Policy

The Human Family

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio believes in strengthening the culture of life through allowing each new life the human right to be nurtured and raised within the family unit consisting of his/her mother and father. Such family is sacred and is consistent throughout the ages. It is the place in which each human life can be properly welcomed and protected from harm and can develop into his/her full authentic human growth. Thus, the family is the very heart of the culture of life, which we strive to protect and defend.

Abortion

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio opposes abortion at any point of gestation, as it destroys a living, growing human life. We oppose the RU 486/prostaglandin abortion technique because it kills unborn babies whose hearts have begun to beat and has injured and even killed women. In the rare case that the mother’s life is indeed endangered by a continuation of the pregnancy, sound medical practice would dictate that every effort be made to save both lives. Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio supports a Human Life Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and/or a Life at Conception Act, which guarantees the right to life of all persons from the moment of fertilization until natural death.

Rape/Incest

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio opposes abortion for pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. While we understand the trauma involved in such situations, the unborn child conceived is no less human than one conceived under more favorable circumstances. Instead of furthering the violence of abortion, we believe women should be provided compassionate and competent life-affirming health care.

Parental Consent

Until our goal of total protection for the unborn is reached, the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio supports legislation requiring a pregnant minor’s mother and father’s consent before an abortion is performed on the minor. The involvement of the family is crucial to helping a pregnant minor during the stressful time when she is making decisions regarding a problem pregnancy.

Abortion Notification

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio’s goal is the total protection of the unborn child. Until this is achieved, we support legislation requiring that both parents of a minor child be notified before an abortion is performed. We likewise support legislation requiring that the fathers are notified before the mother undergoes an abortion.

Adoption

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio supports adoption as one possible, positive solution for a woman bearing a child she is unable to parent. We support legislation designed to facilitate the adoption process, thus making it easier to place children with eligible couples.

Amniocentesis/Chorionic Villus Sampling/Genetic Screening

Although the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio recognizes the many positive values of these procedures, we know, according to medical facts, these tests, along with chorionic villus sampling, may cause miscarriages. These tests are usually done for diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities of the baby, which presently are not treatable. We oppose any non-therapeutic invasive procedures for non-treatable genetic disorders and handicaps if the results of the diagnosis encourage abortion. We recognize the rights of parents who may wish for the information to prepare themselves for the future care of their baby.

Contraception

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio opposes any drug, method, or procedure that kills human life from its earliest beginnings in fertilization. Whereas: 1) one of the modes of hormonal contraception is thinning the lining of the uterus, preventing implantation; 2) intrauterine devices also act with that same mode of action; 3) the morning-after pill also prevents implantation and decreases tubal motility increasing the risk of ectopic pregnancy, one of the major causes of maternal mortality; 4) an increase in contraceptive and barrier method use increases the demand for abortion; 5) any form of contraception separates the unitive and procreative intrinsic nature of the marital act; RTLACO cannot support any form of contraception. The synthetic estrogen and progestin in contraceptives have been classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization and are dangerous to women. As pregnancy is the natural outcome of conjugal relations within marriage and not a disease to be prevented, RTLACO supports natural family planning methods as ethical options for postponing pregnancy.

Euthanasia

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio opposes the intentional killing of a dependent person for his or her alleged benefit, whether by active intervention or by omitting treatment. We approve the accepted medical practice of administering pain-relieving drugs with the dosage necessary to alleviate a terminally ill patient’s suffering as long as there is no intent to administer, overdose, or withhold treatment to cause or hasten death. We oppose legislated surrender of a patient’s right to life to an agent, committee, or court through measures such as “death with dignity,” “right to die,” “living will,” “medical aid in dying,” natural death without comfort care,” or “medical orders for life-sustaining treatment” (MOLST, MOST, POLST) acts.

Human Cloning

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio supports state and national legislation to ban all human cloning, including experimentation on human embryos, which treats human beings as products or commodities.

Infanticide

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio opposes the killing of newborn infants either directly or by withholding necessary care to cause or hasten their death.

