The Other Side of the Abortion Story - "THE TRAUMA OF REGRET" - By: Eric Metaxas, Breakpoint.org: February 20, 2015; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26900?spMailingID=10689541&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=481480560&spReportId=NDgxNDgwNTYwS0 [AS I SEE IT: One of the most frustrating things I experience is trying to convince pastors to speak on the subject of abortion. No, I don't believe you can speak on the subject too often when you consider that in every worship service there is always a chance that someone will be there who has never heard the truth of this evil. By this I am not only talking about what happens to the obvious victims - the unborn - but of the women (and girls) who've aborted a child at some time. I will never forget many years ago listening to a radio broadcast in which the well-known Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll spoke of giving his first pro-life message after serving as pastor for many years. He told of how he shared of the forgiveness of Christ available to those who had abortions. He shared that after the service, he noticed that there was an unusually long line of people waiting to speak to him and that most of them were women. After awhile he realized that each of them were there to tell them how they had struggled with guilt over their abortions for many years and his message was the first time they had heard of God's forgiveness for THAT sin. I remember being moved greatly when Pastor Swindoll began crying as he said that in all the years he had been a pastor, he had never realized that week after week there had been women sitting in the church pews who carried such a burden and that he had not spoken to lift that burden till then. I also know of a church deacon who confided in me how he struggles on how to tell his sons how he had their oldest sibling aborted while he was a college student. I would ask every pastor how many such women and men are possibly sitting in his church pews? P.S. - I hope you'll make a point to see the incredible movie, "October Baby" that illustrates the pain carried by women who've had abortions. - Stan]
To get to the truth of a matter, you need to hear both sides of the story. And that’s especially true with abortion.
Last week on BreakPoint, I told you about the convocation address I gave at the University of the South in Sewanee. The theme of my talk was the importance of civil discourse and freedom of speech, and how without them, we cannot have a healthy and free society. I told my audience that I do in fact see efforts, especially on college campuses, but also in the media, to silence opposing voices on a whole host of issues.
And nowhere is this more evident than with abortion. And it’s not just that pro-life advocates are often shouted down or kept off campuses or the airwaves. No, what really concerns me—actually, what really pains me—is that we don’t hear about a whole class of people who suffer deeply from the wounds of abortion. And that is the women who deeply regret terminating the lives of their babies.
Instead, we are treated to accounts of just how wonderful abortion is. The daughter of a friend of mine attends a chic-chic school here in Manhattan and she was made to watch a video of women raving about what a great decision it was to have an abortion—with no opposing viewpoint. It is heartless propaganda.
And you may remember the story last year about an abortion counselor who filmed her own abortion, saying it was so “positive” and empowering. She posted a video on YouTube, to the wild cheers of the pro-abortion lobby.
Yet the truth is, many women who get an abortion do not feel heroic at all. They feel devastated. My wife, Susanne, who directs a pregnancy center here in New York, sees these victims all the time.
In my book, “Miracles,” I write about a friend of mine named April who had an abortion and who was emotionally devastated by it. She found herself pregnant and thought, like many women facing the same predicament, that abortion was her only option. So she went to the abortion “clinic.” They gave her a paper gown and flimsy slippers, but zero compassion or emotional warmth at all. No one encouraged her to keep the baby, by the way, and when the “procedure” was done, April wept.
Eventually, thank God, April found healing and forgiveness. But when was the last time you saw a sympathetic portrayal in the so-called “mainstream” media of one of these victims? Why won’t Oprah have a show on these women? Why can’t we hear both sides of this story?
Like April, many women face regret, guilt, and depression over the child that died. Some women experience physical repercussions, such as sterility or disease. The fathers or siblings of the baby who died can feel a tremendous sense of loss over the child that they’ll never know. These are real heartaches we never hear about.
