Many anti-abortion crusaders say they are Christians but like pagan fertility worshipers they focus on eggs, embryos, and fetuses. As terrorists, their weapons are words, bloody signs and billboards, sniper rifles, and bombs. Their propaganda is so incessant I'm reminded of Edward Hunter's description of Communist "Brainwashing" techniques. I've witnessed them pumping out their propaganda at work, in a civic club, in the media, among family, along the highways, in a church yard, and even at an ice cream parlor. I've never heard them say what should be done about the men who are responsible for their part in unwanted pregnancies.
Below are some examples of the anti-abortionists' words and methods that I've witnessed. Some examples come from my work experience. Abortion is a sex-related, inappropriate topic for 'office' talk. My workplace must have been an exception. Maybe it was an anti-abortion clinic in disguise. Or maybe a lot of employees were members of 'Focus on the Fetus'.
"Abortion is just plain murder," said my boss of the 1980s.
For a Thanksgiving Day family reunion we had a traditional meal followed
by a fetus for
'dessert'. The fetus was via a relative's ultra-sound video and anti-abortion
lecture.
When asked why they were demonstrating, local anti-abortionists said
they were just doing
what they thought was right. (I got this third-hand, but the
alleged answer is ominous. It can be used to justify anything.)
A local newspaper carried a front-page picture of anti-abortion demonstrators
with three little
girls, each carrying a sign with the word "KILLS" in bold letters just
above each of their heads.
On I40 all the way from California to Texas we were passed by many trucks
with a LARGE
anti-abortion message on the back.
Along I20 in TX or LA a church billboard depicted a blood splattered
scene. At first I
wondered, "why a tonsillectomy?" Considering the bloody porn signs
anti-abortionists like to display, the billboard probably wasn't depicting
a tonsillectomy.
I was eating ice cream at a local 'slab' parlor when an anti-abortion
message and recruiting
plea for anti-abortion volunteers was included in the background broadcast
of religious music.
A relative, explaining the position of her church, told me that a woman
who gets an abortion
will feel awful for the rest of her life. Many religious groups seek
to ensure that outcome.
That's voodoo with words instead of pins being used to inflict pain.
I haven't had an abortion
but I'll feel awful for the rest of my life anyway, for having had
to listen to anti-abortionists.
In Nov. 2000, an anti-abortion, anti-Gore e-mail note I got, reportedly published in the "Orlando Sentinel", contained the words: homosexual, infanticide, feminist, socialist, low lifes, contempt, homosexualizing, feminizing, bootlicks, lies, corruption, lusts, criminals, contempt, infanticide, socialist, fascist, evils, evil, evil, evil, evil, murder, evil, evil, evil, malice, vindictiveness, evil, lies. The author also said, "I'm tired of character assassination." (I couldn't bring myself to include the author's words 'feminist' and 'feminizing' at first. For me they don't belong with the other words. On the other hand, for the author of the editorial they do belong .)
A Supreme Court Justice was quoted in the "San Francisco Chronicle" as saying that only a "callous" society would allow a late term abortion. However, my paternal grandmother and her newborn both died at birthing time, and I say that only a "callous" society would prohibit it.
Right after a doctor was assassinated a religious group used the occasion to release a statement. The headline said they disapproved of what had occurred, but the press release was all about their anti-abortion position, effectively validating the assassination. At the end, relegated to the place of least importance was a disclaimer of support for assassination.
Police were out in force when anti-fur demonstrators picketed on a highway
near a local mall,
whereas anti-abortion demonstrators picket in peace along local highways.
A state legislator says "...she has been praying about why she's a state
representative. She
thinks it might be to oppose abortion..."
An editorial from the "Washington Post" says you're a pro-abortionist
if you're not an anti-
abortionist.
A local editorial pointing at abortionists said there was big money in this for them. (I visualized three fingers pointing back at the anti-abortionists.)
An anti-abortionist church on a busy local street filled their front
lawn with crosses to represent aborted fetuses. (Or maybe the crosses
represented a desire to crucify Jesus a thousand times over for founding
the movement toward choice some 2000 years ago. *)
I've also witnessed instances in which abortion wasn't condemned. That doesn't change the fact that it's an inappropriate topic for chitchat.
At work an employee said it was 'interesting' that most anti-abortion
lawmakers are past child-
bearing age, for one thing.
At work a secretary tried to draw a supervisor into an anti-abortion
discussion. He responded
that in his opinion a woman who doesn't have available the resources
to raise a child should be REQUIRED to have an abortion.
In a civic club, in response to an anti-abortionist's comments, a member
said he didn't object
to a ban, but wanted to know who was going to pay for all the unwanted
children.
* In the time of Jesus women were property, hid their hair and faces,
mostly stayed indoors,
had to be escorted outdoors, were prohibited from getting an education,
were not allowed to
dine with men, were stoned to death for breaking the rules, etc., etc.,
etc. From that time, we
hear of some men who are dining together when a woman enters the room
with her hair down. She is committing a grievous offense and may be stoned.
The anti-abortionist predecessors of that era had to do what they thought
was right, and anyway to stone an upstart woman wasn't a big deal. BUT
WAIT, Jesus is among the diners, and under the stupendous force of his
presence a simple 'leave her be' is all it took to start changing the world.
This and other stories like it are part of the GOOD NEWS of Jesus. The
anti-abortionists will continue their terrorism and pass their laws, but
in the long run what Jesus started some 2000 years ago will prevail.