Students for Life of Illinois

Earlier this week, I went to a spiritual healing service. In this service, the idea was to open yourself to God and to let the Spirit flow into you. Through this, God heals you of your struggles and pain. This brought to mind an important part of our movement that is sometimes over-looked.

It is not uncommon for pro-abortion advocates to label us pro-lifers as solely interested in the life of the unborn child and disinterested in the health of the mother of this child. This, however, could not be much further from the truth. Being pro-life means to be interested in the health and well-being of all humans, especially the mother of an unborn child. To not be at the side of a woman considering an abortion would be to abandon a woman in her time of need and to forget one of the integral parts of being pro-life.

Likewise, we care for women who have had abortions. I have personally heard several accounts of women suffering from physical and mental anguish after having an abortion. This pain knows no age, as it can occur in women as quickly as an hour afterward and last a lifetime. The risks for depression and other mental disorders are significantly higher in women who have had an abortion than in women who have not.

It is our duty as pro-lifers to help these women. They are in need of intense healing and compassion, whether they are considering an abortion or have already had one. Please do all that you can to find resources in your area to help these women.

For more information on post-abortion issues, please visit this site:
http://www.afterabortion.org/reasmor.html

“In my view, fetuses that die before they’re ever conscious really are a lot like plants: They’re living things, but there’s nothing about them that would make us think that they count morally in the way that people do.”

You may be asking yourself, who could possibly compare an early human life to a plant?  This was not an off-the-cuff comment from someone on the street, but an explanation from Princeton philosophy professor Elizabeth Harman during a moderated debate on the value of early human life.

Ryan T. Anderson summarized this debate a year ago.  I stumbled upon his intriguing article this week titled “The Rare Achievement of Disagreement.”  The theme of the debate was, “Is it wrong to end early human life?”  Each professor who participated adheres to a very different philosophical theory, so the issue is tackled from all perspectives.

What is most startling to me is the slippery slope from devaluing the unborn to devaluing human life in many other stages.  Although Professor Harman’s view was among the most extreme, hers was not the only alarming opinion.  Professor Peter Singer, also of Princeton, identifies himself as a utilitarian and ultimately ends up defending infanticide under some conditions.

Even Professor Don Marquis (Kansas), described as “moderately pro-life,” claims that it is wrong to deprive someone of a life of value.  He does not, however, consider anencephalic babies, Terry Schiavo, or those patients in irreversible comas to hold this “future of value.”  The inherent problem with this reasoning lies in the fact that determining value is subjective, and thus open to much controversy.

The most important things to take away from this article are that people are pro-life or pro-choice for different reasons and to varying degrees, but these individuals are capable of civil debate.  True, no one probably left this debate with a new outlook on life, but perhaps by calmly discussing the issue, we can at least move one step closer to reason, compassion, and ultimately changing hearts.

Blessings,

Jessica

To read the aforementioned article, please click here.

Over the course of the past three weeks, I have had the pleasure of spending a fair amount of time among young Catholic missionaries. These missionaries are living here at UIUC’s Newman Center for their training, which concludes two weeks from today. The program they are in is called FOCUS, which stands for Fellowship of Catholic University Students.

What I find most intriguing, enthralling even, is the incredible, fiery passion these people have for doing good in the world. They are absolutely committed to making a difference in people’s lives. That is their focus (yes, the pun is intended). In shortly under two months, all two hundred-something of them will be sent off to campuses, public and private alike, around the country to evangelize people. This alone shows you how much these young men and women care about the world around them. They are willing to trade in basically all that they are comfortable with in order to change other people’s lives for the better, in places that are so very often filled with  a longing for something deeper.

I am inspired by these missionaries to continue my work and to help spread this message, the pro-life message. I feel strengthened to continue to go out and face the challenges presented by our campuses, knowing that I am comfortable in my campus, and it is the least I can do to speak out for what is right in my own proverbial backyard.

“We must be the change we want to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi

I spend quite a bit of my workday for SFLI reading, researching, and writing, and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I have yet to learn about abortion. In my conversations, I am growing in my understanding of the abortion industry and its politics as well as what we can do to preserve the dignity of human life. Although I’ve gained substantial knowledge on what it means to be pro-life, I think I’ve gained a lot more training in patiently and humbly seeking out the truth on the issue of abortion. Asking questions has become much more important in my work than having answers.

In asking questions and researching, I’ve learned from dozens of people committing themselves to the pro-life movement. While their answers are insightful, their heroic generosity in fighting for the unborn is what I’d like to expose this afternoon.

• Stephen Wagner has created an ambassadors’ training program which develops pro-life ambassadors to have informed minds, an artful method, and an attractive manner. His book, “Common Ground without Compromise,” outlines some basic methods of creating dialogue within your sphere of influence.

• Cardinal O’Connor, after a powerful experience at the concentration camps in Dachau, devoted his whole life to protecting the sacredness of human life. In 1991, he founded the Sisters of Life (http://sistersoflife.org/aboutus.html), a religious order of sisters committed to protecting and enhancing the sacredness of human life. Their mission includes providing practical assistance to pregnant women, retreats, and post-abortive healing.

• David Bereit left a career in sales to devote his energies to the pro-life movement. Having started his own nonprofit organization, rallied churches, and raised financial support, he now motivates others to use their talents for the pro-life cause.

This list is far from exhaustive, and I am excited to learn from other pro-life heroes as our efforts in Champaign, Illinois continue. Do you have a pro-life hero? Feel free to share.

In addition to the Gallup poll conducted in May, four other surveys, as conducted by The Polling Company, Rasmussen reports, Fox News, and Pew, have found that Americans are more “pro-life” than they are “pro-choice.” While the surveys vary in method and scope, one fact is clear: Americans are increasingly identifying with the pro-life cause.
While pro-lifers find themselves in the midst of an administration opposed to their efforts, they are also finding a reason for hope. As the abortion agenda moves to the left, Americans are finding their opinions in greater contrast to abortion policy. This shift in attitudes can give us great encouragement in committing to educating those we encounter. Furthermore, now is an opportune time to invite people to invest their time and energies into advancing the pro-life cause. This increased disconnect between abortion policy and public opinion can propel us and others in our efforts to bring about a culture of life.

“Never tire of firmly speaking out in defense of life from its conception and do not be deterred from the commitment to defend the dignity of every human person with courageous determination.” Pope John Paul II