, please do so. But, you cannot justify voting for Trump because he is pro-life. He is clearly not.
If you do not want to vote for Joe Biden because he is not pro-life enough for you, that’s your choice. If your conscience tells you that you must pro-life, then vote your conscience. You must vote your conscience. But, inform your conscience and make sure that your position is clearly and coherently pro-life. If you do, you will see what other Catholics know for certain. Trump is not pro-life!
The Good Sister is totally wrong on that point."
About the author:
- Associate Professor of Theology and Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure University
- Dean R. Hoge Professor of Pastoral Planning and Church Management at Graduate Theological Foundation
- Former Professor at Pontifical University Antonianum
- Studied M.Div - Masters of Divinity at Maryknoll School of Theology
- Studied at William Alanson White Institute
- Studied Psychology at Gregorian University
- Studied English literature at St. Anselm College
- Lives at St. Bonaventure, New York
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