Pro-life group will use prayer and fasting from now until October to get their message to the masses.
Photo: kudumomo
This headline might make some of you worry:
Pro-Life Activism Adapting And Thriving.
What made me choke on my tea was the first line of the article: “The number one cause of death in the United States is abortion.” And here I thought it was heart disease.
Ok, I’ll give them that the purported number of abortions a year is higher than people who die of heart attacks (whether everyone would concur that abortion is a cause of death is another matter). I can’t say I agree with their statement that “radically pro-abortion politicians now control the executive and legislative branches of the [US] federal government.”
Last time I checked, the Supreme Court upheld the Federal Partial-Birth Abortion Plan in 2008 that President Bush had signed into law in 2003. But while the Bulletin article begins with a decidedly political tone, this “adapting and thriving” of pro-life activists has less to do with politics and standing outside of abortion clinics, screaming at doctors, and more to do with nonviolence.
It seems the group 40 Days for Life is bringing the issue back to what they consider, at its root, a spiritual question. And using spiritual, non-violent action is how they are getting their message across.
Using “prayerful, non-confrontational witness,” the group asks people to pray and fast for an end to abortion where they live, to keep vigil outside a local abortion clinic, and to get the message out to a wider community for 40-days, which many Christians can relate back to Jesus’ time in the desert.
Pro-Choice Vs. Open Conversations
As probably most of you who have read other articles I have written might imagine, I am pro-choice. But I have to say, with the exception of the fact that this group employs the tactic of going door-to-door, I’m actually impressed with their approach.
Using prayer and vigils are actual nonviolent approaches, and allows everyone to take part in the conversation.
I’m certainly more willing to listen to what they have to say as compared to when they shout, craft derogatory signs, or use violence to promote a supposed nonviolent purpose.
Using prayer and vigils are actual nonviolent approaches, and allows everyone to take part in the conversation, unlike the comparable religious billboards that imply atheists are murderers and t-shirts that say Muslims are devil-like. And isn’t that what we’ve been hoping for?
Maybe this approach even means there is the possibility of people listening on both sides of the debate.
Or maybe I’m completely deluded.
What do you think about 40 Days for Life’s approach to spreading their message? Share your thoughts below.
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5 Comments... join the discussion!
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Christine,
Excellent post, and I truly appreciate your well-reasoned and articulate points about 40 Days for Life’s use of spiritual nonviolence.
I have always been a student of great social reformers like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (in fact, his niece, Alveda King, is very involved in 40 Days for Life.) I have always admired that Dr. King didn’t just identify an injustice; he also identified the proper solution — nonviolent social tension that necessitates contsructive change.
In a similar fashion, we recognize that abortion is a violent act that destroys the life of a child in the womb, and can wound a woman — physically, emotionally, and/or psychologically. But it is not enough to simply talk about the problem. We must channel people’s energies into positive, non-violent solutions.
As you correctly identified, this approach has allowed everyone to be part of the conversation and has been embraced by over 215,000 people who have participated in 40 Days for Life campaigns to date. This is a key reason for the unprecedented growth this effort is currently experiencing — with 40 Days for Life campaigns currently underway in 212 cities across 45 states, 5 Canadian provinces, and Denmark.
I appreciate that you are “impressed with our approach” and hope that it contniues to bear much positive fruit. That’s what we’re praying for!
David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life↵ -
Pardon my incredulity when I say that if only these people would stick to praying, I would be thrilled. As someone who volunteers as a clinic safety escort, however, I’m not buying any. I have spoken to too many clinic staffers in too many locations who say that these “nonviolent” “spiritual” types have blockaded patients from entering their clinics during past 40 Days marathons, or gotten up to other mischief on the property. I freely admit that this is all hearsay, but I wouldn’t lie and I don’t believe I’m being lied to. Rumors that anti-choicers are up to no good outside of a clinic can only scare off its patients–I can see why antis would see that as a desirable outcome, but not why a clinic would.
Today was only the first day of this latest crusade, and already I have read a report from one midwestern Planned Parenthood office that a “nonviolent” “spiritual” protester wrote down the license numbers of every car in their parking area. That can serve NO Godly purpose except intimidation. David Bereit, if you’re still reading, I urge you to call off your dogs in St. Louis, and to permanently bar from further participation anyone who engages in such tactics.
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Thanks David and Alice for your comments, which were two types of comments I was hoping for. My piece was based solely on what was written in an article, so I’m glad to hear real people involved in or connected in some fashion to the movement or who feel the repercussions of the movement.
Although I can understand it is hard to “corral” everyone, I agree with Alice of the need to be clear with anyone who is using physically or mentally violent (or violating) tactics. Essentially, those tactics take us back to zero, and shuts the conversation down.
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prayer is the strongest weapon known to mankind mass praying can toppel the highest mountain overcome the greatest evil makes sense to me
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