The Horror of Abortion: and what we can DO about it

[Ed. note: this article is FULL of good links to excellent and informative articles about abortion. Please don't skim over the links-- check them out and take the time to read them, particularly the one with the womens' first-hand accounts of their abortions. --Jess]


Abortion is too horrific an epidemic in our culture for Christians to continue taking a silent, passive role. Some Christians have taken a "stand" for abortion, through voting, protesting, or volunteering. But "some" is not enough. We should ALL be actively involved in fighting against abortion.

We MUST speak out. We must call it what it is. We must speak out against it in our own communities. We must do what is necessary to support those who are in difficult situations (those who are more susceptible to consider abortion in a moment of panic or fear). We must be people who value life, even if it comes in unexpected packages or in ways that we might be tempted to look down upon.

Consider this:

"In order to get an idea of how many deaths [Planned Parenthood] has been responsible for - just pretend that nuclear weapons detonated in and wiped out the entire populations of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Washington DC combined. (Though you'd still come up on the short side.)"
-Kevin McCullough

Did you catch that? Go back and re-read it slowly, and let it sink in.
Nearly every major city in our nation STILL wouldn't contain enough bodies to represent all of the people who have been killed in this tax-funded genocide called abortion. This doesn't sound like the "safe, legal, and rare" aim that early pro-abortion supporters claimed as their goal. A procedure that has (so far) killed that many people could NEVER be appropriately termed a "rare" occurrence.

SO WHY IS IT STILL SO COMMON?
Regardless of what the literature says, or what some people might say, everyone knows it's a baby.

It's not because of health reasons. Even in the small percentage of cases where the "health of the baby" is given as a reason for the abortion, more healthy babies are killed than "unhealthy" ones.

It's not because of an innate respect for a baby, as some people claim... that it is much better to take the life of the baby than to give birth to an unwanted child.

First off, abortion providers make a killing, literally. Their profits are enormous, plus they get tax funding on top of their profits. Then, the babies who are killed in these gruesome procedures aren't even "just" disposed of. Their body parts are sold. There's a profit to be made, on top of the original profit they made from dismembering the baby and sucking its parts out to be counted and re-constructed to be sure that all of the baby was "successfully" removed. Finally (as if all of that weren't enough), those bodies and body parts that aren't sold can be used in cosmetics and other commercial endeavors, as well as used for experimentation.

It isn't that the abortion providers are "protecting rights" by offering the kindness of their services- they make a fortune! Their motives are clearly in line with their balance sheets. And this certainly isn't the case of some women exercising a noble "choice" and standing up for her "freedom", as it would be if they were, say, casting a vote for Senator. Most often, these women are scared, unsure of themselves, and uncertain of the morality of their choice.

SO WHY DO THEY DO IT?
I believe (and it's confirmed in a majority of the stories that are shared by women who have had abortions) that the reason why most women have abortions is because they just don't see any other way out. Here are some classic situations where an abortion is not only possible, but likely:
  • A teenage girl believes that her deacon dad and Sunday school teacher mom would disown her if she even told them she was pregnant. She pools some money with her boyfriend, stealing it if she has to, goes to Planned Parenthood and "takes care of it".
  • A young college student feels that her educational hopes would be wrecked if she carried the baby to term. She doesn't even bother to tell the father of the baby, and she doesn't give adoption a second glance because of the fear of the moment. She goes, bites back her tears, and, exercising her freedom and liberation, "terminates the pregnancy".
  • A mom of three young children feels overwhelmed that she's pregnant again, and doesn't know anyone who has four children. Her own parents live 800 miles away and her husband works all the time. Abortion seems like the only answer.

Though all are in different specific situations, they're all just looking for a little support and a way out of what they see as an impossible situation. If we, as Christians, were more prominent and intentional about showing love and REAL support to women in these situations, we might not be able to change all of their minds, but we could make a dent in the number of women who turn to Planned Parenthood, rather than the body of Christ, to help their situation.

The truth is, the on-going horror of abortion happens in the dark. Women make decisions based on fear and bad information. They often don't realize that pregnancy resource centers will offer assistance to them if they choose life. They may not know about the developmental stages of their baby. Most abortions happen without full information given to the mother about the procedure, and the baby never has a say in the matter. There are two lives at stake- one, a helpless, innocent child... and the other, who may be a not much more than a child herself. Clearly, when you look at the statistics of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide rates of women who have had abortions, her life will most likely never be the same after she exercises her "right to choose". We need to be people who offer a clear alternative choice to women. So how do we do that?

