Organizational Background and Activities

Publicly, “HLI promotes a highly orthodox vision of Catholicism that is critical of liberal Catholics around the issues of abortion, sex education, homosexuality, and feminism.”

HLI makes no bones about the fundamental role contraception plays in what they consider to be the upheaval of society. The organization is looked to as the leader in the fight against birth control. As Judie Brown, American Life League President wrote, “Father Marx was the first person to point out to me, in black and white, the reasons why the contraceptive mentality and the practice of contraception always leads to aborting babies. Always! No exceptions.”

A highly notable and perhaps least known aspect of HLI is its strong prejudice and anti-Semitic posturing. In 1998, the Anti-Defamation League investigated the ties between anti-abortion organizations and anti-Jewish sentiments, specifically noting HLI. In a press release, they described HLI as “inordinately preoccupied with Jews.”

In his autobiography, founder Paul Marx, writes, “The same segment of the Jewish community that accuses the Pope of insensitivity to the Jewish Holocaust not only condones but has more or less led the greatest holocaust of all time, the war on unborn babies."

Beyond the above issues, HLI vehemently opposes what they consider the “evils” of stem cell research, death with dignity, and same-sex marriage. As they write on their web site, they take “…a total approach to the life issues from the moment of natural fertilization to the moment of natural death.”

With their global reach, HLI educates and trains anti-family planning activists on an international scale. They hold large conferences and “pro-life missionary trips.” According to their website, they have had 70 of these conferences abroad, 50 in the US, and have trained activists through their missionary trips in 160 countries.

There are 59 HLI satellite offices in 51 countries. They are considered one of the largest anti-family planning organizations in the world. And as quoted on their website, “Were it not for HLI, whole continents, like Africa, would be left virtually defenseless against the culture of death.”

Their publications include Special Reports, as well as Front Lines. Other publications include books with titles such as “ Sex Education: The Final Plague, The Feminist Takeover, and Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Face of Catholic Feminism.”