The Meaning of Pro-Life

Sr. Mary Walsh who is the Director of Media Relations for the USCCB wrote an article for The Washington Post.  The title of the article is Catholic Bishops: It’s pro-life to ban assault weapons. I’m not sure whether Sr. Walsh picked the title or The Washington Post picked the title of the article but it instantly caught my attention.

Here are my thoughts in response to the article:

In her article, Sr. Mary Walsh conflates being pro-life with being against assault weapons, being for gun control, and being against the death penalty.  Holding these positions may be pro-life to a degree but if persons have a different belief on these issues that doesn’t mean that these people aren’t pro-life.  Both gun control and the death penalty are areas where prudential judgment is applicable.  The death penalty can be a deterrent and can also be a means of justice.  Owning an assault rifle is not in and of itself abhorrent. Abortion is in and of itself abhorrent.  Guns can be used for good. And guns can be misused for evil purposes.  We should not be reactionary to the horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. and apply an improper use of guns with blanket gun control proposals which will ONLY affect law-abiding gun owners when they are not the problem.