This Is Why We Stand
So why spend time and effort in doing something which usually only results in you getting heaps of abuse, vilification and hate? Why stand up for something which so often results in you losing friends, alienating people, and becoming a social pariah?
The reason is simple: because it is the right thing to do. I could be referring to many things here, but now I refer specifically to taking a stand for the unborn. Those who champion life in so many different ways know all about the nasty attacks, and the huge price to pay for doing so.
Of course it was no different a few centuries ago when folks – mostly Christians – took a stand for slaves. They were ridiculed, mocked, slandered and abused plenty. But they knew it was the right thing to do – to stand up for the personhood and dignity of blacks.
Today we must do the same for the unborn – we must relentlessly and fearlessly speak up for their personhood and dignity. Sure, it will cost you. You will anger people, lose the friendship of loved ones, and become an object of derision.
But the unborn deserve it. And there are so many different ways in which we can fight for life. Some will work as crisis pregnancy counsellors. Some will write learned articles on the importance of the sanctity of life. Some will offer a peaceful and prayerful witness outside of abortion mills.
There are just so many ways in which we can take a stand. But no matter what we do, we will often be hated and persecuted for doing such things. Even those who claim to be Christians will attack you and abuse you. I recall recently one Christian leader complaining about pro-lifers who “antagonise” people and help no one.
I reject that baloney altogether. Whatever we do for the unborn, it is as if we are doing it for our Lord. If protests, articles, prayers, or blog posts result in just one life being spared, it has all been worth it. We owe it to the unborn to use whatever means we can to rescue them from their slaughter.
One story has just come to light about this very thing. A woman who was about to get an abortion saw her child saved through those she may have seen as opponents. Pro-life demonstrators made a difference in her life, and for that we must give thanks.
The story goes like this: “My name is Nancy and I am the 46 year old mum of my beautiful 18 month old daughter, Ava, who was born in August, 2011.” She describes her two previous abortions, and then discusses how Ava was born:
“After my second abortion, I suffered from infertility for years after, I went on to have three miscarriages and my depression worsened, resulting in the collapse of my second marriage. No one understands the depression that sets in – I have cried silently for years, because I couldn’t talk about it and because of the pain I felt when I saw babies and pregnant women.
“Amidst all the despair I felt, I conceived a child in 2011 – an unplanned pregnancy and again, I was not in an ideal situation. And again I was being forced by the baby’s father to terminate. He reminded me that he had said from the start he didn’t want any more children. He became very abusive and violent. I was in quite a state and very confused, so I booked to terminate, this time because I thought an abortion would stop his angry outbursts.
“I agonized about going, but headed off to go again. But when I stepped out of the taxi, I was gently approached by an older lady who handed me a brochure. Her only words were: ‘Do you really want to do this?’ I burst into tears and said ‘No!’ I was comforted and counselled by them and they put me in touch with a lady from Right to Life Australia. I went on to keep my baby, but it became necessary to get an intervention order on the baby’s father.
“If not for the pro-life advocates outside that abortion clinic that day and the advice they offered about other options, I would also have ended that pregnancy – and my beautiful daughter would not be here today. People speak negatively about the ‘protesters’ at the front of abortion clinics – but these lovely people saved me and my baby. They genuinely helped me pre and post birth and dedicated their time and care so generously. I’m so glad they were there for me! I still suffer some grief and believe I will always be this way because you cannot erase the hurt caused by abortion.
“But my baby Ava is like a special gift from the heavens. Words cannot explain how protective I have become of her from that traumatic time until now. I try so hard to overlook all the grief and problems and just enjoy every experience with her. I have enjoyed every single moment of my precious child that I was blessed with. She is a gift of total love! Ava makes me a better person – she is my sunshine!”
That is why we pray. That is why we write articles. That is why we stand outside abortion mills. That is why we lobby MPs. That is why we work tirelessly for the unborn. Sure, the abuse and hatred can take its toll. But the joy of hearing stories like this make it all worthwhile.
http://lifenetwork.org.au/_blog/Pro_Life_Groups/post/abortion-protesters-saved-my-babys-life/
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Thanks, Bill.
