SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Answering Tough Questions
"On the parable of the Good Samaritan: I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
They say knowledge is power. And that’s probably true. But what to do with that acquired power? Do we use it for good? Do we harness the power and constantly strive for more knowledge so we can do even more good?
Or is a little knowledge enough to scare us into inaction? In that quote at the top of this page we see the choices made with a little knowledge. Do we think about how it could affect us if we act or how it could affect the victim if we don’t?
We know abortion kills innocent living humans. But some still walk away, maybe afraid of what might happen to them? Maybe they are afraid of questions. Tough questions.
In this page we’ll give you answers to those tough questions. The young leaders on our team have chosen to act positively and with conviction on what they know is true. You are welcome to join us.
Dangers Of The Abortion Pill
Our team's medical advisor presents some potentially unknown dangers of "the abortion pill" in this five minute video. It's important to follow the advice from Ashley Klein, RN, BSN, MMCP, to perform due diligence on this vital topic.
As parents, it is our duty to ask questions and make sure we are not abdicating our responsibility to protect our children from harm.
"What Are We Gonna Do About That?"
Our video today is a little bit longer. About ten minutes, roughly 1/3 of a television sitcom. Autumn gives us five questions we should be asking every person who says they are "pro-choice."
Our mission is to love, serve, share truth. We share truth by asking in a calm, caring manner if people really understand what is happening?
But I think we should all also turn these questions inward and ask ourselves as "pro-life" people the same questions. Sometimes on both sides of this life issue, we don't know what we don't know.
"If It's Labeled As Healthcare, It Must Be Fine"
Attaching the label "healthcare" to anything is an easy way to make it seem okay. After all, what rational, caring person could be opposed to healthcare? But here's the thing. Simply labeling something doesn't make it so.
In this installment Emily Albrecht gives us some straight up truth about what we just assume to be something it really isn't when we take a closer look.
"The Bible Doesn't Mention Abortion"
In this installment, Emily Albrecht discusses the reference or lack there of, of the term "abortion" in the bible. The subject of abortion is a secular issue, but religion is often brought into the debate in an effort to muddy the waters.
And the consistent inconsistency of "major religions" in what their representatives say about caring for those who can't care for themselves when compared to what those same representatives actually do for those same people adds more strength to this flawed argument about the bible message.
"No Uterus? No Opinion!"
In this installment, we'll go over an argument I've gotten and many other guys who stand for life at all levels have faced if they have been in the pro life movement for any time at all. "No uterus. No opinion." Those who use this retort are right on one count. I will never know what it's like to be pregnant. But if we believe that the unborn have the same equal rights as anyone already born, then we cannot remain silent when we see something that is clearly wrong. This isn't just an abortion stance. Anywhere in our lives if we see things that are wrong and just remain silent or walk in the other direction, we are almost as guilty as those who commit the wrong actions. In this very short video Emily explains how to answer this tough question. This is the answer we teach to our own team members. We teach it because it is true and should be easy to understand. We also teach our team that we don't want to be the group that sees injustice and runs home to pray, "Please God, send someone to help that poor person." Because we know He already did. And we went the other way. Our team runs toward the problems.
A Personal Story
Dispelling The Myth That "More Birth Control Will Eliminate The Need For Abortion."
Our presenter in this video is Emily Albrecht. She has been featured on several national media outlets, providing sound answers to tough questions.
She has graciously given up some of her valuable time in the past to help me with our own student-led Protect Life Team here in the Pewamo area.
Please give Emily about five minutes of your time to watch the short video just below..
Miscarriage False Messaging
In this block we'll shed some light on a despicable tactic used by the forces who profit from abortion in their hope to confuse people. I could write pages on this type of evil false messaging that seeks to equate the sad loss of a child in miscarriage with the intentional killing of a child in abortion facilities.
But we'll let Autumn give you the facts in this short video.
Don't Ever Use "The Beethoven Theory"
It's important to know what to say to people about the tough questions surrounding abortion. But it's also important to know what not to say. Avoid "the Beethoven theory" because it takes focus off the two most important points. It is always wrong to kill an innocent living human, and in nearly every case, abortion kills an innocent living human.