HOW CAN WE HELP?
(1) Find one or two specific ways that you can help. Here's one great article, full of ideas of how to help women in difficult situations like these: 50 Ways to Help Unborn Babies and Their Mothers ~ Randy Alcorn. This last spring, I was able to volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, and it was such a blessing to me. I would encourage you to find a tangible way to stand up for life.

(2) We need to be educated on the facts about abortion. We need to be able to speak intelligently and compassionately about this difficult issue. We need to look at the hard pictures. We need to feel the horror of it ourselves, if we're going to be motivated to do anything about it.


Honestly, though, I think this last point is the most important one.

(3) We must value life IN EVERY FORM that it comes in:
  • Help support the overwhelmed parents of a young child with disabilities, financially, or with your time. Offer to buy their groceries or bring them a movie and dinner one night so they can have a refreshing night together, as they may not feel comfortable taking "date nights out" with a needy child at home.
  • Help the young mom with three young children in your neighborhood; ask if you can watch her kids one afternoon so she can have an afternoon free.
  • Work out a system to provide nursery care for children with autism or other difficulties, so that the parents can attend church services regularly. Advertise this nursery care- you may be surprised how many beleaguered parents don't come to church because they feel no one would be willing to deal with a child with disabilities.
  • Be the one voice who responds with complete excitement when a young mom with a four-month-old finds out that she's expecting another one.
  • Speak out to your church friends and family to be accepting and loving towards unwed mothers. The fear of judgment and what people might think is absolutely enough to drive some women towards abortion. Let's be people who love sinners in difficult situations, just like Jesus Himself did.
  • Consider adoption or opening your home to foster children. There are SO many children in need of a home, in need of acceptance and love, and in need of Christ's love to be real to them. OH, what an impact you could have in the life of a child who might otherwise become a statistic.

We need to be a peculiar people who clearly values life in every form. These more than 40 million babies who have already been killed (since 1973) are all image-bearers of God Himself. They were created in His image, just as we are. We have a responsibility to treasure these lives that our society does not treasure. We can do it through changing our own attitudes towards those who are most at-risk for abortions: unwed mothers, mothers of multiple children, families with limited finances, and teenagers. Pray for these women. Love them and serve them. Financially support crisis pregnancy centers.

We must foster in our hearts, and in the hearts of the people around us, a deep love for all children, even those who are not seen as valuable by our society: supposedly "unwanted" children, children with disabilities, mixed-race babies, and foster children. Be counter-cultural: love life and love women in difficult situations, and be vocal about it!


Precious Father, enable us to stand up against these cultural strongholds. Strengthen us to DO something about the abortion genocide that is happening in our midst. Help us to love and support women and men in difficult situations, and help us to serve those who feel that their children are unwanted and unloved by society at large. Teach us to "look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil 2:4). Give us a heart like Jesus' heart... to love the unlovely, to treasure that which is deemed worthy of death in a garbage can, to value life in every form that it comes in. I ask you to give each person who reads this article a specific action that he/she can take in order to stand against the horror of abortion. I pray all these things in the power of the name of Jesus, Who let all the little children come to Him, valuing each precious child. Amen.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is very, VERY sobering.

Brenda

Christie said...

Yes! I actually work full time in one of these crisis pregnancy centers, and it is such a blessing to be a part of what God is doing to save lives of these precious little ones!

One thing that came to mind as to how others can help a young woman choose life is that we must resist the urge to be judgmental. The mother may not be married, in fact, she may not even be out of high school, but if we respond with love and support, she is more likely to respond positively to the life of her baby than if we show our proud disapproval of her lifestyle.

Love covers a multitude of sins. And often, it can save a life.

Mrs. Anna T said...

Dear Jess,

Wonderful post and great links. I started reading the one about selling baby body parts, but I must admit I couldn't finish it *shudder*. It just got me sick to my stomach. The author compared abortionists to Nazis, which can sometimes be dismissed as melodramatic, but I can't come up with a more accurate description for an industry of brutal, legalized, rationalized murder of the helpless and unwanted.

Loving mothers, babies, loving precious life and embracing it with open arms is the most important thing we can do.

Even the smallest things matter. Do we embrace each child as a wonderful, unique gift from God? Or do we treat them as hindrances, as burdens instead of blessings? Do we ever say things like, 'I can't wait for the moment when I can send them off to school', or 'I used to have so much more freedom in my life before I had children', or 'now that this couple has children, they will never be able to afford a new car or a real vacation'?

