Casting
new light on a subject of old
Colleen O’Boyle ‘04
 “I
will not rehearse the church’s position on abortion further this
afternoon,” stated Dr. Darlene Weaver, assistant professor of theology
and religious studies. Indeed, the Catholic Church has always been clear
on its teaching against abortion. But Dr. Weaver covered much more ground
than this. Instead, she chose to focus on the ethical and moral implications
of Roe v. Wade that have affected Americans since its legalization of
abortion on demand in 1973.
In support of the March for Life, Weaver addressed Villanova
students and faculty on Jan. 21 with her talk “What Respect for
Life Requires.” Sponsored by the Office for Mission Effectiveness
and Villanovans for Life, the lecture attracted an audience of about 50
Villanova students and faculty in the Connelly Center Cinema.
In order to achieve a full understanding of what respect
for life requires, Weaver preceded her prescription with the ethical legacy
of Roe v. Wade and the true meaning of theology of life as a theology
of social justice. Delving into four specific problems concerning the
social ramifications surrounding Roe v. Wade, Weaver described what underlies
the continued acceptance of abortion in our society.
In all of these arenas, she noted, theological perspectives
are often considered irrelevant in public conversation. However, Weaver
combats this presumption by prescribing relevant work for the pro-life
community. “In short,” she stated, “those who would
respect life ought to be leaders in the struggle for social justice and
equality between the sexes.” Because of the interdependence between
so many social justice issues, it becomes imperative for anti-abortion
advocates to also invest their energies to ridding the root causes of
abortion, including social and economic injustice, as well as sexism.
Weaver cites many reasons for the individualism that
has consumed our post-Roe society. These include the treatment of abortion
as a procedural matter, a misunderstanding of freedom of autonomy, “distributive
and gender injustice,” and the sterile language describing the unborn
and abortion that ignores the “social significance of killing.”
Ultimately, she stated, “Respect for life requires
comprehensive social action that tackles threats to life wherever they
are found.” This includes providing the social and economic necessities
for women and men who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies, as well
as education about adoption. Overcoming sexism, she offers, will help
men understand that the responsibility of an untimely pregnancy does not
solely fall upon the woman.
Weaver also broadens the pro-life scope by invoking a
concern for human life wherever it is threatened. Challenging right-to-life
advocates to defend life at every stage, she also provokes thought on
how to communicate their message about abortion. “If we are to become
a society that welcomes children and promotes equality between the sexes,”
she offered, “we need to consider what effective and morally responsible
forms of faithful witness might look like.” These tactics of communication,
she urged, must represent a faithful witness of Christian communities
in order to allow discourse between pro-life and pro-choice parties. We
must not promote respect for life in violent or combative ways because
it merely advances the divide between pro-life and pro-choice individuals.
Ultimately, “Respect for life requires us to recognize and work
from the broad areas of moral concern shared by folks on both sides of
the abortion debate.”
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