The Colorado Guilds of the Catholic Medical Association wish to applaud the recent decision of the Supreme Court of the United States for not only upholding the Mississippi law to ban abortion after 15 weeks, but also the reversal of Roe and Casey, which now permits individual states to enact laws to safeguard the right to life of the unborn.

We as medical providers strongly oppose the notion that abortion is a form of health care. The majority of abortions sought today are elective with only 0.2% considered for so-called “health of the mother.” These could include cardiovascular disorders for instance such as severe preeclampsia due to the pregnancy. Yet abortion, which is the direct killing of a fetus, is unnecessary and usually takes longer or presents more risk than an emergent c-section which does not directly involve the killing of the unborn even if it turns out the child is unable to survive outside the womb. Hence abortion is never necessary to treat maternal medical conditions.

As scientists, we recognize that life is a continuum that has dignity at all stages of development, not the development of dignity. A living organism is defined in biological textbooks as having such capacities as self-directed activity, growth, maintenance of homeostasis and reproduction. A child growing in utero has these capacities and to describe it as simply “pregnancy tissue” or “part of the woman’s body” is unscientific and inappropriate. This tactic to dehumanize the unborn has been used historically in the past to deny rights to other marginalized groups. This human life is a person with inalienable rights and should not be directly killed in an abortion. Personhood does not begin with actively displaying certain capacities so one can “earn” rights. As ethicist Ryan Anderson said, “born or unborn, we share the same nature, and it is human nature as such — not any variable and contingent characteristic — that is valuable.” Rights were enshrined in our culture through laws to protect the most vulnerable from the oppression of those in power or those with greater voice. Killing of unborn human persons is wrong for the same reasons it is to kill a human born person and no reason can logically justify killing an innocent human life as a means to an end.

In Colorado, this decision has not impacted the legality of abortion. Though emotions remain tense over this issue, individuals on both sides must embrace a path of respectful dialogue and denounce any forms of violence including threats or willful destruction of property. As pro-life medical providers, we will continue to witness and educate to the truth of the dignity of all human life and that true health care is not sought through means of killing an innocent life, as the Hippocratic Oath has demanded physicians for centuries and forbade abortion.

At the same time, we wish to empower women with the loving choice of welcoming their child to either raise themselves or place for adoption for another family to joyfully welcome. With a new Colorado Pro-life Coalition including many charitable organizations such as Catholic Charities, Birthline of Colorado, Florence Crittenton Services (specifically for teen mothers) and others to provide real support through housing, health care, living necessities and job training, pro-life Coloradans including health-care professionals are here to support mothers and their children, both born and unborn!

Thomas Jensen

President, Denver Guild of the Catholic Medical Association, on behalf of the Colorado Guilds of the Catholic Medical Association

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