The results of Ontario’s upcoming elections are predictable: no matter which party wins, unborn babies lose. Despite rhetoric spouted by some hopefuls, who easy abortion is a matter of personal conscience or who protest that no action can be taken against illegal killing centers until the Supreme Court has spoken, all three mainstream parties support the status quo at the very least, and vigorously promote larger-scale killing, at the very worst.
Our background information on all three mainstream political parties in this issue shows that all three have committed themselves to a pro-abortion platform. A vote for any candidate who has states that he or she is in favor of abortion (or one who hides behind the “personally opposed” or “it is a private matter” smokescreen, or one who refused to state what his or her position is) is a pro-abortion vote.
Sad to say, the voting bloc with the most power to effect change – Ontario’s large Roman Catholic population – seems set to vote for the Liberals. Will the bishops and priests speak up and remind their flock that Catholics are forbidden to cooperate with abortion?
Adam Exner, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Winnipeg, gave clear guidance in 1979, when he said:
“I cannot in conscience before God vote for any candidate who favors or promotes or even passively or reluctantly tolerates attacks on human life at its source, attacks on human life before birth and life after birth, regardless of how good or bad the candidate’s record might be otherwise.
“Human life is such a grave matter that an adverse stance in this regard is by itself sufficient reason for disqualifying a political candidate … in conscience I cannot play God, nor can I afford to become an accomplice with anyone else who wishes to do so. There is too much at stake. That is a risk I do not wish to take.”
Will the leaders of the other denominations speak up and remind their congregations that they, too, have a responsibility as Christians to choose life?
The Liberal record in Ontario is appalling. In Toronto, Morgentaler’s illegal center has remained open, free from further prosecution, and with police protection, despite the fact that legal steps could be taken to close the place down. With the precedent as security, a second illegal center has now been in business for 16 months. And now the Liberals promise to open more killing centers all across Ontario, thus ensuring that obtaining an abortion will be no more complicated than arranging to have a car serviced.
But can the pro-life vote make a difference in this election? You bet it can!
Pro-lifers in 31 ridings can cast a vote for their Family Coalition Party candidate, safe in the knowledge that here is a politician who is not only personally opposed to abortion but ready to act to protect the unborn – and he or she will not be subject to party pressure to alter that commitment.
A pro-life candidate in one of the three mainstream political parties deserves support. While an individual pro-life MPP may be too isolated to affect party policy (or buck orders), there’s safety in numbers. The more pro-life MPPs elected, the more influence the pro-life view will have.
Voters in other ridings are not so fortunate, but they do have a choice. Voters without a pro-life candidate can choose one of three routes: refuse the ballot, spoil the ballot, or just not bother to vote.
Of the three, the last is the least effective since the reason for not voting will be attributed to apathy, not general disgust. Refusing the ballot (and stating that it is because there is no qualified candidate) ensures that the reason for refusal is recorded. Spoiling the ballot (writing “no qualified” or “no pro-life” candidate) also ensures the reason will be recorded. A substantial number of refused or spoiled ballots sends a powerful message to politicians.
On September 10, Ontario pro-lifers have a responsibility to act on their beliefs and choose life and vote for those who cannot. If we continue to support pro-abortion parties through our votes, we do no have a right to call ourselves pro-life.
