By Mary Kizior
This October, people all over the world will celebrate Respect Life Month—a month dedicated to showing the world that all human beings have dignity and deserve respect. Show your support for the culture of life by doing some or all of these five activities.
1. Read stories with your kids.
There is no better way to teach pro-life values than through storytelling. Picture books can be powerful teaching tools to help your children and students understand that every person’s life has meaning and value. Use these picture books or middle-grade books to spark discussions with your children to help them understand the beauty of each and every person.
2. Watch movies.
Films are a great way for families to learn about the culture of life outside of the classroom. Following our handy database of downloadable movie discussion guides, choose a film that is right for your family. It is important for children to not only learn about the culture of life, but to also take what they have learned and apply it to other aspects of their lives. After you watch the film, discuss its pro-life themes and how they apply to everyday life. Encourage your kids to explain how the film applies to their own family and experiences.
3. Learn about the pro-life cause.
Learn the facts about every pro-life topic, from abortion to euthanasia to the truth about Planned Parenthood. Educate yourself, then teach others. The Culture of Life Studies Program has materials for every age group—from kindergarten to the early grades, to middle school to junior high to high school, and even materials you can use with college students.
4. Become involved.
Living a pro-life life happens 365 days a year. Respect Life Month is the perfect opportunity to teach your family what being pro-life is all about. This month, get involved in pro-life activism. Attend a 40 Days for Life rally, participate in programs at your parish, or volunteer at a pregnancy resource center. Families can use these activism opportunities to get teens excited about saving babies. Take your children to a nursing home or senior center to visit the elderly. Encourage them to make cards, bake cookies, or take a craft to share with the residents.
5. Share.
Remind others that every human being’s life is worth celebrating. Turn to social media and share culture-of-life memes, pro-life quotes, or inspirational stories to show others how every human being’s life matters, no matter their age, ability, or appearance. Use the hashtag #respectlife on your social media platform of choice to show others that you care about the most vulnerable people in our society—preborn babies, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Make October a month of celebrating the gift of life and focus on the threats against life. Together, we can defeat the culture of death, but only with constant vigilance and prayer and by building a culture of life for the next generation.
How do you celebrate Respect Life Month?
Mary Kizior is a content developer for American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program, which stresses the culture of life as an integral part of every academic discipline. CLSP is dedicated to helping students become effective communicators of the pro-life message.