Happily, there are organizations trying to rectify the situation. Since 2002, for example, the Silent No More Awareness campaign has sought to make the public aware of the devastation of abortion for women and men. It has held 1,400 gatherings in 17 countries and 48 states, with nearly 6,000 women and men sharing their abortion testimonies. Silent No More has even gone into nearly a hundred high schools and universities—not enough, but a great start. Like Life Services, another great organization, it provides practical help to men and women suffering from post-abortion trauma.[Find the weblinks to Life Services and Silent No More following this article.]. And if you know of an organization that helps people dealing with abortion, leave a comment, and let your fellow BreakPoint listeners know about them.
So until abortion is a sad memory in America, let’s speak up for these silent victims of abortion. If we don’t, who will?
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
RESOURCES - Do you know other organizations that provide assistance to those suffering in the wake of abortion? Leave a comment and let our readers know about them. Is your church involved in ministry to those who have participated in abortion? Consider lending a hand!
The Silent No More Awareness Campaign - http://silentnomoreawareness.org/
Life Services - http://www.lifeservices.org/
To get to the truth of a matter, you need to hear both sides of the story. And that’s especially true with abortion.
Last week on BreakPoint, I told you about the convocation address I gave at the University of the South in Sewanee. The theme of my talk was the importance of civil discourse and freedom of speech, and how without them, we cannot have a healthy and free society. I told my audience that I do in fact see efforts, especially on college campuses, but also in the media, to silence opposing voices on a whole host of issues.
And nowhere is this more evident than with abortion. And it’s not just that pro-life advocates are often shouted down or kept off campuses or the airwaves. No, what really concerns me—actually, what really pains me—is that we don’t hear about a whole class of people who suffer deeply from the wounds of abortion. And that is the women who deeply regret terminating the lives of their babies.
Instead, we are treated to accounts of just how wonderful abortion is. The daughter of a friend of mine attends a chic-chic school here in Manhattan and she was made to watch a video of women raving about what a great decision it was to have an abortion—with no opposing viewpoint. It is heartless propaganda.
And you may remember the story last year about an abortion counselor who filmed her own abortion, saying it was so “positive” and empowering. She posted a video on YouTube, to the wild cheers of the pro-abortion lobby.
Yet the truth is, many women who get an abortion do not feel heroic at all. They feel devastated. My wife, Susanne, who directs a pregnancy center here in New York, sees these victims all the time.
In my book, “Miracles,” I write about a friend of mine named April who had an abortion and who was emotionally devastated by it. She found herself pregnant and thought, like many women facing the same predicament, that abortion was her only option. So she went to the abortion “clinic.” They gave her a paper gown and flimsy slippers, but zero compassion or emotional warmth at all. No one encouraged her to keep the baby, by the way, and when the “procedure” was done, April wept.
Eventually, thank God, April found healing and forgiveness. But when was the last time you saw a sympathetic portrayal in the so-called “mainstream” media of one of these victims? Why won’t Oprah have a show on these women? Why can’t we hear both sides of this story?
Like April, many women face regret, guilt, and depression over the child that died. Some women experience physical repercussions, such as sterility or disease. The fathers or siblings of the baby who died can feel a tremendous sense of loss over the child that they’ll never know. These are real heartaches we never hear about.
Happily, there are organizations trying to rectify the situation. Since 2002, for example, the Silent No More Awareness campaign has sought to make the public aware of the devastation of abortion for women and men. It has held 1,400 gatherings in 17 countries and 48 states, with nearly 6,000 women and men sharing their abortion testimonies. Silent No More has even gone into nearly a hundred high schools and universities—not enough, but a great start. Like Life Services, another great organization, it provides practical help to men and women suffering from post-abortion trauma.[Find the weblinks to Life Services and Silent No More following this article.]. And if you know of an organization that helps people dealing with abortion, leave a comment, and let your fellow BreakPoint listeners know about them.
So until abortion is a sad memory in America, let’s speak up for these silent victims of abortion. If we don’t, who will?
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
RESOURCES - Do you know other organizations that provide assistance to those suffering in the wake of abortion? Leave a comment and let our readers know about them. Is your church involved in ministry to those who have participated in abortion? Consider lending a hand!
The Silent No More Awareness Campaign - http://silentnomoreawareness.org/
Life Services - http://www.lifeservices.org/
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