Coronavirus and the Pro-Life Instinct ~ BENEATH THE SURFACE with PAUL MURANO

By: Paul Murano -April, 2020

The overall reaction to the Wuhan virus pandemic reveals the pro-life instinct in human nature. It is natural to do whatever it takes to preserve innocent human life. If that means temporarily shutting down a city, a nation, or a world, so be it. We see this instinct unfolding in our society. We know intuitively that human life is precious, unique in each person, and invaluable in itself and to the world. Each individual person has more inherent dignity than does the entire universe.

Even though we know this on some level – a level easily accessible in children and often buried deeper beneath the surface in adults – when we’re mired in sin we lose access to it. Hardened hearts cannot love, and they disable a person from seeing reality as it is – leading one to live a reality of one’s own making, tainted with anger and full of contradiction.

This is why, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, while everyone is racing to save lives, Planned Parenthood continues to kill them. Most of society except for hospitals, grocery stores, and gas stations are considered non-essential. Yet, in some states, killing preborn babies is somehow deemed essential. As companies, theaters, schools, colleges, restaurants, bowling alleys, and churches shutdown for the foreseeable future, abortion facilities remain open for business. We shut down society to save innocent lives, and yet in the midst of this we deem it essential to kill them.

Of course this is a contradiction. We know it makes no sense to be saving lives from a virus while at the same time killing lives from an abortion suction machine. It is inconsistent to ask everyone to sacrifice their lifestyles so that others may live, but not expect parents of preborn children to do the same. When innocent human life is involved, sacrifices are expected, even obligatory in some instances.

Many people now miss following their favorite sports teams, going to the movies or to the gym, and hanging out with family and friends. Many are sacrificing their birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, First Communions, Confirmations, and Baptisms; as well as their weekly paychecks, livelihoods, and dreams – all for the sake of saving innocent lives. We know intuitively self-sacrifice is worth saving lives. Why does this principle end at the womb – which was once the world’s safest place to live? Why do some parents with unexpected pregnancies deny this basic instinct?

That this is a blatant contradiction is clear, obvious to those not psychologically active in pushing the door to their own hearts jammed shut. Denial of the pro-life instinct, one that is planted in every human being by God and nature, is unnatural. Yet, it takes effort, lots of negative energy.

It’s exhausting continuously to rationalize a false narrative every day in order to fool oneself into being comfortable with contradiction. There are countless people living this kind of charade, some without realizing it. You can see it on their faces and in their hearts.

Why are so many living this contradiction if it brings no peace and attains no happiness? Why the insistence of a mindset and lifestyle that inevitably brings inner unrest? Why do we do this to ourselves, and spread it to others like the spiritual virus that it is? This is the mystery of sin. It is an important mystery to ponder during these seasons of Lent and Easter.

Is it possible to overcome our bitterness, our vices, and the injustices done to us in order to live in peace and freedom? The Easter message has the answer: The message from the One who bore our sins and conquered death by the Resurrection on Easter gives a two-fold answer to that question: ‘No’, it is not possible to overcome it on your own, by our own natural power. And ‘Yes’, with God’s help it is very possible, for it is the only reason He took on a human nature and bore our sins on the cross – to destroy sin and its hold on us.

All that’s required from us is a humble heart, openness to God’s life and a willingness to cooperate with it. We need not be slaves to our animosity, addictions, and contradictions. When we are true to our pro-life instincts, we make our own lives much more complete, responding to the Easter promise with a ‘Yes’ to Reality and its Creator.

Paul is talk host of Beneath the Surface video and radio podcasts, teaches college philosophy and theology, is a staff writer/producer for Church Militant, and a singer-songwriter-musician. Check out Paul’s website at Paulmurano.com, and email: PJDM@aol.com