The Pro-Life Case for the COVID Vaccines

Of course, people have differences of opinion. Many local dioceses are urging people to avoid the Johnson & Johnson vaccine if they possibly can. And many have said that they will not take the any vaccine that is connected, even remotely, to dead babies.

As I said, I got my first shot of Moderna. I know that some of my pro-life friends will be skeptical of my choice, given a vocal history of opposing anything that seems-in even the most minuscule way-to advance the “choice” agenda.

I sympathize with them much more than they suspect. That shot in my upper arm did not fill me with euphoria and relief, as many have described themselves in the moments after being vaccinated. It filled me with resignation, and a sense that I was doing something to keep my family safe. It also brought with it the sense of shame that this “safety” came at the expense of lost lives.

Those who don’t see abortion as the greatest modern evil will laugh at that feeling, I suppose. They don’t understand the horrible implications of benefiting from the death of innocents. They would probably understand it if I said “I don’t want to use any drug that was developed from Nazi-era experiments or the Tuskegee syphilis trials.” But mention abortion, and their eyes glaze over.

They’re irrelevant to me. And at the risk of justifying myself to God, I like to think that those innocent souls that were sacrificed in the 1970s and 1980s have been raised up, glorified, and sanctified by their ability to save future generations from this scourge.

I carry in me their sacrifice, and their legacy. That the church understands this as well is a singular blessing.

And a painful one.

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