As a child of an unwed mother who had been pressured to have an abortion by my father, I'm especially sensitive to the (not uncommon at all) situation of coerced abortions. Irresponsible, commitment-fearing boyfriends who claim, 'I'm just not ready' and 'you simply can't force this on me'; parents and/or teachers saying, 'you must get rid of it for the sake of your future; doctors who detected abnormalities in the unborn child and offer only one way of treatment: elimination, without discussing other possible options; all of this is much more common than people think. We need to speak about it. We need to pray about it.

Bekah said...

Hi Jess, My first daughter was born before I ever met my husband. I was a single mom for 3 years before we were married. I can say from experience that my "crisis pregnancy" made for some hardships, but God is good and when He says in His word that children are a BLESSING, He means it! They are! Thank you for your post. I agree with you wholeheartedly, and have since I was a little girl in first grade writing to legislators on the subject of abortion.

Elizabeth said...

Hi Jess: I'm linking over from Amy's humble musings and I LOVE this post! Just yesterday I posted my own thoughts on the horrors of abortion and thought you might like to read it. Go here:

http://elizabethesther.typepad.com/threes_a_crowd/2007/09/president-2008-.html

I love the practical tips you give for DOING SOMETHING!!

Yes, we can make a difference!!

Jamie said...

While I can appreciate that there are many people who get abortions without knowing what other options are available to them, I do feel that you are too quick to jump to the conclusion that in most, if not all, cases, abortion is the absolute worst choice. Pregnancy, even if a child is later adopted and the birth parents sever all ties, is a huge thing for people to deal with. It is physically and emotionally traumatic, and the potential exists for any number of physical and emotional issues. Abortion needs to be looked at on a case-by-case basis, whether or not abortion is in the best interest of the parent and potential child (because, yes, there are children whose lives are grossly tragic, and it isn't necessarily in the best interest of that child for the pregnancy to be carried full term. those that are born drug addicted, suffering from debilitating problems throughout their often very short lives are examples).
Your point is well-argued and articulated, as well as being particularly commendable for the research and resources you provide along with it. However, I do think that the broad statements regarding most or all pregnancies are too generalized.

Unknown said...

Amen.

deb said...

what a great article that you wrote. It covered the very horrible act of abortion while still be fair and loving toward the women involved. You did a great job!! I love the suggestions for what we can do ourselves. I honestly never thought about volunteering before. Thanks.

I have been considering adding material on abortions onto my blog. I think that I will put a link to your article.

Mrs. Anna T said...

Jamie, if you don't mind, allow me to share a couple of thoughts on what you said.

No one said carrying a child, giving birth and then giving that child for adoption is a trifle. Is it traumatic? Absolutely. But, is it more traumatic than having that same child brutally torn from his mother's body and murdered?.. Adoption is a possibility of hope, love, life. Abortion is pain, blood, guilt, death, nothingness.

Also, I'm very concerned about a point you mentioned, that some children's lives are just not worth living. That's a VERY slippery slope. Is a child 'worth enough' to be born, if she will only live twenty years? What about ten years? One year?.. Is a drug addict better off dead? Then maybe we should dispose of adult drug addicts as well? I might sound a bit grotesque here; however, I'm just trying to illustrate it's very hard to draw the line.

Do you remember what happened last time when people tried to come up with their own guidelines about which lives are worth more, which are worth less, and which should be disposed of?

The Holocaust.

I think it all boils down to this: do we understand that we're talking not about a blob of tissue, but about a child - a real, living child?

I'll share with you a comment I received from a young doctor on my blog a while ago. It deeply touched me, and I hope it touches you, too.

"Just the other day, a case came in for pathological examination; it was a "12 week products of conception". I opened the lid, and I nearly dropped it from the horror of what I saw: red, shredded placenta; blood; tiny hands and feet that would never move again; a mute mouth, crushed along with the rest of the skull.

I picked through that mass of stuff where a human being once was; I assembled the broken pieces back together again with as much care as I could. She was a beautiful baby girl. And what did she get? Her mother never loved her. Her father never protected her. And we -- we who ought to heal and nurture -- when we reached into her only sanctuary, it was to rip her out and usher her into death.

So I picked her up, and I held her in my arms -- for it did not seem right; someone should at least do this for her, even if she's no longer there, I thought. She was so cold. Her unseeing eyes gazed up at me from the shattered curve of what was once her head. And I could hear her asking me: how long will you let this go on?

