Thanks to Neil Addison of the Religion Law Blog for passing on the Guardian video report on the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil and the pro-abortion demonstration last Friday. At the end, a pro-abortion campaigner has words that at once give encouragement to the pro-life cause, and at the same time teach us that for the pro-aborts, there just is no grasp of logic:
"I think that what we're seeing here is the biggest threat to reproductive rights in this country for over forty years.Reproductive rights, of course, means the "right" to terminate a baby's life in the womb. We are a long way from victory for the unborn, but it is good to hear that the 40 Days for Life peaceful prayer vigils have had such a major impact. May more babies survive to love their mothers.
I know what my mum fought for is now being threatened once again."
The Guardian report is actually quite fair on the whole. This itself is an indication that the debate on abortion has moved on. I quite liked the bit where the reporter referred to this being the final stage of the 40 Days for Life "protest" and said with a professional presenting-both-sides voice that it "mainly seems to comprise of praying at the moment." Yes. That's all it has consisted of all the time actually. The talk of harassment and intimidation is grandstanding by the pro-aborts, in response to panicky propaganda from BPAS and Marie Stopes who are looking less confident than they have for a long time.
(When I was at Bedford Square one time, I saw the helmeted guy from the security company enter the building and come out a short while afterwards carrying one of those two foot long plastic secure note holders. Someone should get a photo of that.)
The Guardian video has footage of a pavement counsellor in Brighton whose approach is representative of those at all such events. Here's the dialogue:
Reporter: Is this the Wiston Clinic ?So mainly praying, with a bit of offering help and support. Nobody's uterus or ovaries got harmed. Congratulations to 40 Days for Life and all those who were there on Friday.
Demonstrator: Yes can I give you some information before you go in
R: What is it ?
D: We're here to offer help and support if you feel you would like to reconsider. I don't know what you're going in for but; we're standing here [inaudible] options.
R: Do you work with the Clinic
D: No No. We don't work with the Clinic. We're 40 Days for Life. Some people come because they feel they have no other option. We're here to say if we can help or support you come and speak to us. Are you going to have a scan this morning ?
[end of segment]
6 comments:
I wonder if priests began to put the emphasis on women, already born, respect wise, I mean. Would that maybe alter the stance, regarding the unborn? If men began to value the birth givers, so to speak, perhaps they would begin, to value themselves.
Just a thought.
Why Do We Abort? http://wp.me/p1V5N4-5i
Sam - thank you for sharing your own experience helping women who have suffered terribly in abusive relationships. Many pro-lifers are also engaged in this work. Part of the public debate involves the myth that pro-lifers are unaware of or uncaring towards these awful problems.
The Good Counsel Network and the Sisters of the Gospel of Life, as well as many priests and religious sisters, do what they can to help.
Our disagreement would probably not be over whether abortion is a good thing or not - from what you write, it seems that you recognise that it is an awful choice for women to be faced with. Our approach is to try to provide some alternative. Not so far from your own, except that we would uphold the rights of the unborn child as well; not as having "more rights" but an equal right to life.
Thank you for your comment.
I think if society were to make fathers more accountable, we would not have as many numbers aborting.
My issue is that it is always the women who are targeted and made to feel guilty for having to choose.
When there are calls for women to be shown ultrasounds of their unborn babies, I think this is cruel and unnecessary. I read somewhere that if ultrasounds are recommended for women, then men must watch videos of childbirth before they even go near a woman!
Also, in the case of late term abortion, not all anomalies can be diagnosed at an early stage, in fact most women will not know for sure until they are at least 5 months. Some of the conditions such as Edwards and Patau syndrome are so severe the baby is only alive because the mother's body is sustaining it. To force a mother to carry such a foetus to full term would be more injurious to her health than say, if a pre-term abortion was carried out.
And then, what about babies born out of rape? I can say without doubt, no woman would be emotionally healthy if she had to carry her rapist's child.
There are too many grey bits for it to be a black and white matter.
That's why I feel protestors outside abortion clinics are not helping anyone. They just make a woman feel more judged, and more guilty and more likely to make a decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Mothers are capable of abusing unwanted children; children that remind them of the rapist or children that tie them to their abuser. I've seen it happen.
Dear Sam
Thank you for taking the trouble to comment further.
I do think there is some merit in your suggestion that men should be shown videos of childbirth. In fact, I think that it would be helpful if men were to be held much more accountable for babies conceived as a result of their irresponsibility in using sex as a means of recreation.
I'll leave the medics to assess the very rare cases of late diagnosis of abnormality. What I have found quite often is that women are told that their baby will be severely "deformed" or in some way incapable of survival. After resisting pressure to abort, everything turns out differently and the baby is OK. In ordinary priestly life I have come across this too often to believe that there is no bias towards abortion.
On rape, who am I to speak? But pro-lifers do often have women who are victims of rape and have carried their child to term speaking about the positive contribution of their child to their own well-being. As some will say, abortion does not "un-rape" anybody.
The prayer vigils outside abortion clinics are just that. they have been demonised as "protests" and intimidation but the people who take part are invariably friendly and understanding. They will also be able to refer women to those who will offer practical support.
That's the bit where we both agree, I think. The abortion issue is inevitably a political issue today, but we need to ensure that we also focus on the practical, real life care of mothers.
Thank you for your reply Tim (can I call you Tim?)
I had a conversation with one of the pro-lifers on Twitter earlier today and was trying to explain how what might be considered friendly and understanding any other time could be perceived as coercive and imposing at a time when a woman will not be in a position to think about how other people might be feeling or what their intentions are. She will feel threatened.
Even the law recognises the effect a mere presence can have on a person. Restraining orders for example, forbid contact with a person directly or indirectly. If a woman choosing to have an abortion is confronted with a situation where there are people who will question her decision to abort, an already emotionally distressed person can start to feel suicidal. She may think it doesn't matter what she does, people will judge. They could be handing out cupcakes, for all she cares, here are more people to judge.
I just feel there has to be a system where, if women do need additional support, they can choose to access that support. Rather than have it come to them.
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