Informed Consent

Until our goal of total protection for the unborn is reached, the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio supports legislation designed to help women make decisions concerning abortion based upon full knowledge of the development of her unborn child, the physical and psychological complications which could result from the abortion, and the availability of alternatives to abortion.

In Vitro Fertilization

While the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio empathizes with the many couples who turn to IVF as a treatment for infertility, we oppose IVF because IVF entails creating multiple embryos, resulting in selective abortions after implantation. Furthermore, cryopreservation is incompatible with the respect owed to human embryos. IVF screens human embryos for genetic disorders, handicaps, and sometimes gender. The “undesirable” embryos are often discarded and thus their dignity is reduced to that of a commodity, lacking the preservation of the dignity due to all human life. Whereas IVF is used for a surrogate pregnancy, RTLACO supports adoption and other legitimate, morally ethical, and life-affirming technologies and procedures that do not violate the intrinsic nature of the marital act nor treat human beings as commodities.

Population Control

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio views human beings as producers and problem solvers rather than mere consumers and problems. We accept the conclusion of experts who find the earth’s resources and agricultural lands capable of supporting two to ten times the earth’s present population. We reject population control programs that rely on the promotion of contraception, sterilization, and abortion.

Research and Fetal Experimentation

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio opposes any fetal experimentation which requires or results in the death of an unborn child. Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio supports research that can save the lives of human beings without causing harm to other lives. Stem cell research, where adult stem cells, cord blood, or other sources are used, receives the support of the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio. We oppose all forms of research through which living human embryos are destroyed, including destructive embryonic stem cell research and aborted fetal tissue research.

Vaccine Ethics

The Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio (RTLACO) sees increasing trends toward mandated vaccines with little to no exemptions for moral or religious objection. We stand against these Constitutional violations. The Christian conscience, bodily integrity, and personhood of the human being must be protected.

The Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio presents 10 points as the foundation of our position on vaccine ethics.

WHEREAS

1. Many vaccines are still produced and/or tested using human diploid cell cultures originally harvested from aborted human beings (hereby referenced as unethical vaccines), which in turn, has had an impact on families’ access to common, ethically produced vaccines at present. Researchers have developed several new fetal cell lines from aborted human beings to supplement or replace the original fetal cell lines.
2. Remnants of the DNA of aborted human beings are present in vaccines produced unethically and researchers are currently studying the level of risk to patients receiving these vaccines and the manufacturing protocols necessary to reduce this risk, with guidance from the FDA.
3. Some pharmaceutical companies are moving away from unethical production and testing of vaccines because of public pressure, but more must be done to produce ethical vaccines—that is, derived from animal, plant, synthetic, or human cells from consenting persons—and demand ethical alternatives of more companies, particularly when taxpayer funding is involved.
4. Interdenominational church positions on the use of unethical vaccines may differ, but our common goal of ethical production and testing of vaccines remains. Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio seeks to find unity among various positions, where biblical personhood and the Word of God can be our foundation and where the rights of persons remain intact—the rights of born persons not to be forced to violate their own bodily integrity and/or moral conscience and the rights of pre-born persons not to be trafficked, commodified, and/or experimented upon without their consent.
5. There are religious arguments that permit and sometimes encourage participation in vaccinations that use the originally aborted fetal cell lines; These arguments include, but are not limited to, the amount of time that has passed since the original abortions and the intent of the original abortions not being for vaccine production. We find these arguments to be in error. Christians must demand an end to the trafficking and commodification of human beings at all stages of life and must not participate or accept practices that perpetuate and encourage the relationship between abortion, biomedical science, and human trafficking, no matter when that connection was initiated or how long a practice has been socially accepted.
6. The production and testing of vaccines using the remains of aborted human beings, regardless of manner of conception and without their consent, is morally unacceptable and must be opposed. The Personhood Alliance strongly urges the rejection of such vaccines.
7. The right of bodily integrity and the right to refuse medical treatments for moral, religious, health, or other reasons, must remain intact and protected by law when an individual considers whether to vaccinate or not. Bodily integrity emphasizes the importance of self-ownership and self-determination of human beings over their own physical bodies. Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio regards the violation of bodily integrity as unethical and intrusive.
8. Humans are made in the image and likeness of Almighty God (Genesis 1:26-27); We have a duty to honor and care for the body God has given us as a temple of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Corinthians 10:31) and therefore, to force or coerce a person to administer a substance into their body against their will is a violation of their biblical personhood. Such mandates and coercions are also a violation of the dignity of the human person because freedom of religion and freedom of conscience are fundamental to human dignity.
9. Parental decisions regarding vaccinations of children must be determined by the family and not by the State, according to biblical mandate (Romans 13:1-7) and legal precedent; the family and the Church are legitimate authorities distinct from the civil magistrate and as such, Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio rejects the subordination of the family and Church to the State in these matters.
10. Threats to religious freedom, as well as compelled speech, in relation to forced or coerced vaccinations, are already a reality in several states. Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio is seeing increasing trends toward mandated vaccines with little to no exemptions for moral or religious objection. We stand against these Constitutional violations. The Christian conscience, bodily integrity, and the personhood of the human being must be protected.

