8 Surprisingly Pro-Life Quotes from Wonder Woman

I recently made my first unsupervised trip to the movie theatre when my wife and kids were out of town. Honestly, I had never been to a movie by myself. So, with some not-so-typical free time, and a quick Google search of the latest movie reviews, I decided to catch the matinee of Wonder Woman. I have somewhat lost my appetite these days for superhero action movies with Michael Bay-style explosions, but I thought I would try a good ol’-fashioned summer blockbuster. (Warning: there are some indirect story spoilers here, but nothing overly revealing.)

Aside from the awkward Claire Underwood Euro-accent (Antiope played by Robin Wright), the story started out nicely. However, it wasn’t the fancy fighting techniques and impressive scenery that appealed to me. What really drew me in were the overwhelming pro-life themes, and the defense of the innocent. These sentiments were shared on screen (almost exclusively) by the main character, Diana, whom we later discover is Wonder Woman.

Hold on – a strong female lead character – from a major Hollywood blockbuster – proclaiming the defense of innocent life? The themes and quotes were undeniable, so I began to write them down.

Here are the quotes in order of their presentation within the story:

1) “I’m willing to fight for those who cannot defend themselves.”

After being raised as an Amazon Warrior on an island paradise called Themyscira, Diana is compelled to go out into the real world and fight the God of War, Ares. Understanding that this is an incredibly dangerous quest, Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta, forbids her to leave the safety of the island.

The queen attempts to coerce her to stay – coercion being an all-too-common determinant for today’s life “choices” among young mothers and fathers. Diana resists her mother and proclaims, “I’m willing to fight for those who cannot defend themselves.”

2) “You would sacrifice all of those lives as if they mean nothing?!”

The real world portion of this story takes place in 1918 during the height of the First World War. After crashing his plane on Themyscira and being rescued by Diana, American veteran Steve Trevor takes the soon-to-be Wonder Woman to the front lines of war, where she searches for Ares. The two of them overhear British intelligence officers scoff at the loss of innocent life – chalking the loss up as collateral damage.

Diana is appalled to hear about the lack of compassion for the innocent. She is hell-bent on saving and conserving the dignity of each human person.

3) “What kind of weapon kills innocents?”

We soon discover that the Germans are plotting to release a devastating toxic gas on the front lines of war. Diana, having been raised in seclusion from the modern society, is dumbfounded by the concept of creating weapons of mass destruction.

Steve Trevor and Queen Hippolyta try to shield Diana from these harsh realities, but Wonder Woman, unbowed by the moral degeneration around her, chooses to use her superpowers for the sake of the world.

4) “Who do you fight for?” Mercenary named Sameer, “No one.” “So you only fight for profits?”

The loss of life in today’s society has created massive profits for only a small number of people. This is a tough reality that is alluded to by Wonder Woman.

For example, Planned Parenthood performed 323,999 abortions in 2016, (887 per day; 37 per hour; 1 every 97 seconds) all while earning $1.3 billion (in 2015) in revenue. Their CEO, Cecile Richards, is compensated just under $1 million while working for this “charitable” organization. Again, a few are profiting for the sake of the many.

5) Steve Trevor, “We can’t save everyone. This is not what we’re here to do.” “No, but it’s what I came to do.”

Wonder Woman proceeds to march across the battlefield, in slow motion, with epic music in the background, and singlehandedly saves everyone. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Being pro-life encompasses all lives. There is someone who could use a visit in a hospital or a prison. There is someone who could use some extra food. There is someone who could use some extra clothes. There is someone who could use a hug. Save someone today.

6) “You should not be afraid to upset the peace agreement.”

Wonder Woman is not satisfied by armistice peace agreements. Save the innocent – or keep fighting. No one ever said that you have to be satisfied with a faulty societal premise.

Norma McCorvey (the Roe of Roe vs. Wade) passed away last year. Although she was a key player in the Supreme Court decision on abortion, she later became one of the most outspoken pro-life advocates, and devoted her life to the pro-life movement. Slavery was legal at one time. Abusing your wife (privately, and as long as you did not make a scene) was acceptable at one time. An exclusively male voter participation was commonplace at one time.

Laws can be changed. We must keep fighting for the innocent and the defenseless. After all, “You should not be afraid to upset the peace agreement.”

7) “They were killing people they cannot see – children.”

Yep – direct quote.

8) “Only love can truly save the world. This is my mission now [and] forever.”

This final line in the film is so profound. Lead your decisions in life with love. We should all meditate on that sentiment. As the credits rolled, I couldn’t believe what I had been hearing for the last two hours. I was in constant anticipation as I continued hearing these quotes, which clearly called for the defense of the innocent. And then as icing on this cake – love – of course!

I’m not sure if the writers, directors, producers, and actors even intended to present such a profound message. It is ironic that this pleasant Hollywood surprise is contradicted within the realities of our society today.

Although Wonder Woman is a refreshing and inspiring female character, some modern women movements lack her strength. Take the Women’s March on Washington, DC in January of 2017, which hosted millions of women around the U.S., and was covered by every major news outlet for weeks. All women were invited – unless they happened to support the pro-life movement. Those women were asked not to attend. The marchers screamed for tolerance, while demonstrating a blatant intolerance towards millions of women.

Fast-forward to the March for Life on Washington, DC, which annually draws hundreds of thousands of people – and receives very little media coverage. Evidently, the unborn and the marginalized are a minority that does not fit the rhetoric of most media outlets today.

Imagine my excitement as I was watching the latest Hollywood summer blockbuster! Wonder Woman is a movie that I can proudly show to my daughter (and son). I was so thankful to see a strong female character that fights for justice and defends the vulnerable, a role model who can inspire a generation and awaken an apathetic cohort of young people.

Thank you, Hollywood, for providing a story centered on love, charity, and justice. “Only love can truly save the world.”