Eric Scheidler can’t remember a time when he was not pro-life. However, his ways of addressing the abortion issue have changed over the years and ultimately led him to taking over his father’s position as Executive Director of Pro-Life Action League.
In this Life Chat interview with Eric Scheidler, he shares his father’s story: When he was a young boy, his father saw some pro-life activists holding a picture of a baby as an example of a child who could have been aborted. To Joe Scheidler, Eric’s father, the baby looked just like Eric.
From that moment on Eric’s father, Joe, decided he would devote his life to defending life. Eric followed in his footsteps.
Eric tells his life story and explains that he wasn’t always dedicated to his father’s work — he didn’t always want to be associated with the “pro-life family” or go to countless events. Ultimately, however, his love for the babies won out.
“I think abortion is a sad thing, and I think our hearts need to be broken for these children.” Eric explains. He speaks to the beauty of conception, saying, “I can’t think of anything more willful than the sperm seeking out an egg… there’s just something very intentional, purposeful… the desire of this organism to grow.”
His time at Pro-Life Action League has not been all sunshine, however. In one anecdote, Eric recalls his experience getting arrested, and how it almost embittered him towards unborn babies.
“I felt this sense of resentment at the fetuses, Eric explains, “Look what you’ve done to me… here I am in jail.” In a very down-to-earth matter, Eric clarifies that this feeling isn’t something that held him back from continuing to work in the pro-life movement, instead, it propelled him to move forward and work even harder.
Listen to the Life Chat podcast featuring Eric Scheidler in its entirety here. The Life Chat podcast and all the work of Illinois Right to Life depends on you! We welcome your generosity.