And the blog,ExistInspire posts:
Reaction to 40 Days of Life: Organizations like 40 Days for Life, who are currently stationed outside the Victoria General Hospital, intimidate and shame women who are making an often difficult choice. 40 Days for Life seeks to shut down abortion providers and achieve the “end of abortion in America.” These organizations do not recognize the systemic gendered oppression that often contributes to a woman’s choice to terminate a pregnancy.
These are the young women from the SMU Women's Centre who have come frequently to pass out pro-choice literature to passersby and to support those who have to walk past us.
I think we at 40 Days for Life need to make a response.
We do not set out to "shame women" for their past choice of an abortion. Our signs are not judgmental signs in that they say those who choose abortion are morally corrupt. They simply state "Pray for an end to abortion".
In an ideal world, wouldn't everyone, even those who are pro-choice, wish there was an end to abortion?
Our presence of prayer in public is for two purposes: first to witness to the sanctity of life to our culture, which does not recognize it any longer and to lift our heartfelt prayers to God to bring an end to an evil that we see destroying the fabric of our society.
If people are upset by the signs that put prayer and abortion together, I think that tells us that something deep inside them is feeling conflicted about this. Shame and guilt are meant to bring one to a recognition of something wrong that one has done; if women are feeling shame and guilt, perhaps they need to look at their actions and ask themselves if they have done wrong. Some will say no, and feel quite justified in that. But many will feel badly, because they wish they hadn't had that abortion, they are holding that pain inside - a pain that is calling out to God to forgive them.
I realise that many who read this totally disagree with that, but that is our position as believers. God creates human life, and we have no right to destroy it, no matter what circumstances.
In this world of "rights" and "entitlements", someone has to stand for the one who has no voice in this at all - the child in the womb. What used to be the safest place in the world has now become the most dangerous, and one's existence is dependent upon the decision of another. Every abortion kills a living human being. That is the injustice that brings us out in public to pray.
For those who are feeling shame as they pass us, I would suggest that they look at the resources for post-abortion healing:
Project Rachel
Silent No More Awareness
I'm sensing some logical disconnect here. They say that the choice to have an abortion is the result of "systemic gender oppression" -- so how is abortion a pro-woman choice, then, exactly, if it is the *logical result of sexism*?
ReplyDeleteIt seems odd that you are going back and forth between people have no right to destroy 'god created human life' regardless of circumstances to your notion that you don't shame women or feel they are morally corrupt for having abortions.
ReplyDeleteAlso the individuals in question from the SMU Women's Centre are Women, nor Girls. I find it extremely insulting that you would insinuate otherwise.
You have still failed to address why your prayers take place in public. You mentioned to bear witness to your church's position, however this is a widely known and held position of your church. Furthermore, if you wished to make it explicitly clear you could include this stance on your churches information packets and in your sermons. You have continually skirted the issue of why your prayers (presumably to the Christian God, who is all knowing and seeing) occur outside of a medical facility or on a public sidewalk.
B.A.D., we pray in public because the abortion crisis is one that is affecting all of our society, it is not restricted to our churches. We believe that abortion is wrong not just for us who believe in God and try to follow his commandments, but for everyone.
ReplyDeleteBy coming out in public, we are bearing witness to the practise of abortion in our society (it is very startling to many people to find out just how many abortions are being done). We pray publicly in order to awaken the conscience of the people of this city.
Yes, that is bold on our part and that is what gets such a reaction from the public, but we firmly believe that the killing has to stop. And in order for that to happen, people have to be made very aware of it, even the women who have had abortions.
The violence of abortion is not the solution to a crisis pregnancy. If our public prayer has disturbed people and upset others, then this is precisely what needs to happen. Injustice is never corrected quietly.
Effective reformers are never "liked" and "liked" reformers are never effective.
you might like this post. i found it pretty inspiring:
ReplyDeletehttp://barefootandpregnantblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-woman-in-crisis-really-needs.html