Why I Don't Support or Attend the March for Life

I am staunchly pro life. My political and religious beliefs have changed many times throughout the decades of my life, but I have always been against abortion. I am old enough to remember when the Supreme Court legalized abortion. I cried when I saw the headline in my local paper. I could not believe we were now going to kill our babies.

For the past nine years, I have been praying almost every week in front of an abortion clinic. I stand in front of the abortion clinic because, out of all the great evils in our world, I don't believe there is a greater evil than than killing innocent, defenseless life. Abortion kills not only the babies, but is spiritually, emotionally and mentally lethal to all of those involved: the parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, potential friends and spouses of the aborted babies, and harms society and the world in general. We will never know how much we have lost in the deaths of all the hundreds of millions and maybe billions of aborted babies throughout the world.

The leaders of the March for Life believe that the solution to legalized abortion is politics.  The D.C. March for Life was first held in 1974, the first year anniversary of Roe v. Wade.  They organize the March each year and hold it in Washington, D.C. to get the attention of politicians.  These same pro life leaders also believe that if we can just stack the Supreme Court with conservatives, then abortion will be outlawed.  This is despite the fact that conservatives have been the majority of the Supreme Court for years and have never come close to criminalizing abortion.  

In 2016, the pro lifers, in their belief that politics is the key to ending legalized abortion, supported a con man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of money and fame, been married three times, has engaged in countless sexual liaisons and is accused by multiple women of sexual assault.  Donald Trump's immoral lifestyle was irrelevant to the pro life movement because he said the magic words:  "I am pro life".  I am amazed that people believe that politics will rid the land of abortion when politics gave us legalized abortion in the first place.  

How did Albert Einstein define insanity?  

2018 will mark the 45th Annual March for Life, and still the abortions continue unabated.  I went once to the Washington D.C. March for Life.  I heard a lot of speeches, saw a lot of signs, and was somewhat surprised at the party atmosphere at the March.  Yes, there were many very serious people at the March, but there were also many, especially among the young, who seemed to be there for a good time. I was back praying at the abortion clinic the next week.  Nothing had changed.

Msgr. Philip Reilly

There is a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn named Msgr. Philip Reilly.  Father Benedict Groeschel referred to him as the "Apostle of Life."  Msgr. Reilly has dedicated his life to fighting against abortion.  He has spent thousands and thousands of hours in front of abortion clinics, praying and counseling.  He has traveled around the world to help other pro life groups.  He has suffered from cancer of the face for many years now as a result of all the time spent in the sun in front of abortion clinics.  He lost his nose to the cancer.  The last time I saw him was a little over a year ago.  He is very frail now, but that has not stopped him.  He is still as actively involved in the pro life movement as his cancer-ravaged body will allow him to be.

I have heard Msgr. Reilly state that the answer to abortion is not in politics.  He says that the US Government basically runs Planned Parenthood as shown in the hundreds of millions of dollars given to PP each year.  Msgr. Reilly may have participated in the March of Life in the early years, but he has not been there now in many decades.  Msgr. Reilly believes that the answer to legalized abortion is in prayer, and that it is vital that we go to and pray at modern-day Calvary known as abortion clinics, as opposed to a protest, carrying signs and chanting,  Msgr. Reilly believes it is useless to go to politicians and the mainstream media who ignore us year after year.  We need to go to our local abortion clinics and make our presence known there, one-on-one with those entering the clinics.

Msgr. Reilly does not believe in confrontation or condemnation. He believes we should act in imitation of the Blessed Mother and those with her as they stood at the foot of the Cross at Calvary. We need to be praying and when we can, we need to gently reach out to those entering the clinics. This is what he writes on the facebook page for his group. Helpers of God's Precious Infants:

The way to fight the #cultureofdeath is by #PRAYER #fasting and peaceful #sidewalkcounseling. Protesting and picketing will not save souls. It's very important that we be at the clinics but more important is how we are present. When we pray we remind them of God and bring God's presence in that place which will change everything

Below is the video he has posted on YouTube:

As Msgr. Reilly says in this video, we go to the abortion clinics for conversion of heart, and to pray, not to protest.  Our purpose, as Msgr. Reilly says, is to create a prayerful presence at the site.  That is where the victory lies.  

I make the distinction between a prayerful presence, compassionate that informs, that inspires and encourages people to do what is right as opposed to an angry presence that is protesting, 'You shouldn't do this evil, you shouldn't do this," rather than realizing when they come there, they don't want to kill the baby. That's absurd. They come there because people are pressuring them.  They don't know what else to do.  No one has really given them the encouragement to keep the child.  You may be the first one that is saying the things or doing the things that Mother really wants to hear.  Mother wants to hear, "Yes, keep the child.  It's the right answer.  We will help you.  God will help you."  The presence of God's people at these sites now is very, very important.

I believe it is very important that people actually go to an abortion clinic and observe the people going in. You will see the truth of Msgr. Reilly's words - people don't want to kill their babies. That is so apparent from the pain in their eyes. They do not need condemnation, they need compassion. They need to hear the words of Jesus Christ: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Jesus Christ never tried to change the hearts of the political leaders of his time. He went directly to the people. As Christians, we need to follow Our Lord's example. The women entering the abortion clinics are the people who need to be reached. Marching in the streets, making passionate speeches and carrying signs will never change anyone's heart. Looking to politics as our savior is nothing more than a fool's errand, Politicians dance to the tune of their big-time donors, and their donors want abortion. As Americans, we need to accept the fact that our government is in the business of killing babies. We cannot change their hearts.

Those involved in the March for Life no doubt have very good intentions. They want to end abortion. But they are trying to do it using the world's methods, and as our Lord told us, our ways are not His ways.

If you really want to show you are pro life, then go peacefully and prayerfully to your local abortion clinic. Look with compassion on those entering the clinics. Realize that they are victims as much as their babies are victims. Leave the practice of politics to the politicians. Take up the Cross and go to Calvary.