But Catholics have tended to be more consistent, and so appear more sincere on pro-life issues than other segments of the Christian right, whose strategic use of divisive issues to win elections is betrayed by their overall ambivalence to killing innocent life.  In order to minimize the impression of hypocrisy on sanctity of life issues, Bush has been careful not to alienate Catholics. By placing limits (not a full ban) on stem cell research, which Roman Catholics oppose because it involves the destruction of human embryos, he can walk a line between traditional Catholics and the progressive medical and scientific establishment (and avoid alienating fiscal conservatives and libertarians, including wealthy Republican investors in pharmaceuticals and biotech).  

When Republican Congressmen intruded in the Florida Supreme Court's ruling in the Terri Schiavo case, Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee proclaimed that the motive in keeping Schiavo alive was to maintain ''the sanctity of human life." However, ABC News and The Washington Post then reported that a memo distributed to senators by Republican leaders over the weekend called the Schiavo case a ''great political issue," adding that ''the pro-life base will be excited" by the debate. The memo also highlighted the vulnerability of Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who refused to support the effort to save Terri.   By turning her family's dilemma into a sensationalized showdown between right-to-life protesters and the right-to-die faction, theocratic demagogues saw an opportunity to frame sound bites for political ends.

While Catholicism has tended to be more consistent overall in advocating the protection of innocent life, the Roman Catholic Church's guidelines on how to conduct a "just war" suggest that the principle of 'sanctity of life' is indeed open to compromise, albeit within strict limits. Francis Kissling  of Catholics for a Free Choice has pointed out that these guidelines are for men, and assume that men can exercise their reason in matters of life and death, within a moral framework. We might ask why there are no equivalent guidelines for women when the issue is abortion.  

Despite their "sanctity of life" mantra, the Christian right's actions prove that their commitment to this value is negligible. Looking across the spectrum of issues in which the protection of life, even innocent life, is the core concern, we find the theocratic right's support for innocent life conspicuously absent on all but one issue - controlling women's reproductive choices. This implies that the "sanctity of life" rhetoric is a disingenuous cover for their real concern: maintaining patriarchal control over women's fertility. Given their views on the subservient role of women, this is hardly surprising.  

The Southern Baptist Convention and the Christian Coalition support the death penalty, because they see their moral obligation as limited to the protection of innocent life. The indisputable evidence showing that the United States has, and continues to, send innocent people to death appears not to have entered the radar screen of either group. Since the death penalty was reinstated in the 70's, the United States have exonerated 82 innocent men and women, releasing them from death row.  This represents one innocent death row inmate for every seven executed, an alarming statistic for anyone concerned about protecting innocent life.

Former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R- Tex) has spoken passionately about his goal to make us all into one "God-centered" nation. As House majority leader he made sure that Clinton's 1994 ban on assault weapons would not come up for a vote, ensuring that these lethal weapons can be legally bought and sold in the United States today.  Such weapons have but one purpose ... and it is not hunting.

Equally absent from the "pro-life" agenda is any form of protest against the American war of aggression against Iraq. This is especially surprising since it is now widely accepted that the Bush administration lied to Congress, there were no WMD's and Sadam Hussein had no connection with Al Quaeda or Ossama Bin Laden. Yet in the name of these myths, some 250,000 Iraqi civilians have so far been killed.  These are not embryos, these are innocent children, women and civilians.

Another plank in the theocratic right's "pro-life" platform is a rapacious attitude towards the environment that has ensured the extinction of countless species. Belief in a strong and vibrant private sector unencumbered by excessive government regulation is a core value of the movement.  Because of their unholy alliances with big corporations, disregard for the environment is virtually mandatory. The Texas Republican Party Platform, a document that reflects the goals of the theocratic right, opposes efforts to regulate industry and calls for abolishing the Environmental Protection Agency.   James Dobson of Focus on the Family believes global warming is "junk science," despite the fact that virtually every reputable scientist in the world supports the idea. Instead, Dobson relies on the more compelling Biblical 'evidence' in the Old Testament book of Genesis, the same book that says the world was created in seven days. Focus on the Family executives signed an open letter to the American people which included a section explaining that God put human beings on the earth to "subdue it" and to "have dominion over" the animals.

So again, by means of fallacious reasoning, the right's demagogues have persuaded many that opposing abortion is sufficient to "respecting the sanctity of life".  It is arguable that opposition to abortion is a necessary condition for "respecting the sanctity of life" but I hope the above examples show that it is far from sufficient.