Thorough endorsement of the views expressed above! Yes, we have certain differences, but I can only say “Amen!” to what you write here.
I believe that we need to have a twofold message: one to the abortion providers, and the other to the mothers contemplating such, respectively:
1. You love death; you are a merchant of death. The Living God declares to all such people that death you shall have – forever. That must be the Christian message to the death cult of today’s world.
1. Do you value life for yourself? Then why do you deny it to your own flesh and blood in your own body? Furthermore, a resurrection of all flesh is coming, and you will have to face those whom you have “aborted” – in their full maturity. They will ask you, “Why did you kill me?”
To both parties there is the message of pardon and forgiveness, through the atonement of our Lord Jesus, even for the murder of the helpless unborn.
A personal note: recently my daughter lost her baby through a miscarriage, at 14 weeks. She took the view that the little child was a full person, and accepted the offer from the hospital of a small coffin, and so buried her in a secluded place in the yard of the holiday home where she regularly goes on long weekends. Over it is a cross assembled from white marble stones, flush with the ground, where she and her husband can grieve. When our Lord returns that little child (sex unknown) will be raised in glory and maturity. Care and respect for the dead, no matter at what age, is a Christian duty.
Murray R. Adamthwaite
Abortion hurts both the mother and baby. Here is a recent study done on the mental health of those who have had an abortion: http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/abortion_and_mental_health_science_vs_politics
It shows that mental health is a massive problem in women who have had an abortion. Of course this study was relentlessly attacked because it decided to tell the truth about the affect. Providing abortions is nothing about science but all about politics. The science clearly states how bad it is for the women and not to mention the child.
Ian Nairn
Bill,
Has anyone recently done an exposé of those pro-abortion arguments which no-one dares use: For example, I understand that the Nazis saw the legalisation of abortion for “persons of non-Aryan race” as a useful tool in their “final solutions” for the problems posed by those allegedly “less-evolved” races. What of the interpretation of abortion as a tool for male exploitation and domination of the female of the human species? Has abortion ever been construed as a form of class warfare against the poor and underprivileged classes?
I am sure there are other historical, but now abandoned arguments for abortion.
John Wigg
Have Christians who do not oppose abortion ever considered that they may just be delaying Christs coming?
When we were told to go forth and replenish the earth Adam knew that God had a plan. If we as Humans try to foil gods plan where are we at? It is said that the number of children killed by abortion outnumber nearly all the casualties of all wars in the last hundred years. The US is often accused of being unable to live without a war somewhere on the planet. Let’s face it there is money in wars many of which are financed by the Bankers for a purpose. Even the Norman conquest of England so many years ago was financed by the very same who guaranteed finance for William the Conqueror to invade on the proviso that they could control and reap the taxation of the prosperous and predominantly Anglo Saxon population which as many would expect wasn’t annihilated but allowed to co-exist for its purpose as a cash cow for the invaders.
Every person in the land was documented via a census as to how much tax they would pay in relation to their property and commerce and those books setting out all their details exist today and are know as the Doomsday Books (domes day in old English) which were and I believe still are, kept in Westminster Abbey for all to see.
Abortion is another war financed predominantly by Taxpayer monies to the tune of Billions of Dollars each and every year but neither the cost nor the war is likely to end anytime soon.
America alone has wiped the equivalent population of the UK completely off the map. Imagine the worth of such a population. But again it doesn’t end there. The American citizens know the worth and the rights of their constitution yet I doubt the Illegal Immigrants now being granted instant amnesty by the millions whose descendants most likely fought a decisive battle with the Americans at the Alamo to their own detriment, neither know nor care about the constitution. Dilute anything and it becomes weak and powerless..
Yes a very costly war is still on year after year and this time it is aimed squarely at the demise or total dilution of America into an oligarchy.
Dennis Newland
This is why, and this is who we are, light shiners, saltshakers,Good News givers.
Abortion is one of those totally agree or totally opposed to matters, that really matter. Though I do want to say I`d prefer we don`t get into verbal slanging matches, physical confrontations etc without good council around us.
Johannes Archer
A wonderful story, one that the pro abortionists would sell their souls to suppress I’ll bet!
Steve Davis