Students For Life has released a new book, Courageous, that highlights the stories of 12 pro-life students and will serve as inspiration and encouragement for others to stand up against abortion.  Students around the country must deal with a constant barrage of pro-abortion messaging on campus.  Due to the fact that the majority of abortions in America are performed on college-aged women, they are actually targeted by Planned Parenthood.  According to Students For Life, 47% of women enter college pro-life but only 27% of them remain pro-life at graduation; a stunning statistic.  Despite the odds against them, the pro-life movement is overflowing with students who are working hard to end abortion.

Courageous begins with the story of Jason Jones, producer of the award-winning pro-life film Bella and Founder and President of Movie To Movement; an organization that seeks to change the culture of Hollywood by producing and promoting films that have positive messages and goals.  While his work in the pro-life movement is amazing, it is his personal story that is so moving it truly deserves it’s own movie.  To be quite honest, if I ever have the honor of meeting Jones, I will likely break down in tears and give the man a hug.  I don’t want to give anything away, but it is easy to see why the book starts with Jones.  Not only will the reader find Courageous impossible to put down from the beginning of Jones’ narrative, at one point he echoes what surely must go through the mind of every pro-life student: “You mean there’s a group? There are more of us?”  To the relief of Jones and the reader, there are more students with hearts for life and their stories are just as inspiring as his.

From Jones, we move to Rebekah Berg’s story that starts with rape and the subsequent abuse by her rapist.  Berg became pregnant as a result of the rape and her account of what she endured to keep her baby is the very definition of courageous.  With pro-choicers so often pointing to “the exception” of rape in defense of abortion and considering the fact that many Americans are swayed by their illogical argument, Berg’s experience is a powerful testimony of the truth concerning those babies conceived in circumstances beyond their control.

Courageous goes on with stories from students ranging from a med student to a pro-life male student to a post-abortive mom, who’s struggle to come to terms with her abortion is heartbreakingly similar to thousands of other women who’ve endured the same pain.  Fortunately, her story doesn’t end there and neither does the book.  As author and President of Students For Life Kristan Hawkins explains:

I can’t tell you how many times women have said to me that they wouldn’t have had their abortions if only one person had encouraged them not to.  Only a few kind words could have saved her baby.  And you can do that, you can be that person or you can help empower a young person or someone else to do it on your behalf.

The time is now to engage and engage courageously, because surrender is not an option.

The pro-life movement has never been stronger than it is today and, with books like Courageous providing stories of hope, the next generation may very well be the one to end the current Holocaust that has endured for far too long.

Students For Life is participating in the March For Life and will be hosting the Students For Life of America National Conference on January 26th.  Details can be found here.