The Problem of Pro-Life (The Perception)

There is almost no topic in North America that stirs up more controversy than abortion. The pro-life movement has gathered supporters and enemies both in the church and outside of the church. Gallup polls indicate %55 of Americans hold a very strong opinion, one way or the other, on the issue.¹ It is the responsibility of the church to preach truth and to be a voice for the oppressed. Many pro-life organizations have distributed and displayed graphic and offensive propaganda in an attempt to raise awareness on the issue. This pro-life promotion has received angry and negative responses from the public.

Over the next few days, I will be releasing a series of posts examining the ethical way to promote the pro-life movement. This series is written on the assumption that abortion is ethically wrong and contrary to God's Will – it will not address the abortion debate. We will examine why there is such anger towards pro-lifers, whether scare tactics and shocking pictures are the ethical way to promote a cause, how the church can ethically promote the pro-life cause, and if this is a distraction from the Great Commission.

To Start Off -  How the Pro-Life movement is being perceived

A sampling of Pro-Choice propoganda

A quick search of social media sites reveals the hatred and anger felt towards those pushing pro-life beliefs. A simple search of terms such as 'abortion' or 'pro-life' on popular social media sites reveals a host of pictures, slogans and advertisements filled with hateful backlash being directed towards pro-³ Many others are directed right at pastors and churches, portraying them as ignorant, uneducated and obnoxious. For example, a picture of Noah's ark has the caption “God killed every pregnant woman and baby on earth. Abortion is bad though.”⁴ In fact, it would seem that pro-choice backlash against pro-lifers is aimed predominantly at Christians. Many include quotes from pastors or Bible verses. One cartoon sports a man who can not find a verse in the Bible against killing babies, but has another man quoting “their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with children shall be ripped up” (Hosea 13:16).⁵ One does not have to search far to discover that there is much hatred and anger against those who promote the pro-life case. Most of this hatred is directed specifically at politicians and Christians.

Responses to anti-abortion protests range
cynical to offensive. He is a sample of the
tamer backlash directed at the church.

lifers. Responses to anti-abortion protests range from cynical to downright offensive. Many contain language that reveals the deep hatred felt towards pro-lifers. In fact, very few comments directed at pro-lifers contain language that is entirely 'tasteful.' A large number of people express hatred towards the government, particularly the Republican Party, and its attempts to be involved in the debate. Many social media users have posted cynical or parodied quotes such as, “Don't use birth control. Don't have an abortion. But if you have a baby you can't afford, don't expect any help from us, you sl**. XOXO, - The GOP.”

The pro-life campaign has upset even some who are against abortion. In September 2013, CBC ran a news article about a woman in Hamilton, Ontario, who was left fuming after a citywide distribution of anti-abortion pamphlets. Pamphlets were delivered to her door containing pictures of mutilated fetuses, and these graphic images were only a part of the citywide campaign. Banners hung on highways, and trucks drove around sporting similar images. The article reads:

“'A child shouldn’t have to see pictures like that,' Cabral told CBC Hamilton. 'If I want to discuss that with my daughter I will – when it’s time.' Cabral says that she thinks many of the group’s methods – like demonstrating outside Hamilton schools – are just wrong.

'And I don’t believe in abortion,' she said. 'But I don’t think that has anything to do with it.

I know that a gun kills people, but you don’t have to fire a bullet at me for me to know that.'”⁶

And this woman isn't the only one – news articles from all over the country detail the shock and outrage of people receiving pro-life propaganda at their doorstep.⁷ Many people are offended by the pro-life campaigns, and specifically the graphic images they spread. The comments on these online news article reveal the a response from the public filled with the same hatred and anger towards pro-lifers that the social media websites revealed.⁸ People everywhere are outraged by the public display of pro-life propaganda. Whether in anger against intolerance, or anger against receiving pictures of dead babies at their door, many people, both pro-choice and pro-life feel that pro-life propaganda is wrong. This casts a dark light on the pro-life cause.

1Alcorn (2004), p. 16. Why Pro-Life? Caring for the Unborn and Their Mothers.USA, EPM Publishing, 2004.

2Randy Prine (2013), Tweet.

3The Daily Edge (2013), Tweet.

4Mrs. V. (2013), Tweet.

5Fuzzy Atheist (2013), Tweet.

6Carter (2013), on-line document. Anti-Abortion campaign has Hamilton mother fuming. September 27, 2013. Available from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/anti-abortion-campaign- has-hamilton-mother-fuming-1.1870622 (accessed November 18, 2013).

7Woodward (2013), on-line document. “CTV British Columbia.” Anti-abortion postcard campaign over the edge? November 16, 2013. Available from: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/anti-abortion-postcard-campaign-over-the-edge- 1.1546766 (accessed November 19, 2013).

8Carter (2013), on-line document. (see 6)