Talk Turkey Josie Luetke
Dear young pro-lifer, how do you feel about becoming a plumber? A farmer? A carpenter? I ask not to imply that these careers are inferior (for they are not), but to imply, rather, that your options may be limited. It is becoming more and more difficult for a pro-lifer or a social conservative to pursue the careers one may traditionally be asked about.– teacher, lawyer, doctor.
In multiple provinces, teachers in public boards (including Catholic) are professionally obliged to teach a radical sex-ed curriculum. A teacher in a B.C. private school was fired for expressing his disagreement with abortion and I have heard many a tale about pro-life teachers being ostracized by colleagues and administration for doing the same.
The resistance of some law societies to accepting graduates from Trinity Western University’s law school reveal the anti-Christian (and relatedly, anti-social conservative) bias present in the profession.
Doctors and other health care professionals struggle to retain their conscience rights and refrain from referring patients for or directly providing birth control, abortion, and/or euthanasia. Queen’s University philosophy professor Udo Schuklenk and University of Oxford philosophy professor Julian Savulescu argue that those students who would object to being involved in the provision of legal medical services such as those mentioned above ought not to be accepted by medical schools.
More recently, the pro-life politician has been under fire. The New Democrat and Liberal members of the Status of Women Committee refused to approve Rachael Harder as chair due to her pro-life record. It is perhaps not too surprising then that Andrew Scheer and Patrick Brown have been going to such great lengths to distance themselves and their parties from the pro-life label.
I am aware that I am painting a somber picture. Please note that I am not saying you should not pursue these careers.– quite the opposite. If pro-choicers are able to bully all the pro-lifers out of a certain field, then they win, and obviously, we do not want that. However, if it becomes impossible to enter a career without violating your conscience or you are faced with the possibility of losing your job for doing the right thing, well, better a field without pro-lifers than a field with “pro-lifers” who fail to stand up for their beliefs.
I have been focusing on jobs in this column, but pro-lifers are being pushed out of public life in many other ways. To list just a few: the creation of bubble zones around abortion facilities, the censorship of graphic images of abortion, the war against pro-life clubs, flags, displays, speakers, and ads. The pro-life movement is being rendered invisible.
The government and the mainstream media have been insisting that the abortion debate is closed. The pro-life movement has not gotten the message, so the debate is being closed for us. The pro-choice majority could not successfully pretend that we do not exist, so now they will wipe us out. And make no mistake: wiping us out is their intent. They will not stop here.
The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada maintains that condemnation of abortion is hate speech against women and many others are adopting this rhetoric. If this trend catches on, how could we expect any “hate speech” to be tolerated?
The aim of all this: Silence. If you oppose abortion, keep it to yourself. In the workplace, you will behave as though you are pro-choice (à la the “personally pro-life” MPs in the Liberal Party), or you will suffer consequences. You will not be seen, nor heard.
Our hand is being forced. We must all answer a serious question: How much do you care about your pro-life convictions? What would you be willing to sacrifice for them? Your political allegiances? Your career ambitions? The pro-”choicers” behind these efforts are betting that most of us would give up our vocal opposition to abortion if the personal cost became too great. The pro-life movement in Canada will disappear unless every pro-lifer decides that their commitment to human rights trumps their own desires.
Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti is credited with saying, “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” We live in a sick society. We are doing something wrong if we are comfortable in the midst of this battle. Remember that Jesus told us to give up our possessions and to follow Him, to not worry about worldly concerns but to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33). This is the test: Of this world or in this world?
