Decreases in Abortion Statistics May Not Be a Good Thing
As a pro-life advocate we praise God when learning about decreases in abortions from government statistics. We give thanks, because fewer abortions means more saved babies. Fewer abortions can also mean fewer women and men impacted by guilt and post-abortion stress years later. However, decreased abortion statistics may not be a factual indication of what is happening in America. There is a new unrecorded abortion statistic on the horizon.
With the introduction drugs such as RU486, Plan B, the Morning after Pill, and other names for medical abortifacients, abortions are happening without abortion clinic surgeries. Today, both surgically and medically produced abortions are legally available. An abortion is an abortion no matter if it is on a surgical table or at home through medical drugs. The problem lies in that both surgical and medical abortions blur when life begins, but there is no escaping of when life ends.
Dealing with the unavoidable physical and emotional consequences of an intentionally produced abortion (regardless of if it is surgical or medical) is inescapable. Many women and men, who have sought healing from past abortion choices, often years following their surgical abortions, vividly remember their physical and emotional experiences from that day.
Post-abortive healing and restoration ministries must adapt, understanding that women and men to whom they will minister are not likely to have had surgical abortions as much as medical abortions.
Those suffering from post-abortion stress following a medical abortion may have no memory of a physical experience other than taking a pill. On the surface it appears there are no connections between taking medical abortifacients and emotional costs. But that is not true. There are emotional aftermaths of taking medical abortifacients which parallel surgical abortions.
While not all medical abortions are successful and some women can face complications following medically induced abortions, the emerging message today is, “Abortions are easy. Just take a pill.” That sounds so simple to a scared teenager or a twenty something student. It is comparable to new apps to their cell phones. The truth is it is not so simple.
As our nation continues its abortion mindset, the pro-life movement must understand that statistics can be misleading, even if they sound good. Yes, we rejoice when hearing abortions are decreasing, but let us not be deceived. With the blurring of truth and medically induced abortions it is ever more important the message of “Abstinence Before and Faithfulness in Marriage” continues through pregnancy resource centers around the country. We need to both be ahead of the pregnancy and intercept an abortion mindset.
To eliminate abortions, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Rev. Rick Ligthart
PASS Executive Director
Thursday, January 20, 2011
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