Conservatives and the
Consistent Life Ethic
“I believe the declaration that ‘all men are created equal’ is the great fundamental principle upon which our free institutions rest.”
–Abraham Lincoln, 1858
Respecting the dignity of every human person is a conservative cause. In the U.S., the conservative Republican Party was founded, in part, to end the human rights abuses of slavery. Conservatives today pride themselves on continuing this legacy:
"Our party, the Republican Party, was founded to defeat slavery. Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Together we passed the Civil Rights Act, and together we fought to eliminate Jim Crow Laws. That’s our collective legacy..."
–Senator Ted Cruz at the 2016 Republican National Convention
These principles are why conservatives generally oppose the destruction of human life in the forms of abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research. Rightfully so, most conservatives recognize that we have a duty to protect the inalienable right to life of vulnerable populations like the unborn and the infirm.
Abortion
"Now that Roe v. Wade has been consigned to the ash heap of history, a new arena in the cause of life has emerged, and it is incumbent on all who cherish the sanctity of life to resolve that we will take the defense of the unborn and the support for women in crisis pregnancy centers to every state in America."
Euthanasia
"The consequences of introducing assisted suicide are not a matter for speculation. The practice has been implemented in other countries not unlike ours, and when assisted suicide is permitted, it is a slippery slope. Whenever assisted suicide has been legalised, however tight the initial safeguards and however sincere the assurances that it will be a narrowly defined law for rare cases, the practice has rapidly expanded.”
–Carla Lockhart, Member of Parliament for the conservative DUP in the United Kingdom
Embryonic Stem
Cell Research
"Yet we must also remember that embryonic stem cells come from human embryos that are destroyed for their cells. Each of these human embryos is a unique human life with inherent dignity and matchless value. [...] they remind us that in our zeal for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our fundamental morals."
Conservatives can embrace the Consistent Life Ethic by recognizing that the right to life is inalienable for every human being. The Consistent Life Ethic is a philosophy that values and respects human life at all times, in all places, and in every circumstance. This means defending the right to life of every individual — whether they are in the womb, at the border, on death row, or caught behind enemy lines.
This does not contradict a conservative political ideology that values traditionalism, limited government, and the sanctity of human life. Conservatives who embrace the Consistent Life Ethic live out their conservative values by standing up for the dignity of anyone whose life and liberty are at stake.
“Peace is not absence of conflict;
it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”
–Ronald Reagan
Capital punishment
"If we are truly a 100% pro-life state, and being 100% pro-life, I believe that the death penalty is something that we really need to examine and put an end to because there’s just too many errors to be made and it’s just too big an error to make."
War
"War, undertaken for even justifiable purposes, has often had the principal results of wrecking the country intended to be saved and spreading death and destruction among an innocent civilian population. War should never be undertaken or seriously risked except to protect American liberty."
Immigration
"Their search for a better life is one of the most basic desires of human beings. Many undocumented workers have walked mile after mile, through the heat of the day and the cold of the night. Some have risked their lives in dangerous desert border crossings, or entrusted their lives to the brutal rings of heartless human smugglers. Workers who seek only to earn a living end up in the shadows of American life. [...] The situation I described is wrong. It is not the American way. Out of common sense and fairness, our laws should allow willing workers to enter our country and fill jobs that Americans are not filling. We must make our immigration laws more rational, and more humane."
Conservatives stand against the violence of abortion and embryonic stem cell research at the dawn of life because they understand the inherent dignity of the human person from the moment of conception. They also affirm the dignity of those who are sick and dying at the end of their lives by opposing assisted suicide and euthanasia. Conservative leaders should continue to make strides towards a world where every human's life is respected, valued, and protected, and we bear the responsibility for holding them accountable. The respect we have for the right to life must be applied to every human being, regardless of their circumstances of age, size, race, location, dependency, ability, or innocence.
More on Capital Punishment
We do not lose our humanity when we commit a crime. Conservatives believe in small government, and allowing the state to determine who lives and who dies is a clear overreach of government power. As Demetrius Minor of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty once said,
"I don’t even trust the government to ensure that I get my packages on time. Why would I trust the government — and I say this in absence of hyperbole or exaggeration — why would I trust the government with a matter of life and death?"
In addition to being contrary to the inherent dignity of humanity, the death penalty is also ineffective at deterring crime, is costly, and is actually a public menace to our communities. Over 200 innocent people have been sentenced to death and spent years on death row. Due to the legal costs and time it takes to go through the appeals process, it results in a huge waste of government resources.
Read more about our stance on capital punishment.
More on War
A small government would stay out of other states’ affairs, and a society that recognizes the sanctity of human life should not justify the rampant killing of innocent civilians caught behind enemy lines, whose lives are just as valuable as our own. Futhermore, sending our troops into unnecessary conflicts shows a lack of respect for their lives as well. We should never treat human beings as expendable. Only after all diplomatic options have been exhausted in national defense should we consider war. We must always strive to cause the least human damage as possible.
A strong national defense is important. However, it should be just that — defense. Engaging in preemptive strikes is never necessary and is an act of aggression.
What about Just War Theory?
At Rehumanize International, we acknowledge that a just war is theoretically possible. However, the principles of Just War Theory contain many requirements designed to prevent injustice both in declaring war and in conducting battles, and these are often not followed by modern militaries. The targeting of civilians in drone strikes, the threat of nuclear warfare, and the way soldiers are trained to view their enemies as subhuman all lead us to question whether current military practices are truly righteous and moral enough to ever begin to meet Just War Theory standards.
Read more about our stance on war.
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