Friday 20 April 2018

Love Mum, Love Baby

"It has never been a more dangerous time for the unborn child on the island of Ireland." 
These are the words of Lord David Alton a pro-life advocate. Now I am not on some sort of crusade but I am entitled to my view, and I tend to agree with him. A yes vote in the referendum in the Republic of Ireland on 25th May to repeal the eighth amendment would take away the rights of the unborn child. The law in Northern Ireland only allows termination of pregnancies for the purpose of preserving the life of the mother. There are those who wish this to be changed and brought into line with the rest of the UK. If the Assembly at Stormont does not get up and running soon, Westminster will probably change the law. Hence the truth in Lord Alton's statement.


It never ceases to amaze me how people can refer to the unborn child as 'just a clump of cells' and say 'just get rid of it.' It seems like it's not a baby when it is not wanted but it is a baby when it is wanted.

May I suggest that you take time to educate yourself about the details of what really happens in the abortion processes. Look at some of the explicit images of what it means for the unborn child to have to suffer an abortion. Then, tell me if you can honestly say that it is morally right. Don't take life for granted. Abortion does not necessarily bring health, happiness and the ability to conceive when you wish.

I am pro-life but I recognize that, sadly, there are a minority of times when a pregnancy has to be terminated in order to save the life of the mother. In such cases the mother needs love, care and support as she grieves the death of her child.

I came across this quotation on Facebook and I thought I would share it with you in this blog: 
"Being pro-life doesn't mean only campaigning until the referendum. It means fighting for the the pro-life movement until we have adequate resources for women in crisis pregnancies, until we have easily accessible adoption agencies, until we have more funded care for children with life limiting conditions and their families. Being pro-life doesn't stop on May 25th. It stops when we have a country where women don't feel so oppressed that they think abortion is the only option. That is what being pro-life means." (Caoimhe Lynch, NUIG student)
It is lovely to see that there are many young people who are not afraid to stand up for the life of unborn children. I think Caoimhe aptly sums up alternatives to abortion. Those in crisis pregnancies do need love, respect and even practical support but they do have other alternatives to abortion. Also, sometimes they need the support of someone they can trust who is not judgmental but who will encourage them to carry the pregnancy through.

Remember there are some strong women who choose adoption for their child rather than abortion. I am the mother of two beautiful adopted children, Isaac and Jemima. They are now young adults but if they had been aborted, the world would have missed out by never having their wonderful contributions to life....and Adrian and I would have missed out on so much love and joy. So, I can wholeheartedly say that adoption is a better option than abortion.

Yes, we need adequate resources and  practical support for women in crisis pregnancies. Yes, we do need sensitivity and funded care for those with life limiting conditions and their families.


The above photo was taken at a pro-life event which the Both Lives Matter organization held here in Dungannon on Tuesday 17th April, 2018. It was poorly attended but I am not passing judgement on anyone's reasons for not attending. It was an informative evening through which they emphasized that the lives of both mother and baby are precious and matter.

Something more: While I am unashamedly pro-life, I do recognize that there are those who are suffering from guilt and the consequences of abortion. Mothers particularly need loving care and support after the trauma of abortion but do not forget fathers are affected too by abortion. Loving counselling needs to be readily available for all those affected.

When I think of anti-abortion examples, there are two people who immediately spring to mind: Andrea Bocelli the Italian singer whose mother refused to abort him and Gianna Jessen who survived an failed saline abortion. She is an American pro-life and disabilities activist. Listen to their stories online.

The Bible tells us that love does not rejoice in iniquity but love rejoices in truth (1 Cor 13v6). I do not rejoice in the iniquity of murdering unborn children. I do rejoice in the truth that when mothers go through with their pregnancies, their children can be a great blessing as they live out their true potential in life.

Say NO to abortion. May this whole island of Ireland continue to be a safe place for the unborn child!
Rhonda