This is how it goes from very well-meaning people who recognize that human lives are ended by abortion. They begin with some sad scenario where the parents are facing medical issues, are buried in debt, and are staring at monumental challenges in their lives. Another child will only add to those burdens. Our well-meaning pro life person will say something like, "What if this unborn child could have grown up to find the cure for cancer?” They might continue with, “What if abortion was readily available when Beethoven’s mother was pregnant? What if she couldn’t afford another child? The world would have missed the genius of Beethoven.” This opens the door for the abortion industry loyalist to ask us another question. They will present an example of a monster from history and ask “What if his mother had access to abortion? Many people would have been spared from his violence.” Everywhere, it is always morally wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human person. Whether they might grow up to be a genius or a morally questionable individual is not the criteria for deciding if it is acceptable to kill them in the womb. We don’t know how anyone will turn out or what they will contribute to the world before they are born. Using the Beethoven theory only gives oxygen to distractions from the facts which are, it is always wrong to kill innocent living humans and nearly every abortion kills a living human. Here is part of a column from the New York Post, written in 1982. This will give you an example of how we can unknowingly open the door to media confusion. It was title “Lost Genius.” “Lost Genius And so we live in a world denied its rightful geniuses, and it is sad how wantonly we squander them, and it's good to have the antiabortionists reminding us of how cavalierly we ignore the genius shortage. I am sorry they can't get beyond Beethoven though and persuade people to mourn for all the great composers, writers, artists and statesmen who would have made the world so much more beautiful and wise but whose names we will never know because their mothers or potential fathers were terminated suddenly by bullets, bombs and bayonets. On the other hand, thinking too powerfully along these lines leads to moral dilemma. Of course abortion is sad when it leads Mother Beethoven to deny us Ludwig. But suppose it is Mother Hitler denying us Adolf? Genius, alas, also has its dark side.” Remain calm and stick to those two facts. There is little debate about the humanity of the unborn anymore. There is still plenty of debate about the moral value of the unborn.
"You Are Just Pro-Birthers!"
This is what they call us when they either don't know the truth or don't want to admit it to themselves
Leveling The Playing Field
Let's follow up on the video in the section just above this block. Emily Albrecht gave us great information about pregnancy centers and how they provide services for families far beyond the birth of their children. That effort to care for families after birth is a common distraction argument used by the abortion industry voices and parroted by people who don’t know the truth or don’t want to acknowledge that truth. “You pro-lifers are only concerned about babies before they are born.” That isn’t true, but even if it was there is an important point to made here. No one tells organizations that work tirelessly to raise funds to find a cure for cancer that they should also be raising money for Alzheimer’s disease research. No one protests outside soup kitchens, proclaiming that volunteers should also work to provide better medical care for people in need. Our own Protect Life team is built to support families before and after birth. Part of our strategy is because of the wide age range of our team. Part of it is to light a fire in the area to encourage material support to pregnancy centers and organizations that support people who need help. We also teach how to provide the truth about what is really going on in the abortion industry and how to offer compassionate support. We’ve made this choice because it is the best way for us to defend life. All life. There are very good organizations that specialize in teaching the best ways to communicate facts. There are also very good groups who specialize in counseling post-abortive people who are struggling with the pain of a past abortion. There are also doctors who specialize in finding cures for disease. No one shouts that they only care about research and need to be out in the field actually caring for disease-stricken people. There are terrific groups who specialize in raising funds for worthy causes. No one accuses them of ignoring the needs of the actual people. The playing field isn’t level. In the 20’s and 30’s there was a eugenics movement led by elitists who sought to dictate who should be worthy of having children and which children should be eliminated. That all centered around two things. Money and power. It hasn’t changed. The playing field isn’t level now because the same is still true. No one denies that the unborn are human. But many have decided they might not be convenient or necessary. It is a sorrowful fact that it is easier to change the narrative in their own minds to rationalize the truth they know deep down. They are ending the lives of innocent living humans. But abortion is big business. Money and power.
Understanding "My Body-My Choice"
When pro-life people try to respond to the "My Body-My Choice" argument we often miss the mark. Sometimes we ask them about the child? "What about the other body? They don't get a choice to live!"
The problem with that response is that the "humanness" of the child is rarely debated anymore. That old argument is dead because the science is clear.
When pro-abortion people use "My Body-My Choice" they are stating that anything involving their own body is their choice. This is called "The Sovereign Zone View."
In this short video Emily addresses this topic. She also points out some things that could be labeled as "extreme", but please follow the whole video. You'll see that what we warned about in Prop 3 in the last election in Michigan is coming true now.
Dispensing abortion pills without a doctor involved, deregulating safety standards for abortion facilities, cutting parents out of the decisions of their minor children.
Follow the money to find the truth.
