Welcome to The Vine, where every week I strive to bring you updates from around the pro-life community to help you keep up with the ever constant battle to save lives. If you aren’t plugged-in, it is my sincere hope that The Vine will allow you to get familiar with those on the front lines and find your place among them.
Now that Americans can see the truth about abortion, thanks to the efforts of countless pro-lifers, states are continuously taking steps to protect the unborn. To date, 9 states have passed laws prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks gestation due to scientific evidence that proves babies in the womb can feel pain at that point. This week brings the welcome news that Florida will be joining those states with a law that bans abortions after viability. Detailed at LifeSiteNews, Florida isn’t the only state working on new measures in the fight for life.
While most states are moving forward in protecting all of their constituents, Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia is trying to move the state back. According to the Suzy B. Blog at the SBA List, while another abortionist (who has already been charged with 10 counts of murder!) continues to operate in the state, Gov. McAuliffe is hoping to loosen the basic safety standards to which abortion clinics in Virginia must adhere. The abortionist/murderer, Steven Brigham, is reminiscent of Kermit Gosnell – his clinic was found dirty and filled with the bodies of babies clearly past the point of viability. Virginia residents are urged to contact Gov. McAuliffe to let him know it is unacceptable for him to be helping the next Gosnell operate in their state.
With pictures, films and the details of cases like Kermit Gosnell, it has become easier to help people like Gov. McAuliffe understand what really goes on inside abortion clinics. But what about outside the clinics? I’ve dealt before with frustration from some who don’t understand the usage of the term “pro-aborts.” They truly do not understand that there is a significant amount of people that aren’t actually “pro-choice.” Pro-aborts, as many of you know, turn down their noses at women who they believe should abort; they are vocally all about abortion, they are not happy when a woman chooses life. Thankfully, Life Dynamics has set up a website to show exactly who we are referring to when we say “pro-aborts.” The website, People of Choice, not only exposes those who favor abortion but it shows that (despite what the media would have Americans believe) the extremists in the abortion debate are clearly on the pro-choice side.
Of course Planned Parenthood hates all the new information pro-lifers are bringing to light to the point of writing it into contracts! Jill Stanek has the priceless picture at LifeSiteNews, along with the report that Planned Parenthood insisted on the removal of a billboard that offered an alternative for women considering abortion.
Left up to Planned Parenthood the only information given out is carefully distorted, as detailed in Abby Johnson’s book UnPlanned. To add to the mountain of evidence that Planned Parenthood only cares about procuring more abortions, the organization hasn’t let the closing of their doors in Yuma, Arizona stop them. Recently, Planned Parenthood of Arizona held a workshop at the local library in which they separated parents and children to provide “education.” American Life League’s STOPP International has the details on the event, including the news that Planned Parenthood has “community organizers.”
Fighting back against Planned Parenthood’s lies and continuing to shed light on the truth was the goal of this weekend’s The Pill Kills event, which took place on Saturday. 58 pro-life organizations and countless citizens participated with the hopes of spreading awareness and education about the dangers of the pill. While it’s true that the pill can be dangerous and serious education is needed, the effort did leave me with a concern: if women are scared to take the pill and abortion is clearly murder, are we helping them to understand what they should do instead? For many women, the pill is off-limits for religious reasons. And for others, who aren’t married, abstinence is the obvious answer. But there are also many women who are happily married and rely on the pill in their family planning. I welcome your thoughts and discussion as we dive deeper into this important conversation.
As Father’s Day is right around the corner, another discussion that is often not mentioned is that of fathers who’ve lost their children to abortion. So many of them, like their children, never get a choice in abortion and they suffer in silence. As if their loss wasn’t enough, post-abortive fathers also must deal with society telling them they can’t comment on abortion because they are men. The Silent No More Awareness Campaign has long touched my heart for the voice, comfort and strength they give post-abortive mothers. Understanding that women aren’t the only ones who have lost children, Silent No More Awareness Campaign has also helped to create a site for men: Men Regret Lost Fatherhood. No longer do men have to suffer in silence and feel alone after their loss; there is a place for them to speak out and receive help and healing for what they have been through. I’d like to humbly offer this week’s Branch for Life to the Silent No More Awareness Campaign for the caring, compassionate work they do in the pro-life movement. And as we thank the Lord for the men in our lives this coming weekend, I hope that you will join me in praying for these men and the difficulty they may experience on Father’s Day.
Until next week, I pray blessings for you and for all committed to life in The Vine. Please feel free to email or tweet me with any stories you’d like to see covered or any organizations you’d like to see as the Branch For Life!
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