Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

Today over at Life News, Sarah Terzo, a pro-life liberal who runs ClinicQuotes.com, a web site devoted to exposing the abortion industry, authored an aritcle entitled, "Woman Defending Her Abortion: My Unborn Baby’s Soul Agreed to be Killed."

Terzo writes, in part…

"There are many good reasons for pro-lifers of faith to familiarize themselves with secular reasoning against abortion. Christian pro-lifers often cite religious texts and doctrines to oppose abortion.

And while 'God hates abortion' may be a compelling argument for fellow Christians, we need to recognize that pro-choicers can use religion too. People’s interpretations of scripture differ, of course. And apart from scripture, 'my personal religious beliefs' can be manipulated by a creative person to justify practically anything.

I stumbled across an example of this in the book Our Choices, Our Lives: Unapologetic Writings on Abortion. I was reading the story of a woman who had three abortions. The woman, who gave her name as Chandra Silva, was a rape survivor who had her first abortion as a teenager when she was well into her second trimester.

Her baby, at this point, was highly developed.  Chandra describes the injection of prostaglandin, and the pain she experienced as her body tried to expel her child:

 I felt the need to use the bathroom when something started descending and my mother, who was trying to help me to the corner store style bathroom, kept forcing an orange bedpan underneath me. At one point, in desperation, I glanced between my legs and I saw a head. It was dark and bluish, and seemed to have little dark hairs. In that split-second instant there was a nurse on the floor searching between my legs. She was in a bit of panic herself, fumbling with gloves and clamps, then whisking away the bedpan contents.

Read the Rest of Terzo's piece here.   

 
While I do understand what Sarah is trying to get across, I think anyone who has experienced abortion would say that there is much more going on here than prochoice or prolife reasoning. There is the very real trauma of abortion!

Chandra obviously had a saline abortion during her second trimester of pregnancy. You wonder, why did she wait ? Since she was raped and so young did she even know she was pregnant? Was this first abortion something she really wanted to do or was she coerced? We really do not know, but judging from the circumstances I am sure it was a complicated decision.

I know all too well the trauma of a saline abortion and seeing your own child. After hours of labor you give birth to a dead baby. Countless numbers of women who have experienced this feel damned to hell with no way back, and so their behaviors reflect that which is their reality. Denial and rationalization become your companions, and thank God for them! In fact, according to the article, Chandra even says it. She "checks out"…the abortion "requires it," "desires it."

There is no way you can look at a traumatic abortion, especially one which is late term where you see your child, unless you first come to experience and know the love of God. It is impossible to survive otherwise.

In keeping with the theme, Sarah is right, Christian religious arguments are not going to work. The mantra is to avoid God at all costs. Someone already feeling damned to hell does not need reenforcement.

Instead of preaching about abortion being wrong because of God, we need to be a reflection of God and of His mercy and love. It is through this reflection that those who experience such a trauma aquire hope of healing and become able, little by little, to look at the reality of what has happened.

In the Gospel of Life, Blessed Pope John Paul II tells those of us who have experienced abortion: "… do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and His mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life. "

Lastly, it is never too late to reach someone like Chandra. I have been blessed to witness  countless times women who have spoken as she has turn to Christ and obtain His healing peace. No one is beyond God's grace.

So, maybe the question should be not if prolifers should speak of God and abortion, but instead that they reflect God's mercy and forgiveness and healing. If we do that, even the most hardened sinners are known to come home!

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Are you or someone you know suffering from the aftermath of an abortion? There is hope.  There is healing.  Visit the Lumina Website for more information.