“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
These words, spoken by Benjamin Franklin, reflect the importance of one of the cardinal virtues: justice. It’s defined in the Catechism as “the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give our due to God and neighbor… It disposes one to respect the rights of each person… (CCC 1807).”
Our American society champions freedom and justice for all, but do we actually live by these ideals? We talk about freedom, yet we are slaves to our own selfish desires. We speak of justice, but don’t defend the most vulnerable. We promote justice when it’s convenient—when it aligns with our own desires and is within our comfort zones.
It’s easy to join the masses in fighting obvious injustices like sexual assault, bullying, mass shootings, or racial discrimination. We champion these causes all day, and rightly so! But what about the injustices that go against our own natural inclinations? Those are harder to fight for.
It’s not easy for a fifteen year-old rape victim to see an ultrasound, realize she’s carrying life, and naturally want that child. It’s not easy for a virtuous Christian man to feel compassion and desire to help a single woman who becomes pregnant as a result of her choice to sleep around with different guys every few weeks. Yet both of these people, born and unborn, deserve to be fought for. It’s in these moments, when the oppressed are people we don’t want to help, that we realize justice is truly about love of neighbor.
God didn’t say justice was easy. He simply called us to seek justice and correct oppression (Isaiah 1:17).
What it Means to Be Pro-Life
I guarantee that in simply reading the word “pro-life,” most of you have been triggered to emotionally respond in one way or another. Our culture has aggressively pitted the “pro-life,” or anti-abortion movement against the “pro-choice,” or pro-abortion movement to the point where many people on both sides have forgotten what we are truly fighting for: justice for all.
Science tells us life begins at conception—this fact is undisputed. But science doesn’t tell us how to deal with this truth. That’s where our choice comes in. We can choose to swallow the facts even when we don’t want to and defend the most vulnerable, or we can use “freedom of choice” as a guise so we can live our lives the way we want.
Justice is never convenient or comfortable. It’s not always natural or something we want because it forces us to get outside of ourselves for love of another. Defending justice means bridging the gap—recognizing the inherent dignity and value in each and every person and fighting for their greatest good. Being pro-life is SO much more than simply being against abortion. It means caring for the unborn child in a mother’s womb just as much as the mother.
Jesus tells us, “Whatever we do for the least of these, we do to Him (Matthew 25:40),” and our man Ben reminded us that justice won’t be served until we get over ourselves and speak up for our neighbors—all of them.
Bridging the Gap
I’ve seen many pro-life advocates fight for the rights of the unborn, but care less about the woman who is faced with the terrorizing fear of raising a child unwed and alone. I’ve witnessed pro-choice feminists champion women’s rights and freedoms, yet completely disregard and disrespect the consequences that come with certain choices.
If we are truly seeking justice, we should fight for both mother and child. We should listen and accompany unwed mothers who are faced with an unexpected pregnancy. We should encourage them to choose life and then remain with them to provide the resources necessary to raise their child or place him/her up for adoption. We should advocate for unborn children with disabilities whose parents don’t want them. We should fight for the rights of the elderly who are mistreated and neglected. We should inform people of the dangers of artificial birth control and contraception and its harm to women and society.
Being an advocate for justice is all-encompassing. We can’t fight for one person and not stand for the other—picking and choosing who we want to champion. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said, “Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each of us is loved. Each of us is necessary.”
How To Be An Advocate
I don’t like conflict and hate to see people fighting. I’m a natural-born peacemaker, but being an advocate for justice requires me to speak up when it’s uncomfortable and ruffle some feathers from time to time. And that can be scary.
I often find myself questioning if I am doing enough. Should I share more online about my views? Should I speak up in conversations more often when I hear friends say things directly opposed to Truth regarding moral issues? How can I live more radically as Jesus asks each of us?
With so many voices in the world—and not enough fighting for true justice—it’s our duty to be bold with the Truth, even if it makes us uncomfortable. In a world that loves to make enemies of people with opposing viewpoints, it’s countercultural to fight for both sides, yet it’s what we are called to do. Both sides of any issue involve people with inherent dignity and infinite value.
Here are some ways each of us can live more boldly and advocate for justice in everyday life:
- Seek Absolute Truth. We can’t fight for justice unless we know who is being oppressed. Do your research about different controversial topics. Try to take your own opinions or life circumstances out of it and look at it from all different angles. See the facts. There is absolute Truth in this world, which we are called to seek.
- Pray. Prayer should always be our first weapon for justice. Pray for the oppressed and the oppressors. Offer a rosary for them. Make a small sacrifice. And pray that our own hearts may be further opened to Truth. If we truly understood the power of prayer, we would use it much more often.
- Visit the oppressed. Go spend time with those you are advocating for. Go visit a nursing home for an hour one weekend. Go pray peacefully outside of an abortion clinic. Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center for women. Visit those in prison.
- Speak up—in person and online. Be an advocate in every sense of the word. Don’t be afraid to share your beliefs with others. I feel empowered when others share Truth—they inspire me to be courageous in my beliefs. Maybe your little act of courage will remind someone that they are not alone in their convictions.
- Love. Sometimes the hardest people to love are those who oppose you. But if we are truly fighting for justice, it means upholding their dignity as well. God loves them just as much as He loves you. He also desires their greatest good. So we must do the same.
How is God calling you to be an advocate for justice in your life?
From the depths of my soul,
