Joe Scheidler, sometimes referred to as the “godfather of pro-life activism,” was laid to rest earlier this week. He passed away on Monday, January 18th at his home. He was 93 years old.

The founder of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, Joe  was greatly admired by many in Illinois and across the country. He and his wife Ann were singularly focused on defending the sanctity of life. Winsome even in the face of withering personal and legal assaults, Joe was steadfast for the cause of life.

The left-wing New York Times published this about Joe:

His significance can be measured in the opposition he engendered. In 1986 the National Organization for Women sued him, arguing that by threatening to impede the work of abortion clinics, he was guilty of extortion and racketeering — one reason his allies and adversaries alike called him the “godfather” of the anti-abortion movement. The lawsuit, which he eventually won, lasted 20 years, one of the longest federal cases in history.

His oldest son, Eric Scheidler, told the Chicago Sun-Times that his father “devoted five decades of his long life to proclaiming the value of human life at its most vulnerable stage, the child in the womb.”

We will miss Joe and will continue to pray for his family and the vital work of the Pro-Life Action League. Joe and Ann have seven children,  27 grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. May his pro-life legacy be passed down through the generations.

“It is amazing to watch the venom and hatred that is being directed at Tim and Pam Tebow and Focus on the Family by the National Organization of Women (NOW) for a Super Bowl ad that they have not seen,” said Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. “This backlash exposes the irrational hatred of NOW who apparently despises any hint of a positive Christian message. CBS is to be commended for their willingness to not censor a wonderful story of a mother’s courage and love.”

Tim Tebow is a Heisman-winning, University of Florida quarterback and NFL prospect. The ad tells the story of his mother Pam in the ad funded by Focus on the Family. They tell of her high-risk pregnancy when she and her husband were missionaries in the Philippines. Although advised by her doctor to have an abortion, she chose to risk her own life and Tim Tebow was born.

Erin Matson of the National Organization for Women said, “This ad is frankly offensive. It is hate masquerading as love. It sends a message that abortion is always a mistake.”

“Pam Tebow personifies virtues that everyone admires- faith, courage and sacrifice. Ironically, NOW attacks a woman for doing a very brave and virtuous thing because they will not look past their ideological blinders,” said Cass. “NOW should be ashamed. Their disproportionate overreaction against the ad exposes their irrational anti-Christian bigotry.”

by Christian Anti-Defamation Commission