Be It Resolved

The production of a vaccine or any medical therapy derived from the remains of a human being intentionally killed is unethical and should be made unlawful. Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio affirms the inalienable right to life of pre-born human beings, regardless of the manner of conception, and thus, their right not to be trafficked, commodified, and/or experimented upon. The Personhood Alliance also affirms the rights of all people to refuse medical treatment and to reject violations of their and their family members’ bodily integrity, moral conscience, and Constitutional protections through forced or coerced vaccines.

Be It Further Resolved

Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio affirms that, while the family, the Church, and the State have distinct spheres of authority, the State is subordinate to the family and the Church in matters of vaccination. Therefore, we acknowledge that Christians of all stations have a duty to reject unethical vaccines, to inform others of the connection between abortion, human trafficking, and biomedical science, and to publicly demand that ethical alternatives be produced, tested, and brought to market by pharmaceutical companies and public health officials.

REFERENCES VACCINE ETHICS

1. Charlotte Lozier Institute. (2020, June). A visual aid to viral infection and vaccine production. On Science, Retrieved from https://s27589.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Viral-Infection-and-VaccineProduction_On-Science_1_FINAL1.pdf
2. Children of God for Life. (2020). Aborted fetal cell line products for USA and Canada. Retrieved from
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3. Sherley, J. L., MD, PhD, & Prentice, D., PhD. (2020, May). An ethics assessment of COVID-19 vaccine
   programs. On Point, 46. Retrieved from https://lozierinstitute.org/an-ethics-assessment-of-covid-19-vaccine-programs/
4. Moy, A., MD. (2020). How can one tell whether a COVID-19 vaccine was derived from an aborted fetal cell line? Retrieved from https://www.jp2mri.org/how-can-one-tell-whether-covid19
5. Moy, A., MD. (2020). Are there current vaccines in development that are using cell lines from aborted
   fetal cells? Retrieved from https://www.jp2mri.org/are-there-current-vaccines
6. Nichols, W.W., & Murphy, D.G., et al. (1977, April 1). Characterization of a new human diploid cell strain. Science, 196(4285):60-3. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/841339/
7. Nichols, W.W., Cristofalo, V.J., Toji, L.H. et al. (1983). Characterization of a new human diploid cell line—IMR-91. In Vitro, 19:797–804. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02618099
8. Pau, M.G., & Ophorst, C., et al. (2001, March 21). The human cell line PER.C6 provides a new
   manufacturing system for the production of influenza vaccines. Vaccine, 19(17-19):2716-21. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/S0264-410X(00)00508-9
9. Bo, M., & Li-Fang, H., et al. (2015). Characteristics and viral propagation properties of a new human
   diploid cell line, walvax-2, and its suitability as a candidate cell substrate for vaccine production. Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 11(4):998-1009. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2015.1009811
10. SoundChoice Pharmaceuticals. (2020). DNA fragments research. Retrieved from
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13. Children of God for Life. (2020, June). Sanofi Pasteur discontinues aborted fetal polio vaccine – Using
    moral cell lines instead. Retrieved from https://cogforlife.org/2020/06/04/sanofi-pasteur-discontinuesaborted-fetal-polio-vaccine-using-moral-cell-lines-instead/
14. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020, June 16). Fact sheet: Explaining Operation Warp Speed. [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/06/16/fact-sheetexplaining-operation-warp-speed.html
15. Pontifical Academy for Life. (2006, Autumn). Moral reflections on vaccines prepared from cells derived from aborted human fetuses. National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, 6(3):541-37. Copy of text available at https://www.immunize.org/talking-about-vaccines/vaticandocument.htm
