The often forgotten victims of abortion
Voice For Life commentator Holly Anne explains why being pro-life is about both the unborn child and her mother.
What are we fighting for?
It may seem like a simple question.
We fight for life, don’t we?
We fight to save the unborn lives that will be killed through abortion.
Simple answer, discussion ended...or so we might think. But what if there is more?
What if we are not fighting solely for the unborn lives?
What if we are fighting for humanity and the dignity and worth of all human beings in general?
See, this is the true meaning of being pro-life: to be pro means to support or act ‘on behalf of’ something and life is all human life, whether born or unborn.
Obviously, this was a rhetorical question: we all know that we are fighting for not only the unborn, but also the mothers, the fathers, and everyone else affected by the horrors of abortion.
But do our actions show it?
We must be just as passionate about the wellbeing of the woman and other affected parties as we are about the safety of the unborn child.
Our efforts to protect babies are noble and our duty as human beings, but we cannot stop there.
If we focus only on the lives of unborn babies, but don’t put as much effort into creating a safer world for them, a world which supports mothers, celebrates family, and values the sacred nature of life, we are simply temporarily saving a life only for that life to be thrown into a desperate situation post-birth.
The direness of the situation surrounding an unborn child’s family circumstances cannot justify killing that child.
However, if we are to take the responsibility of fighting for that life, we must also recognize the two-fold nature of that duty: to save life and to support it.
Through our actions, our truthful words, our compassion, and our enthusiastic pursual of justice, we can jumpstart a change in our culture; a change that will cause it to shift from viewing life as a disposable and meaningless entity to realizing the intricacies and innate value of humanity in its entirety.
And in many ways, we do this best when we start with the women themselves.
Abortion harms women…
Abortion kills an unborn baby, and so she is the primary victim.
But it also deeply damages the woman, whether that be emotionally, mentally, or even physically.
The unborn child’s death is a horrific tragedy that should never be permissible; but for that mother, she must continue living with the guilt resulting from the knowledge that she chose death for her baby.
We cannot underestimate the crushing effect of this knowledge.
And yet, too often, these grieving women are overlooked by the state, palmed off by the abortion facilities as soon as the procedure is paid for, and then tragically sometimes condemned and vilified by over-enthusiastic pro-lifers.
The woman is guilty of choosing to end the life of her unborn baby, and her hurt does not excuse the action; but so much of the time these women were brainwashed by a lifetime of pro-choice indoctrination that convinced them abortion is the only way.
For decades, young women have been told their baby is ‘just a clump of cells’, and that abortion is the best choice for them and their child.
When they realize their mistake, when the heart wrenching grief and guilt hits them, it is too late; their child is dead, and the only thing left for them is the devastating realization that they are responsible.
There is no reconciliation that ‘they did their best’ or ‘they couldn’t have helped it’ because at the end of the day, it was their choice to make, and they chose to place more value on their comfort or emotions than they placed on their child.
Save the mother, save the world…
And so, if we are to change minds on the topic of abortion, we must also proactively fight to create a better world for these women.
Abortion is permissible in modern societies only because of the deeper issues and ideologies that have crept in and laid a foundation of an anti-life culture.
By challenging these assumptions about the value of life, one is digging to the root of the issue of abortion rather than just fighting the resulting outcome of abortion.
Changing attitudes by giving women the facts about abortion and showing them the support systems that are available for them and their child, can happen when we focus on these deeper ideologies that make it possible for a pro-abortion culture to exist.
If all we are doing is extolling the evils of abortion, and yet doing nothing to support women in need or to create a culture that values life, we have already failed at our purpose.
To save the hundreds of thousands of unborn children who will die from abortion in the next decade, we must educate people on the reality of abortion.
And we also must show them the value of all human life, and in particular the value of their own lives.
Because when a woman is facing an unplanned pregnancy, or difficult and unforeseen circumstances such as a partner abandoning her, health issues, or financial hardship occur, she needs support then even more desperately than ever.
This is precisely why the pro-life message is so unique and powerful; because being pro-life isn’t limited to the lives that will benefit us.
Being pro-life isn’t about helping those who will pay us back or those whom we know personally.
Being pro-life isn’t even just about saving babies.
To be pro-life is to be pro-woman, pro-child, pro-man, and pro-humanity.
Why do we speak?
When we speak out against abortion, we are not speaking out to be controversial.
We are not speaking out because it is easy.
We are not speaking out because it is comfortable or because it is what our peers, our family, or our government wants us to do.
We speak out against abortion because we value lives.
We speak out to save the lives of the unborn children, to be the voice that they cannot be for themselves.
But we do not speak out only for the unborn.
We speak out for the young, distressed mothers who have been so brainwashed that they genuinely believe abortion is the only way to survive.
We speak out to remind them that they are not alone, that abortion is not the only way, and that someone cares for them.
We also speak out for the fathers, to remind them of their sacrificial duty to care for their families, and to honor those who are willing to do so.
We do not speak out against abortion just because we want to say something controversial, we speak out for the lives that abortion will irreparably damage.
Remember to think of all the lives involved when you fight against abortion; and remember that it is not only the unborn we are fighting to save.
Let’s make this year a year to remember…
Imagine looking back and being able to confidently say that 2022 was the year in which we were the most passionately pro-life; that we made the most impact and prompted the most change in 2022; that more people than ever before had their eyes opened to the realities of abortion; that countless unborn lives were saved; that thousands more desperate mothers-in-need were supported and loved by the pro-life community; and that 2022 was the year in which we took some of our biggest steps towards creating a pro-life culture here in New Zealand.
