By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
For those people who believe in the sanctity of life, but are tempted to discouragement because of what appears to be a series of rapid gains for the advancement of the culture of death, long-time abortion foe Father Frank Pavone says “We are closer to achieving our goal of winning the fight to end abortion . . . than the mainstream media is reporting.”
To help us see the truth in this statement and to inspire us to recommit ourselves to the fight for life, he lists ten clear signs that indicate an end to abortion on demand in America may be sooner that we think.
Sign 1 – The survivors: America’s young people are joining the fight for life in ever-growing numbers because, as so many of them profess, “It could have been me!” Father Pavone says, “This is an awareness and motivation that abortion advocates can do nothing to stop. And as a result, our pro-life movement receives a new strength and motivation each day from these survivors.”
Sign 2 – Conversions: “Another reason for confidence is simply to look at the flow of conversions,” Fr. Pavone writes. “In which direction does it go? It goes from pro-abortion to pro-life. . . Since when have you heard of an organization of former pregnancy resource center directors who have repented of saving babies and are now pro-abortion? It just doesn’t happen.”
Sign 3 – Women’s Witness: Another clear sign of progress is the wave of women and men across the world who are speaking out about how they regret having their child killed by abortion, Fr. Pavone says. Organizations that enable these women to speak out, such as the “Silent No More Awareness Campaign” provide powerful public witness to get out the truth about the harm abortion does to women and men. “Best of all, there is nothing abortion advocates can do to stop this tidal wave. In fact, it puts them in quite a dilemma. For decades now they have been saying, ‘Listen to the voices of women!’ Now, if they practice what they preach, they hear those women’s voices repudiate the lie of abortion.”
Sign 4 – Fewer Abortionists, Fewer Mills: Over half of America’s freestanding abortion clinics have closed since 1993 … from over 2,000 at that time to roughly 740 today. Fewer and fewer doctors will perform abortions because they consider abortionists to be the losers of the medical profession, Fr. Pavone says. “ . . . (T)he abortion industry’s greatest fear is not that Roe v. Wade will be reversed. Rather, it is that abortion will remain legal but there won’t be any doctors to do it.”
Sign 5 – Legal Evidence Mounts: Our Constitutional history shows that sooner or later, oppressed groups such as women and Blacks wll win their rights. Science knows that embryos are human and legal evidence is mounting that will eventually force the Courts to recognize the personhood of the unborn child and accord him or her with their full Constitutional rights.
Sign 6- Abortion research: The mountain of evidence proving the medical, psychological and sociological harm that abortion does to women, men and families is growing ever higher. “Most telling of all is the fact that even those researchers who identify themselves as pro-choice are coming to this conclusion… and publishing their research despite the objections and criticism of the abortion industry,” Fr. Pavone says. “This growing body of evidence is one of the ways that abortion will eventually destroy itself.”
Sign 7 – No more arguments: After decades of proclaiming that abortion reduces child abuse, helps families, gives women freedom, etc., all the evidence shows the exact opposite, leaving abortion advocates with nothing left to argue that cannot be readly disproved.
Sign 8 – Even in politics: Pro-lifers are highly motivated voters, which is a great advantage to the pro-life position. “Voters for whom abortion matters in their decision vote in favor of pro-life candidates by a two to one margin,” Fr. Pavone says. “Voters’ behavior on the abortion issue continues to be an advantage to our pro-life side as surveys show that the intensity of motivation for the pro-life side is stronger. Opinion polls also show that newer, younger voters are more pro-life and want to see abortion eliminated or more highly restricted.
Sign 9 – Legislation galore: Lawmakers have made great progress in recent years with the ban on partial birth abortion, and other laws such as the “Born-Alive Infants Protection Act” and the “Unborn Victims of Violence Act.” On the state level, many laws such as parental involvement laws, informed consent laws and abortion clinic regulation are in place and have been reducing the number of abortions. Lawmakers are making progress, Father says.
Sign 10 – Corruption uncovered: The corruption at the heart of the abortion industry is being exposed like never before. crimes inherent in this industry include medical malpractice, sexual abuse, injury and death that routinely occur in so-called “safe and legal” abortion clinics . . . What’s more, the abortion industry creates a safe haven for sexual predators. “What all this means is that the abortion industry is highly vulnerable to negative public opinion and to legal action having nothing to do directly with the legality of abortions,” Fr. Pavone says. “Clinics can be closed – and are closing – and abortionists being jailed for reasons having nothing to do with what people think about abortion … but rather for reasons related to malpractice, abuse, and other illegal activity.”
Fr. Pavone concludes by reminding us that “Above all else, the reason why we are winning the fight to end abortion is because we have already won! . . . Because of Christ’s Resurrection, death no longer has the final word in the human story.
“This means that the power of abortion – which takes more life than anything else – has also been broken. Our pro-life movement does not simply work for victory … we work from victory! Victory is our starting point!
“The labor is intense and the obstacles many. But we do not cower before the culture of death and wonder how we will ever overcome it. Rather, we stand before it with victorious confidence and declare:
“Begone! You have no room here! No place here!
No further authority to menace the human family.
Your Kingdom has been conquered and Christ reigns supreme!”
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