Seeking Consistency and Inclusivity
The central goal of the pro-life movement is to humanize people in all stages of life, from conception through natural death. At the 2021 Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life (OCC), Rehumanize International, a secular and nonpartisan nonprofit human rights organization dedicated to the Consistent Life Ethic, challenged and strengthened my convictions about how to humanize the most dehumanized.
Herb Geraghty, the Executive Director of Rehumanize International, spoke in a concurrent session about humanizing and dehumanizing language. He explained that we need to be intentional and aware regarding our words, making sure we do not contribute to rhetoric that leads to acts of violence. This awareness exists for life issues, from protecting the pre-born to immigration to racial justice. Tragically, language that refers to a people as non-persons is problematic and tells society that not only can we speak poorly about that group--we can be physically aggressive or violent to them as well. For example, calling a pre-born baby a “fetus” or a “clump of cells” for the sake of denying that person their humanity is problematic and contributes to a world in which people believe it is okay to harm the unborn. Similarly, calling the immigrants “illegal,” the elderly “parasites,” or inmates “animals” poses the same problems. According to Herb, referring to any group as less than the infinite beauty that they are has intrinsically detrimental consequences. As pro-lifers, we have an obligation to consider how our language might dehumanize others and make sure we are intentional and methodical in speaking about different groups of people.
Aimee Murphy, Founder and former Executive Director of Rehumanize International, was the keynote speaker of the 2021 Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life. Importantly, Aimee Murphy used much of her speech to denounce the racism that persists in our society. In close alignment with the Consistent Life Ethic, Aimee Murphy’s statements against racism and bigotry are essential to the pro-life movement. In order to effectively expose the wrongs of terminating pre-born life, we must acknowledge, condemn, and take action against all forms of discrimination that dehumanize people. Murphy drew from her experience growing up as a queer woman and pointed out that standing up for life from conception to natural death means including and supporting life for all groups of people, including the LGBTQ+ community.
Aimee Murphy and Herb Geraghty’s work at Rehumanize International gives me hope for the future of the pro-life movement. Their consistency is refreshing. They do not fit within a singular American political party. Instead, they teach us how to be purposeful with our language so that it uplifts all groups of people, and they take a strong stand against all forms of hate, including racism and homophobia. To be most effective and meaningful, the pro-life movement should take on Rehumanize International’s model as core to the pro-life mission.
Matteo Caulfield (Vice President, Class of 2023)
