posted it
went to bed
got back up
got Matt up and ran by him all my concerns with this post. I was the devil's advocate as to how one could take this the wrong way.
I felt like, at some level, my Christian friends could feel like I was bashing the actions they have taken to stand up against abortion. The time, energy, effort, passion they have put into defending the unborn life. The right of that unborn life to have a voice. I applaud this effort and stand with you!
I believe Planned Parenthood should be defunded. I think they are bullies who have preyed on the vulnerable. I think they promise freedom from your 'problem' so that they can profit. They were given a position of power and the funding to have a loud voice and they continually misuse it.
Shame on Planned Parenthood.
That being said, I believe standing up against Planned Parenthood can be done without beating down the woman who has had an abortion. I believe picketing signs (or comments, etc) can be written or spoken so that the evil Planned Parenthood is partaking in does not attack the mother who choose abortion.
Signs like 'Baby Killer' and 'God Hates Killers' etc. does nothing to reach the ones truly affected (the unborn baby and the mother). Those types of words serve to tear down. They do nothing to point the precious mother, who is considering abortion or who may have already choose abortion, up to the one that can truly heal her.
I recently saw pictures from a Planned Parenthood Picket some of my local facebook friends did- Their signs were so respectful and so right on- had I not already had plans I would have joined them.
Below is the blogpost from last night. The only changes are that I added to paragraph 3 the parentheses with the words 'with these types of signs' to clarify that I do not think 'all picketing' is wrong. I also changed some of the phrasing (total typo- thank you T. for letting me know). Other than that it is all there for you to read.
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Original Blog Post:
I see so many things circulating about abortion right now. Planned Parenthood has all us Christians buzzing. The released video's of harvesting baby parts may have something to do with it.....maybe it's their defending statements to the video's......maybe it's our Christian belief that the second a baby is conceived it is life...not a blob of tissue.
Abortion grieves my heart- I don't believe it is right (in any circumstance) BUT that being said, I understand how a precious woman can make the decision to have one. I understand how her life can seem so overwhelming and so complicated she feels like there is no other way. My understanding does not come from personal experience but instead over the years I have heard many stories from ladies who have had an abortion- maybe 2 or maybe even 3. I listened long enough to hear her story- not the surface story but the real story....I stayed in contact long past the abortion and listened as her heart broke over her decision. What she thought would fix their situation really just complicated it more.
Every time I see the term 'baby killer' referencing the woman who has had an abortion I cringe.
When I see a picket going on (with these types of signs) my heart wants to nurture each woman who drives by who has had an abortion- Do the picket signs heap more condemnation than what she already feels- Does she feel like she has to be fake around (or angry) at us Christians because we consider abortion murder (making her a murderer).
I wonder what staging a picket for women who have had an abortion (or women who are considering having an abortion) would do. I wonder if on the signs we wave we had things like:
'Your forgiven'
'Your baby is in Heaven'
'Let go of the guilt'
'Your loved more than you could ever imagine'
'Healing is possible'
'We love you'
'Choose Jesus!'
To the woman reading this who has had an abortion, God has His loving arms around you tonight and He is whispering in your ear:
Daughter,
'Your forgiven'
'Your baby is in Heaven'
'Let go of the guilt'
'Your loved more than you could ever imagine'
'Healing is possible'
'I love you'
'Choose Jesus!'
Choose Life
This blog post is dedicated to our birthmother Heather
who choose life for our daughter Ellie
who choose to place Ellie with us by way of adoption
Who could have chosen abortion but didn't
Thank you Heather- Ellie's life is such a gift to so many
I love you.
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| This is the only picture I have of Ellie's birth father Arthur (yellow shirt) and Ellie's birth mom Heather (licking Arthur's foot ) together. I love the look on Arthur's face (cringing) but even more than that I love the fearlessness of Heather- maybe for shock factor or maybe because she was dared, she licked his foot. I would have done the same thing Heather- The exact same thing. Love you again! |