As a Christian, as a doctor, and not least of all as a man, I was mortally ashamed on that day of what we have become."

Anonymous said...

This was a great article and well-written. I strongly believe that there is absolutely no reason to have an abortion, no matter what the case. There are a few other common scenarios, that I have also heard: 1) A woman goes to her scheduled ultrasound, only to find out that she's carrying 3 or more babies, and the doctor tells her that one will need to be 'terminated' for the others to survive, leaving her no other options, and possibly crushing her faith. 2) A woman conceives, due to a rape, and the emotional stress, causes her to feel singled out, judged and she fears the truth, regarding what she would have to tell her baby and others and/or the adoption process (one hate crime does not deserve another, though), and 3) A woman sees her doctor and finds out that she's having an ectopic pregnancy, and is told that the only way to save her life, is to 'terminate' the pregnancy (which is a lie).

It's sad how corrupt our most trusted peers/officials can be. It's important that we break the cycle of lies, and expose the truth for what it is.

I very much agree that we need to show love to these fearful moms and do whatever we can to help them and to not be judgmental. I'm a young mom, myself, and when my son was only 8 months old, I found out that I was pregnant again (later to find out that I was having twins!) and so many people responded with funny looks or comments like, "Wow! You certainly stay busy" or, "Why don't you just wait?" It was hurtful but fortunately, I love and trust in God, I love children and there was no way that I was going to murder my sweet, beautiful babies. I am so thankful for each of my children and hope to have many more! (biological and adopted)

~Mary

FreeIndeed said...

Oh my goodness...the photos!!!

I find myself speechless, but thankful that you've shared this post and I'm DEFINITELY passing it on!

~Free

Jess Connell said...

Jamie,
I am not quick to jump to the conclusion that abortion is always the worst outcome.

I believe to the absolute core of my being that it is the wrong choice in EVERY circumstance. I say this not as a woman without difficulty in my past. Sadly, I know all too well the pain associated with the fear that a child may be conceived from one of the worst possible beginnings.

That said, if you see each child as created in God's image, and if you read the Bible (which not only contains but is FULL of statements like "I, the Lord, open and close the womb.", "God gives and takes life.", etc.), and if you see God as sovereign over the earth, there is absolutely no way to come to any OTHER conclusion but that abortion is the wrong choice in all circumstances.

The God I love and serve, the Most High God of the Bible, makes beauty out of heartache. Every day, He takes what seems awful (fetal illness or malformation, a child conceived in rape, and children who were seen as "unwanted") and transforms those situations into breathtaking beauty, in families around the world. He is the God of restoration. He takes what is meant for evil and turns it to good.

Oh, yes, I absolutely believe that abortion is wrong in every circumstance. So perhaps my my original post wasn't clear enough: I'm not over-generalizing or unintentionally making a broad case against abortion. I am 100% against abortion in every case at every time in every circumstance.

Hope that clears things up.
Blessings~
Jess

Word Warrior said...

Jess,

Thank you...you know this subject is close to my heart, and perhaps why I am now so adamant about the subject of birth control.

I've given the analogy of the church's fault in this area before: The sweet young mother discovers she's expecting her third child. Her very mentors--the "godly" women of her church are already raising eyebrows and asking rude questions, and quizzing her about whether this is "going to be it".

A year later, she's expecting her fourth.

Pressure? absolutely!

I know it's not a popular opinion, but I really believe that abortion could never have become so accepted, and common, had we not first "said" that children are a burden with our practice of birth control.

If my birth control "doesn't work", then what's the alternative?

Both of them prevent a life from being born.

If we are pro-life, we must be pro EVERY life.

Michelle Maddocks said...

Thank you so much for gathering these thoughts and resources into one place - and for the things we can do to value all life, even big families and people who are different from birth. All are of value to in His eyes - much more even than sparrows.

mere said...

