People who know me are aware that I am quite an active commentator on social media where I believe my arguments are usually balanced and impartial. In recent weeks, I have been commenting and voicing my opinion on the current abortion debate in Malta.

As a non-religious pro-life and conservative leftist, I must say that I have recently been attacked, ridiculed, derided, insulted and even labelled a misogynist by several people who hold pro-choice views.

One particular social media attack by a pro-choice newspaper columnist was very nasty and brutal, to say the least. All this intolerance, disproportionate attacks and, at times, animosity towards myself and other pro-life activists has inspired me to write my very first opinion piece.

I was born in 1982 and, therefore, I did not live through the times when the Roman Catholic Church was a dominant and significant force in Europe and in Malta. Obviously, I didn’t exist during the eras of the Dark Ages, the Medieval times and the Renaissance years where, back then, people who had a different sexual orientation were accused of being possessed by the devil.

I did not exist when pagan women were branded witches and burned at the stake. And I did not witness the Spanish Inquisition persecuting and executing hundreds of non-Christian believers.

All of these sins of the Roman Catholic Church were always carried out in the name of God. From its perspective back in those times, the Church used these cruel methods to bring God’s justice and purify people who were deemed incompatible with its dogma.

The sins of the Church were carried out in the name of God- Christopher Camilleri

Fast forward to 2022 in Malta, where the country is, for the first time, considering and debating the option of introducing abortion in cases where the mother’s life is seriously at risk. In a country where abortion is banned under any circumstance, I see nothing wrong in such legislation.

However, the wording of such a legislation must be crystal clear and without any loopholes. Vague wording must be avoided as this would undoubtedly lead to extreme liberals in demanding more and more should a vague legislation be ratified.

Should this come to pass, I have no doubt in my mind that ultra-liberals will keep pushing for abortion to be allowed under any circumstance; even in cases of unwanted pregnancies with healthy embryos, late abortions, etc.

Many pro-choice activists are very often quick to denounce pro-lifers like myself as misogynists, hypocrites and religious bigots, especially if the pro-lifer is male. We are often accused of depriving women of their liberty, which is definitely not the case.

What many pro-lifers want is for healthy embryos to come into this world as healthy babies and have a chance to live. In most cases, pro-lifers care for both the health of the mother and embryo in an absolute equal manner.

What is not acceptable for pro-lifers is to refer and treat an embryo as a “cluster of cells” or “a lump of unformed meat” that has no rights before its birth.  

In a country where, unfortunately, many people view and interpret anything with a political bias, pro-lifers are automatically considered as PN supporters while pro-choice activists are considered Labourites. In my view, family values and respect for each other have now practically diminished.

We went from an extreme where, in the old times, the Church abused its power to persecute and purify non-believers to an extreme where we now have liberals ridiculing, deriding, insulting and, at times, even bullying conservatives.

We now live in an opposite time where extreme liberals are trying to oppress and purify people who don’t agree with their views. This is what I have termed as ultra-liberal totalitarianism.

Just like a totalitarian theocratical system where the state and faith are one (say, the Islamic Republic of Iran/ Afghanistan under the Taliban), an ultra-liberal totalitarian philosophy,  which might one day lead to the emergence of a state where conservatives are persecuted and oppressed for their conservative beliefs, is equally dangerous in the exact opposite manner.

Christopher Camilleri is a civil servant and IT consultant.