New Approach on Life Issue

When I began pro-life work over a decade ago, the first person I turned to for guidance in Connecticut was John Rankin. Rankin is the President and founder of the Theological Educational Institute or TEI and a faithful pro-life advocate. He believes that in order to win legal protection for  unborn children we must define life and choice honestly. On his website, he states three realities
that help the pro-life cause to advance. The first truth is that no one can choose apart from first being alive. The second is that biologically discrete human life begins at conception. The third truth is that abortion is largely connected to men who willingly reject fatherhood. Rankin has come up with a strategy that will bring those important realities into political discourse in CT. He is recruiting CT citizens to contact their state reps and senators, asking them on their views regarding abortion.

The first step in his plan is to survey all members of the CT 2017-18 State Legislature, the Executive Branch, and the U.S congress. His organization, TEI has created a survey with two multiple-choice questions that seek to answer what the 1973 Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade didn’t make clear. According to Rankin, Roe v. Wade left the beginning of individual biological human life undefined. If there isn’t a consensus on the biological beginning of individual human life, Rankin states that should be shown. In doing so, the status quo of Roe. v. Wade would be strengthened. However, if there is a clear consensus on when human life begins (as Rankin believes) that consensus should be instructive to us all. The first question his survey asks of political leaders is, “In biological terms, when does an individual human life begin?” Surveyors can choose between conception, viability, and birth or write in an answer.

The second question on TEI’s survey focuses on male irresponsibility in regards to abortion. Rankin acknowledges that the Roe v. Wade ruling doesn’t address the role of fathers or male responsibility. Fathers literally have no say legally when it comes to whether their child should or should not be aborted. Furthermore, in many abortion decisions, you find a man who has abandoned his female partner and refuses to take responsibility for the child he helped create. Rankin’s second question asks politicians and abortion-rights advocates to think about this issue by answering, “To what extent is human abortion driven by male irresponsibility?” Surveyors can answer by choosing, ‘very much, somewhat or very little’.

This survey seeks to get the heart of our governmental leader’s beliefs regarding abortion. Along with politicians, Rankin desires to have abortion advocates in Connecticut publicly challenge the suitability of these two questions. In January or February, he will announce the results of the survey at a press conference in Hartford, CT. He will sum up the strategy for legislators, the media, and the public while answering questions. Following the survey, his second step is to pursue legislation that will allow these questions to be placed on the CT 2018 ballot. The third step is to recruit volunteers to increase calls and step four is for volunteers to canvass the state for the ballot question in 2018.

Rankin’s goals are ambitious but doable with the help of others. TEI would like a minimum of 12 volunteers per representative district which with 51 districts would equal a need for 1812 volunteers statewide. To succeed this effort needs volunteer support. TEI is looking for an initial 150-200 volunteers statewide. If your interested visit TEI’s website for more information. If you would like to become a volunteer email teii@teii.org with your name, address, email and phone number. As citizens of CT, we should hold our elected officials accountable to their views on life and the way in which that impacts our state. Rankin has said that CT has the most stringent pro-abortion laws in the nation. If those laws are to change it must begin with work from commited pro-life citizens.