This is a sobering and very well written post, Jess. I liked what you said about helping to support parents who may be dealing with a disabled child. This hits home for me, in many ways, and I'd like to add this: Children with disabilities ARE very expensive. They may need special food, medicine, therapy, theraputic devices, school, etc. The parents of a child with a disability may feel overwhelmed by all of this and may not be able to ask for help or want to ask the govt. for it (there's usually all kinds of strings attached). They may feel very ashamed when they are not able to put anything in the offering plate or are not able to send their other children to church camp because all of their extra funds are going to pay for therapy that their insurance co. stopped paying for. Many churches have wonderful christian schools or homeschool co-ops, but have no provision for children with special needs, so the parents end up having to send their fragile child to special ed at the local govt. school. They may want to serve the church, but cannot do it in a way that means spending extra money (i.e. providing refreshments for the snack table on Sunday morning) If they find out that they are pregnant again, they may not want to tell anyone, including their own family members, because they know that people are going to ask lots of impertinent questions, about genetics testing and such, and they may be absolutely terrified themselves. Believe me when I tell you that Satan loves to whisper all kinds of evil things in your ears if you've been blessed with a child who has special needs.
If we, as the body of Christ, are to be prolife for every life, we have to really tangibly help folks who have also chosen life, and are now struggling in some way because of it.
Thanks for letting me air my two cents.

CappuccinosMom said...

Great post. And I like word warrior's point, too. Birth control was a stepping stone to all this. :(

There is a new(ish) organization some might be interested in--ministering directly to pregnant teens and young moms--it's called Young Lives, under the umbrella of Young Life Ministries, and anyone who can ought to check it out. I am not the best example (not having gone to college and being a SAHM) of what they want those girls to achieve, but I do think that providing older women to mentor these girls and helping with resources, etc. will prevent many abortions

julie said...

hello, a very good article and well said. just a short note to jamie. my husband and i adopted our little boy at 10 months. severely drug and alcohol exposed, youngest of 7 children, all taken from their birth mom at one time or another. our son is now 7 almost. 8. he has severe bi-polar disorder. he is, as i write this, in a children's psychiatric facility for psychotic episodes. he will be there for about 2 weeks. this is his 2nd hospitalization. he is a special education student and struggles in almost every area of his life. BUT....he is the most precious boy. he matters, he is important and he is loved mightily by us and his heavenly Father. oh yes, it is worth every hard time, every sruggle and every valley. may God bless you and i encourage you to continue to search and seek what God would have you to believe.
julie harris

Anonymous said...

Jess,
Thank you for posting this. I've always been apalled at abortion, but reading your links mad me enraged that this is happening! I've decided to get involved and am starting this Sat. with our local pregnancy center's Walk for Life. We don't have a lot of money to donate, but it's amazing how little time it takes to call a few people and get some donations. I believe there are few issues as important as this one facing our nation and I've been doing nothing about it for far too long. I'm ashamed of myself also for my disdain of young unwed mothers (my "excuse" is my own struggles with infertility in the past) and am determined the encourage and love life where ever possible. Thanks for lighting a fire under me.
Bekah

Word Warrior said...

Since we are discussing the horrors of abortion, it may be appropriate that we understand just how horrific it is...I placed a link below with lots of images of abortions, including late term abortions.

WARNING: IT IS VERY GRAPHIC, VERY HORRIBLE, AND NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

Nevertheless, it may help to emphasize just what we're trying to--sometimes seeing is believing.

Abortions are becoming so commonly spoken of, that perhaps we are a bit desensitized to its atrocities. As long as we don't see it, the word can get a bit softer than it should.

It is what it is...and let us never forget.

http://www.priestsforlife.org/resources/photosassorted/index.htm

Serena said...

I haven't checked out all of the links yet, so I might be repeating something, but I just found out that cells from aborted babies are used in vaccines. I feel so stupid that I didn't know that before.

http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html

Amen to all you said, Jess. Abortion is ALWAYS wrong.

Sanders said...

I cried for an hour yesterday after reading this, then sat in my daughters room while she finished her room. It's almost unbelievable - the shear numbers.

Jamie - every life is precious - no matter how short or hard! http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-Balloons
It's never 'our' choice to take someone else's life!

Julie - you are BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for living the life you live and for being such an amazing mother!!

Dove said...

I just posted about my daughter, who was almost an abortion statistic. I wish so much that I could find her mother and thank her for not aborting her. I know she's experienced so much pain from the choice to let her baby live, but if I could just show her what she looks like now, what her personality is like now, what a gorgeous, sweet, incredible child she is, I would hope it could give her the consolation that she chose well.

Sure abortion can be an easier, less painful choice (in the long run), and nobody says that life will be rosy if the child is allowed to live. But pain is a reality of life on earth, and the amount of resulting pain is not an indicator of the rightness or wrongness of the choice.

Wasn't it a virtue, somewhere back in our history, to choose to do right no matter the cost to oneself? When did that change?

Anonymous said...