16. Pontifical Academy for Life: National Office for Health Pastoral Care, Association of Italian Catholic
    Doctors (2017, July). Note on Italian vaccine issue. Retrieved from
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17. Southern Baptist Convention. (2000). Resolution: On human fetal tissue trafficking. Retrieved from
    https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-human-fetal-tissue-trafficking/
18. Grobien, G., Dr., Rev. (2020). As long as vaccines are tied to abortions, Christians need exemptions. Retrieved from https://thefederalist.com/2020/05/06/as-long-as-vaccines-are-tied-to-abortionchristians-need-exemptions/
19. Olasky, M. (2015). Applying a Christian worldview to the vaccination issue. Retrieved from https://world.wng.org/2015/03/applying_a_christian_worldview_to_the_vaccination_issue
20. Mohler, A. (2019). The briefing: Part 1 – The complicated controversy over vaccines: Balancing public health, parental rights, and religious liberty. Retrieved from https://albertmohler.com/2019/06/17/briefing-6-17-19
21. Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. (2015). Vaccination and the Christian worldview. Retrieved from https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/vaccination-and-the-christian-worldview/
22. Randall, R. (2019). Not worth a shot: Why some Christians refuse vaccinations on moral grounds. Retrieved from https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/april-web-only/why-christians-refusemeasles-vaccinations-moral-grounds.html
23. Grzybowski, A., Rafal, P.K., Sak, J., & Zagaja, A. (2017, June). Vaccination refusal. Autonomy and permitted coercion. Pathology and Global Health, 111(4):200-5. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5498765/citedby/
24. Witherspoon Institute. (2018). Five pillars. Retrieved from https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/fivepillars/
25. McCall, S.P. (2008). Vaccination and religious exemptions. Retrieved from https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/topics/freedom-of-religion/freeexercise-clause-overview/vaccination-religious-exemptions/
26. National Conference of State Legislatures. (2020). States with religious and philosophical exemptions from school immunization requirements. Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/schoolimmunization-exemption-state-laws.aspx
27. Utah State Legislature. (2017). HB308: Public health and schools. Retrieved from https://le.utah.gov/~2017/bills/static/HB0308.html
28. State of Connecticut. (2015). HB6949. Retrieved from https://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/ACT/pa/pdf/2015PA-00174-R00HB-06949-PA.pdf
29. McCall, Ibid.
30. National Conference of State Legislatures, Ibid.
31. Medical Autonomy Colorado. (2020). Facts about SB20-163. Retrieved from https://medicalautonomy.co/2020/02/15/the-most-important-things-you-need-to-know-about-sb20-163-and-how-it-will-affect-you/
32. Aguilera, E. (2019). Five things to know now about California’s new vaccine law. Retrieved from https://calmatters.org/health/2019/09/california-new-law-vaccination-medical-exemption/
33. MPR News (2020). Vaccine exemptions defeated in Maine, a new law dividing parents is upheld. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-/2020/03/03/811284575/vaccinerequirements-are-on-the-ballot-in-maine-after-a-new-law-divided-parents
34. Mississippi State Department of Health. (2020). Medical exemption policy. Retrieved from https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,0,71,688.html
35. New York State Senate. (2020). Senate bill S2994. Retrieved from https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s2994/amendment/original
36. Washington State Legislature. (2020). HB1638. Retrieved from https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1638&Initiative=false&Year=2019
37. Stilt, D. (2020). Vaccines in Colorado: Informed choice or forced mandate? Retrieved from https://personhood.org/2020/07/15/vaccines-in-colorado-informed-choice-or-forced-mandate/