Abortion . . . . .

What is it? . . It is taking the life of an innocent human baby while it is still in the womb.

Why is it done? . . There are many reasons given by those who do it:

1. It is not convenient for me to have a baby right now.

2. If I don't, my boyfriend (husband) will leave me.

3. If I don't, my boss will fire me.

4. If I don't, I will get kicked out of school.

5. My parents will kick me out of the house.

6. I was raped.

7. Every one tells me it will get rid of my problem.

8. I don't have anywhere else to turn to get help.

Why do women get pregnant if they don't want to have a baby? . . .

. . . The sexual revolution did not free people, it enslaved them to their own lusts. It told them "do whatever feels good." It never told them there would be consequences. With true freedom comes responsibility. Remaining abstinent before marriage is being responsible. Accepting the fact that you are going to have a child and doing what you can to protect that child's life is being responsible. If giving the child up for adoption is what would be best for you and the child, that is being responsible. If you cannot be responsible before you get pregnant, at least be responsible afterwards. A pregnancy only lasts 9 months. By the time a woman knows she is pregnant she will have only 7 1/2 months or less to wait. What is that short time compared to the saving of a human life? . . .

. . . There are several ways abortions are done. While I realize this might offend some people, if you do not know how abortions are done, you cannot really comprehend the reason so many people are against it. Abortion is legal in this country until the day of birth! Many people do not know this. A woman can legally abort her baby at any time during her pregnancy. The only thing that changes is the method and the cost. Since abortion was legalized in 1973, approximately 1,500,000 babies have been aborted each year! One out of six women in this country have had abortions. Many times, they were not told about the procedure or the risks involved. They were most likely not informed about the development of the unborn baby inside of them. Abortion is called a choice. If this is true, women should know what they are choosing. The following is a description of the various types of abortions that are performed in this country. . .

RU-486 . . This is a drug that produces an abortion. It is taken after the mother misses her period. It can be used up to the second month of pregnancy. It works by blocking progesterone, a crucial hormone during pregnancy. Without progesterone, the uterine lining does not provide food, fluid and oxygen to the tiny developing baby. The baby cannot survive. A second drug is then given that stimulates the uterus to contract and the baby is expelled. Women who abort with the drug RU-486 experience nausea, severe cramping, vomiting and bleeding. But the resulting emotional distress may have even more impact. Rather than being over with in a few minutes (as in a surgical abortion) this abortion could last for over a week. Then, when the woman finally does abort, she will expel a tiny dead human being - her baby and quite often she is alone when this happens.

Suction-Aspiration . . in this method, the cervix must be paralyzed and stretched open. The abortionist then inserts a hollow plastic tube with a knife-like edge into the uterus and suctions out the baby's body piece by piece. The placenta is cut from the uterine wall and everything is sucked into a bottle.

Dilation and Curettage (D and C) . . This is similar to a suction procedure except a loop-shaped steel knife is inserted into the uterus. The baby and placenta are cut into pieces and scraped out into a basin. Bleeding is usually very heavy with this method.

Dilation and Evacuation (D and E) . . This type of abortion is done after the third month of pregnancy. The cervix must be dilated before the abortion. Usually Laminaria sticks are inserted into the cervix. These are made of sterilized seaweed that is compressed into thin sticks. When inserted, they absorb moisture and expand, thus enlarging the cervix. A pliers-like instrument is inserted through the cervix into the uterus. The abortionist then seizes a leg, arm or other part of the baby and, with a twisting motion, tears it from the body. This continues until only the head remains. Finally the skull is crushed and pulled out. The nurse must then reassemble the body parts to be sure that all of them were removed.

Prostaglandin Abortion . . Prostaglandin is a hormone that induces labor. The baby usually dies from the trauma of the delivery. However, if the baby is old enough, it will be born alive. This is called a complication. To prevent this, some abortionists use ultrasound to guide them as they inject a feticide (a drug that kills the fetus) into the unborn baby's heart. They then administer prostaglandin and a dead baby is delivered. This type of abortion is used in mid and late term pregnancies.

Dilation and Extraction (D and X) . . This abortion is also used on mid and late term babies, from 4 to 9 months gestation. Ultrasound is used to identify how the unborn baby is facing in the womb. The abortionist inserts forceps through the cervical canal into the uterus and grasps one of the baby's legs, positioning the baby feet first, face down (breech position). The child's body is then pulled out of the birth canal except for the head which is too large to pass through the cervix. The baby is alive, and probably kicking and flailing his legs and arms. The abortionist hooks his fingers over the baby's shoulders, holding the woman's cervix away from the baby's neck. He then jams blunt tipped surgical scissors into the base of the skull and spreads the tips apart to enlarge the wound. A suction catheter is inserted into the baby's skull and the brain is sucked out. The skull collapses and the baby's head passes easily through the cervix.

. . . Is this the choice that you want to make? No matter which method is used, it is still the killing of a human being. It may be legal but it is certainly immoral. God will forgive you if you ask Him to but what is really hard is forgiving yourself. . .

Mama, I Forgive You

Mama, I forgive you

For allowing me to die.

You didn't really know me

And you believed in Satan's lie.

I'm in Paradise now with Jesus and the Saints

And those of us who died unborn

Have a special place in Jesus' heart.

I love you Mama and Jesus loves you, too.

He longs to wipe away your pain

If you will only believe in Him

And call on His precious name.

He'll calm all your doubts and fears

And give you perfect peace

And when you die and leave that world

You'll come to this beautiful place.

Then you'll see Jesus, glorious and bright.

He'll take your breath away.

He'll welcome you with open arms

Wipe all your tears away.

Friends and family who have gone on before

Will be gathered to welcome you.

And standing there in the very front

Will be the child you never knew.

You don't have to explain anything to me

I'll stop you if you try.

Just put your arms around me, Mama,

And sing me a lullaby.

Written by Jennie Honey and read at the 1993 Pro-Life Rally.