The following brief items can serve as
educational bulletin inserts.
According to the website of the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 43% of women
will have had at least one abortion by the age of 45. That's a lot of
abortion, and a lot of pain. Those who suffer from the aftereffects of this
procedure and seek guidance and counseling may call the National Office of
Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing at 1-800-5-WE-CARE.
The Alan Guttmacher Institute, which favors the "freedom to terminate
unwanted pregnancies" (Mission statement), indicates that "about 14,000 women
have abortions each year because they became pregnant after rape or incest." At
the same time, it indicates that in 1996, "1.37 million abortions took place."
In other words, some 99% of all the abortions that occur have nothing to do
with rape or incest, according to "pro-choice" sources. (Source: Website
of the Alan Guttmacher Institute)
The Alan Guttmacher Institute, which favors the "freedom to terminate
unwanted pregnancies" (Mission statement), indicates that "on average, women
give at least 3 reasons for choosing abortion: 3/4 say that having a baby would
interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; about 2/3 say they cannot
afford a child; and 1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having
problems with their husband or partner." In other words, the dominant reasons
women ask for this medical procedure have nothing to do with medical needs,
according to "pro-choice" sources. (Source: Website of the Alan Guttmacher
Institute)
The Alan Guttmacher Institute, which favors the "freedom to terminate
unwanted pregnancies" (Mission statement), states that 12%, that is, 164,400 of
the 1.37 million abortions that occurred in 1996 occurred after 12 weeks of
pregnancy. It further indicates that some 13,700 of these abortions took place
at 21 weeks or more (Source: Website of the Alan Guttmacher Institute).
Babies delivered at this stage of development have been known to survive.
The National Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC is a shiny black wall that
stretches 492 feet and lists the names of the 58,022 known Americans killed in
that war. If such a wall listed the names of the children killed by abortion
since 1973, the wall would be about 60 miles long! The casualties of our wars
put together are fewer than the casualties from abortion in a single year.
Sandra Cano, the "Mary Doe" of the Doe vs. Bolton 1973 Supreme
Court abortion decision, is a pro-life Christian. On March 23, 1997, she
declared these memorable words: "I am Sandra Cano. I became known as Mary Doe
when the U.S. Supreme Court released Roe v. Wade's companion decision,
Doe v. Bolton, which allowed abortion for virtually any reason. I am
against abortion; I never sought an abortion; I have never had an abortion.
Abortion is murder. For over twenty years, and against my will, my name has been
synonymous with abortion. The Doe v. Bolton case is based on deceit and
fraud. I stand today in this place of healing, the National Memorial for the
Unborn, and pledge to the memory of these innocent children, that as long as I
have breath, I will strive to see abortion ended in America."
Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" of the Roe vs. Wade 1973 Supreme Court
decision legalizing abortion, is now a pro-life Catholic. On March 23, 1997, she
declared these memorable words:
"I am Norma McCorvey. I became known as Jane Roe on January 22, 1973, when
the U.S. Supreme Court released the Roe v. Wade decision, which created a
woman's "right to abortion". I am now a child of God, a new creature in Christ;
I am forgiven and redeemed. Today, I publicly recant my involvement in the
tragedy of abortion. I humbly ask forgiveness of the millions of women and
unborn babies who have experienced the violence of abortion. In this place of
healing, the National Memorial for the Unborn, I stand with those who honor the
worth of every unborn child as created in the image of God. I will strive, in
the name of Jesus, to end this holocaust."
Some people say that the assertion, "Life begins at conception" is only a
"religious belief." Yet the following quote is found in a book about how to
perform abortions: "Conception is the only occasion in the whole course of
events when something happens during a brief moment of time that is truly
'momentous'…How different is the fetus ten minutes before parturition and ten
minutes after; that is, different in a way that would affect its value?" (Second
Trimester Abortion: Perspectives After a Decade of Experience, Berger et
al., eds. p. 215).
Some who defend abortion claim that one is "truly human" only when able to
reason, to choose, and to be creative. Yet a book about how to perform abortions
contains this quote: "Surely embryos and fetuses do none of these things. In
fact, neither do newborns, and there's the rub. Presumably it would be equally
as acceptable to destroy newborns as fetuses, since both are in the same
prehuman boat" (Second Trimester Abortion: Perspectives After a Decade of
Experience, Berger et al., eds., p. 215). Think about it.
More people than ever are coming forward to talk about how they regret having
an abortion. Here are some quotes from actual testimonies, provided by a
national research project: "It affected my relationship with my children because
I emotionally pushed them away - I felt I didn't deserve them"; "I would go to
the cemetery wondering what they did with my baby"; "Initially I also felt a
sense of relief that it was all over. But it was a strange brand of relief that
did everything relief should, except make me feel any better." If you need help,
call 1-800-5-WE-CARE (National Office of Post-abortion Reconciliation and
Healing).
Sarah Smith is a young woman from California who survived an abortion after
her twin brother was aborted. She now speaks publicly for the pro-life cause,
and declares, "My mother's 'choice' was my death sentence." Sarah helps us put a
face on the abortion issue. It's not about abstract concepts; it's about real
people being destroyed.
"It is above all in raising children that the family fulfils its mission to
proclaim the Gospel of life.... The family celebrates the Gospel of life through
daily prayer, both individual prayer and family prayer. The family prays in
order to glorify and give thanks to God for the gift of life, and implores his
light and strength in order to face times of difficulty and suffering without
losing hope. But the celebration which gives meaning to every other form of
prayer and worship is found in the family's actual daily life together, if it is
a life of love and self-giving" (Pope John Paul II: The Gospel of Life,
n.92-93).
Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. The
conviction that human life is sacred and that each person has inherent dignity
that must be respected in society lies at the heart of Catholic social teaching.
Calls to advance human rights are illusions if the right to life itself is
subject to attack. We believe that every human life is sacred from conception to
natural death; that people are more important than things; and that the measure
of every institution is whether or not it enhances the life and dignity of the
human person. (US Bishops: Faithful Citizenship - Civic Responsibility for a
New Millennium, 1999).
For Catholics, public virtue is as important as private virtue in
building up the common good. In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship
is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation. Every
believer is called to faithful citizenship, to become an informed, active, and
responsible participant in the political process. As we said a year ago, "We
encourage all citizens, particularly Catholics, to embrace their
citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an opportunity [more
fully] to participate in building the culture of life. Every voice matters in
the public forum. Every vote counts. Every act of responsible citizenship is an
exercise of significant individual power" (US Bishops: Faithful Citizenship -
Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium, 1999).
Click here to see the inserts
above in Spanish.
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for bulletin inserts on faithful citizenship
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