Pro Life Pro Peace

Lutheran Bishop Lowell Erdahl's book was an attempt to bridge the pro-life movement, the peace movement, and the anti-death penalty movement under a consistent ethic of life. The fact that the book is out of print is proof that it never spoke to a significant constituency. Even though Erdahl's ethic may seem logical, even to people who disagree with him, few on either side of the great American political divides between left and right/liberal and conservative are willing to have their orthodoxies challenged. Without proclaiming any "curse on both their houses" this book along with the writings of Nat Hentoff and Ron Sider offered just such a challenge. The message of the book is simple: if human life is sacred it doesn't matter whether it's born or unborn. Erdahl begins the book with a general discussion of the sancity of human life before proceeding to specific issues. As a Lutheran his beliefs are based in Christianity and the belief that humans were created in God's image. He is opposed to taking human life, but he is not absolutely opposed under all circumstances. Absolute pacifists may find an ally, but Erdahl's belief is not deontological. Exceptions are acknowledged, but Erdahl cautions that we must be careful to never let the exceptions become the rule. The rest of book is a treatment of specific issues such as abortion, war, euthanasia, and capital punishment. These chapters are dated because they deal with issues that were current when the book was published in the mid 1980s Pro-life/Pro-peace is by no means a conclusive statement on the sanctity of life and the applications of this principle. It can serve as an interesting starting point for attempting to bridge issues that are not usually championed by the same people in the same place.