What About In The Case Of Rape?
What about in the case of rape? This is the most difficult subject for anyone in the pro-life world. It’s the question that causes many to stay on the sidelines. It is also the go-to argument for abortion supporters because it does two things. It places them in the position of casting the pro life side as ignoring the violence inflicted on the victim. And it puts the pro-life people on the defensive. The statistic is straight-forward. Rape accounts for only 1% of all abortions. But it is an irrelevant statistic. We never say “Rape accounts for only 1% of abortions.” Not ever. For the person who was attacked and for her family, the crime means everything. And that is the most important part. The person attacked was the victim of a terrible crime. Three important Points Right from the start we need to be very clear that the person who was raped is our primary focus. She did nothing wrong. We want to help her in every way we can. Every person I know who has had an abortion can recite the date of that abortion. Every person who was victimized by criminals in any manner can tell us exactly when the crime occurred. Our role in this situation is to offer an alternative to another act of violence on an innocent human. She was innocent when she was raped. And the child who was conceived during this violence is also innocent. Abortion will not take away the pain of rape. Next we need to be clear that the attacker must be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. No one is in support of the rapist. We cannot skip over the fact that a violent crime has been committed. Our full support is with the victim, the woman who was raped. And then there is the child. If there was no child, there would be no abortion. But there is a child. His manner of conception was not his choice. A child conceived in rape is no less human than any other child. Assigning Value There is no scientific difference between a child with two married parents and that of a child conceived because his mother was violently attacked. If we saw a child struggling in the water and knew she was conceived in rape, we wouldn’t turn away or decide she didn’t have a right to be saved. We don’t assign value based on circumstances. Or at least we shouldn’t. This is a hard conversation for sure. Abortion supporters are able to speak with passion and often in anger as they paint us as non-caring toward the victim and only concerned about that unborn child. Be calm and compassionate as you let them speak. When they are done, calmly share these three important points. It’s important to keep it as a conversation and not a loud debate. The attacker should be caught and prosecuted. The victim did nothing wrong and deserves our full support. The child who is now there because of this violence also did nothing wrong and deserves our full support. We want to offer the victim another option that doesn’t involve a violent end to another innocent living human. You should recognize that in some cases, minds will not be changed. This is such an emotion-filled subject with so much pain inflicted on not only the victim, but also those closest to her. We show them that we support them and we stand ready to help whenever they allow us the opportunity. You can get this message across if you place yourselves in their spot. What would make you listen? What would give you some small easing of the hurt?
Changing The Words To Soften The Impact
Sometimes the words are changed to soften the impact. If the human element is removed, it seems more antiseptic, more "clinical."
Medical abortions involve a series of drugs. The clinical term often used is "uterus evacuation." This eliminates any human connection. From the pro-life side the same procedure is known as terminating the life of a child. Even though that child is still in the body of his or her mother.
Surgical abortions are also used for a second trimester abortion. Although there is a movement now to refer to this as an "abortion procedure." Using the word "surgical" can infer risk. Risk is bad for business.
Following this page, we've posted an animated video that illustrates the very straight-forward description you will read in the next paragraph. I caution you that even in animated form, the video is eye-opening.
According to an article from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, "After achieving adequate dilation and administering analgesia and sedation or anesthesia, D&E is accomplished by aspirating the amniotic fluid and removing the fetus with forceps through the cervix and vaginal canal.
Usually disarticulation (or dismemberment) occurs as the physician delivers the fetal part grasped in the instrument and pulls it through the cervix. A final suction curettage is often performed to ensure that the uterus is completely evacuated.
Intact D&E is a variation of D&E that requires more advanced cervical dilation, usually achieved over several days. The procedure involves the removal of the intact fetus except for possible decompression of the calvaria... The intact D&E procedure is preferable in certain cases, such as when preservation of fetal anatomy is desired."
Words That Make It Seem ...Not So Bad
"Uterus Evacuation"= This means the child is removed from the child's mother. Sometimes in pieces.
"Calvaria"= This is the child's skull. "Decompression" means that skull might have to be crushed by a specific tool designed to break and tear away body parts. As we learn from the next video, the surgeon knows he did this part correctly when white fluid oozes out. This is the child's brain.
"Fetal demise"= A dead baby.
Do those clinical words make you feel better? Or are you ready now to be that voice for the pre-born?
Based in the Pewamo and Westphalia area of Michigan
Providing servant leadership from Lansing to Grand Rapids MI
Phone
616 308-3282