Pat Maloney<\/a> for exposing and explaining the unreliability of the official numbers), but there is general agreement between pro-abortion and pro-life groups that the number is about 100,000 per year. This means about 1 out of every 4 pregnancies ends in abortion. And this has been the case for the past couple decades. If you consider the immensity of those numbers, the reality is, if you are talking to a woman you are likely talking to someone who has had an abortion or knows someone personally who has had an abortion. That is the case for myself.<\/p>\nSo next time you are at your mom\u2019s group, a family reunion, or even at church, remember that there is a good possibility you are talking to a post-abortive woman. Does that mean you should be silent? Dr. Foster might think so. But from a pro-life perspective, absolutely not.<\/p>\n
The offence of being pro-life<\/h3>\n
If abortion is okay \u2013 just another medical procedure \u2013 then the pro-abortion movement needs another explanation for the regret or negative feelings that some women feel after an abortion. So, Dr. Foster hypothesizes that the pro-life movement (or, as she calls it, the anti-abortion movement) is one of the reasons abortion might negatively impact a woman\u2019s mental health. She doesn\u2019t consider the actual ethical nature of the choice, but suggests that \u201ceven if women themselves do not feel that abortion is morally wrong, they may experience negative reactions from others and feel judged by their community or people close to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maybe she was thinking of Jessica from the previous blog post, who had to pop the pro-life balloons her children brought home.\u00a0 You can read that story with two conclusions. Was that reaction only because someone was anti-abortion, or was that reaction because someone brought to light something Jessica wanted to ignore? Is that reaction really only caused by external opposition to a choice, or does it come from internal dissonance and a pricked conscience?<\/p>\n
This is something we, as a pro-life movement, need to grapple with. If you speak out about abortion you are going to face these reactions from others that have been personally impacted by abortion. You can choose to be silent, but the problem is that silence only perpetuates the isolation post-abortive women already experience.<\/p>\n
Abortion and isolation<\/h3>\n
Dr. Foster points out that \u201cwomen who have abortions generally don\u2019t talk about them.\u201d Throughout the stories a theme of not being able to talk about the pregnancy with family or friends emerged. Dr. Foster expounds on this isolation as a proposed reason that abortion can negatively impact women\u2019s health: \u201cIn our study, nearly one-third of women told no one other than the man involved that they were seeking an abortion. Give birth and you may make friends with women\u2026The same is definitely not true of abortion.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, when women were denied abortions and forced to communicate, they generally found more support than they expected. So much around abortion happens in silence and in isolation. As the pro-life movement we are trying to break that silence. We are trying to do so for the sake of the pre-born child whose life is at stake, and we are trying to do so for women in order to help them see and value their child\u2019s humanity, and to let them know that support is available.<\/p>\n
The pro-life antidote<\/h3>\n
We cannot be crippled by fear of negative reactions when we speak about abortion. In fact, speaking up can be the most loving thing to do, even if it causes hurt to be expressed. We break isolation by coming alongside women facing difficult circumstances. We can help her see that abortion is not an eraser for her problems. We can help her address the situations that got her there rather than perpetuating harmful circumstances.<\/p>\n
Now of course, we have a duty to tell the truth with wisdom and love. But the question isn\u2019t whether we are challenging others, especially post-abortive women. Being pro-life is<\/em> a challenge. A challenge to see the humanity of pre-born children and to recognize the relational bond between mother and child from the beginning of life. This is a challenge for those who want to deny these truths \u2013 a denial that can be personal and sensitive. So, let\u2019s keep in mind that when we are challenging others our goal is not for post-abortive women to be accused, but to be called.<\/p>\nAbortion isolates women, encouraging them to bear the burden of their choice alone, in silence. The pro-life message calls women to recognize the truth, grieve their loss, to open up about what they have gone through, and to find forgiveness.<\/p>\n
Speak. Speak up for the pre-born children and for their mothers. And call them to the love and forgiveness that you have also experienced.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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