Wow
thank you for such a well written and thought provoking article. It is not enough to just say we as christian women are pro life we have to take pro life actions as well. I am definately going to find away to make a difference in my little corner of the world.
I have linked this article on my blog, I hope you dont mind!
Blessings
Amy

Lindsay said...

Al Mohler wrote something about abortion this month that made my skin crawl. . .

"[...] Trig Palin is now is a very rare group of very special children, because it is now believed that the vast majority of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth are being aborted.

"Modern diagnostic tests are driving a 'search and destroy mission' to eliminate babies judged to be inferior, disabled, or deformed. Some experts now believe that up to 90 percent of all pregnancies diagnosed as having a likelihood of Down syndrome end in abortion.

"Back in 2005, ethicist George Neumayr commented: "Each year in America fewer and fewer disabled infants are born. The reason is eugenic abortion. Doctors and their patients use prenatal technology to screen unborn children for disabilities, then they use that information to abort a high percentage of them. Without much scrutiny or debate, a eugenics designed to weed out the disabled has become commonplace."
--Al Mohler, "Welcome to the World, Trig Paxson Van Palin"
http://www.albertmohler.com/blog.php

Ticia said...

Women and girls have been being brainwashed for years by the school system and our culture in general.
I've seen people like my mother still be affected by the choice of abortion because she fooled herself into believing its just a fetus. To bad her heart didn't believe it. I have also had the opportunity to meet many disabled people who had a parent who believed their life counted. The lucky few nowadays.

Jennifer @ Conversion Diary said...

What an excellent post. Wow.

I think another huge component that we must tackle as a society is to reconnect the idea of sex and the creation of life. As I said in my "How I became pro-life" post (that you linked to a while back -- thanks!) I think it's hard for the average Christian to understand just how much the average person in secular society has mentally compartmentalized the ideas of sex and the creation of life.

So many of the girls I know who had abortions (and, unfortunately, I know a lot) were in those positions of feeling scared and helpless and without options because they were completely, utterly shocked to be in the situation in the first place. They had bought into the great lie that it's possible to have consequence-free sex, and were in disbelief when sex ended up having some very big consequences after all.

I'm not sure exactly what the solution is there, but I think it's something that's worth thinking about: how can we reconnect the notions of sex and the creation of life in the mind of the average person?

Anonymous said...

About two months ago I found out that the baby I was carrying might have had a recessed lower jaw (micrognathia). While I was waiting for another ultrasound to confirm diagnosis (they wanted me to deliver in a larger hospital if bub had had it) I did some research on it. One study I read followed fifteen in utero diagnoses of micrognathia; two of these died. One at birth, and the other through abortion.

What is the world coming to when we kill a child because his jaw is a little small?

The second ultrasound said baby was fine. Bub was born four weeks ago with cleft palate and micrognathia. He's beautiful and we love him heaps.

- Tara

Sandra Mort said...

Hi! I was following a link to something on your blog and saw this and was moved to comment. Neither being pro-life nor Christian, I still found this post very moving. I agree that having more support for those of us who saw no other way is the key to lowering abortion numbers. Also, making sure that people know there are non-sectarian options for assistance -- when I was pregnant, I did not consider going to a Christian organization an acceptable option. Having been on the receiving end of (most likely well intentioned) attempts to convert me, I avoid that type of place at all costs.

Beth Cotell said...

I just came over from Jenn's Conversion Diary.

What an excellent post. I am praying that God will show me exactly what action I am supposed to take.

Annie said...

I am fervently pro-choice, and saying "YES. EXACTLY!" to everything you have written in point 3. Partly because they are good things :) and sadly also partly because I have seen so. many. prolife people spending all their time shrilling at women who may abort, and none making gestures to help (beyond saying certain things).

Shay said...

Jess, I've read your blog on and off for a while, so I don't know how I never saw this link on your sidebar til now. But I find myself stirred, and wanting to share. I will keep it short here, but just say that I had an abortion 15 years ago, and honestly.... there is just no pain in life like knowing you have done this. I actually blogged about it recently, if you would care to read: http://pepperpottery.blogspot.com/2010/05/free-really-free-my-friend.html

Charisa said...

Thank you so much for this post. I appreciate so much your ideas of ways to get involved.

Anonymous said...

Jess you must must MUST go and see the 180 movie for free online. It is a way we can stop abortions from happening, and oh my it is already saving babies! 33 minutes and sooo worth the time. Go to Www dot 180movie dot com and watch. Melissa