LONDON, ON, June 21 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Bishop John Michael Sherlock, of London, Ontario issued a statement Monday apologizing for his earlier disparaging remarks about pro-lifers, but he continues to defend Catholic participation in the World March for Women. The primary reason the bishop gives for supporting the march is “that poverty and violence, especially the poverty of women and children, kills and disables more children than abortion does, and it is against poverty of women and violence that we march.”
Unfortunately, the bishop is severely misinformed on his facts. Even pro-abortion groups admit to “between 36 and 53 million abortions” per year (Alan Guttmacher Institute) and that is considered by some to be a very conservative estimate. Without even considering the countless millions of babies killed by way of reproductive technologies and abortifacient ‘contraception’, abortion is by far the greater destroyer of human life. However, the argument to take part in the March would be gravely flawed even if the number of lives at stake among the unborn was fewer.
The Fall 1993 edition of Human Life Review argues against participation in ventures such as the March which, although they promote some good causes such as fighting poverty, also include support for moral evils such as abortion. The argument suggests that a man who asks for money to buy his son a baseball bat so that his son may play the game should not be given support if it is known that the man intends to use the bat to beat his wife. While the example is disturbing, pro-lifers point out that abortion is equally if not more disturbing than wife abuse. The argument extends to include providing funds “earmarked” to non-offensive projects. Giving the money to the man if he says he will use the money to buy dinner, and that way can use his own money to purchase the bat to beat his wife, is also obviously unacceptable.
“I deeply regret that anything I have said should be interpreted as hostile to those who stand courageously in defense of the unborn, the developmentally disabled, and the aged,” said Bishop Sherlock acknowledging that he has received “such a volume of mail” with regard to his disparaging comments that he could not reply individually to the correspondents.
For Bishop Sherlock’s original May 30th statement see: https://www.lifesitenews.com/clc/womens_march/sherlockmay30.html (Page currently unavailable)