LifeTOUR in Ottawa

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Last Saturday night in Ottawa, LifeTOUR presented a compelling case for protecting preborn children. Despite an exhausting traveling schedule and very little sleep, the three speakers were able to engage the audience, and at least one person who arrived pro-choice became pro-life when she realized what ‘choice’ actually involved.

First Andre Schutten of ARPA Canada presented the legal history of abortion in Canada, reminding us that the preborn are complete, unique, living human beings. He also pointed out how important it is to accept that they are legally persons. History shows that when a class of human beings is denied the legal rights of personhood, dreadful things can happen, the most chilling examples being that of blacks in the Southern US and Jews in Nazi Germany.

Next Maaike Rosendal of the Canadian Center for Bioethical Reform discussed the effectiveness of using graphic photography of abortion victims. These images are unsettling, as was her detailed description of certain forms of abortion. But Maaike did not apologize for exposing these horrors, pointing out that, ‘It isn’t tragic when women see these pictures; it is tragic when they do not see them soon enough.’ Sharing her experiences while displaying these photos throughout North America, she spoke about the effectiveness of engaging the culture by telling truth in love. It is all, she said, about eliminating suffering without killing sufferers, and it was evident that she is full of compassion for everyone involved.

Finally Mike Schouten of We Need A Law presented the three aspects of the current Canadian abortion situation that the majority of Canadians feel very strongly about:

• Late and full-term abortions, which are currently allowed in Canada.
• Sex selection abortions, which are currently allowed in Canada.
• Legal protection for unborn victims of crime, which currently does not exist in Canada.

He also discussed what the average individual can do to make a difference.

Is the LifeTOUR presentation effective? Yes, when facts are presented with compassion, people change. This has been shown over and over. So, if at all possible, attend a LifeTour meeting when it arrives in a community near you. Advertise the meeting. Take along some pro-choice friends. Learn the facts so you will be able to share them.

For resources to help you talk about these issues, write letters to the editor, or otherwise catalyze change, see the LifeTour website.

Please pray for the LifeTOUR team, that they may remember that ‘the Lord is near’ and experience what that means. For them, and for us all, this was explained beautifully in a sermon on Philippians 4:4-7.

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Note: If you have had an abortion and regret it, or if you face a difficult pregnancy and are considering an abortion, please visit one of the many pregnancy distress centers for compassionate and practical support. To find these centers, Google ‘pregnancy distress’ and the name of a nearby city. Help is available, and there are people who care.

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Some of my other articles on this topic:

• One Flag for Each Canadian Baby Aborted Each Year
• Defending Life: Let Us Not Become Weary in Doing Good
• Some ways to become involved.
• The effects of abortion on the mother, with two links to blog posts by women who have had abortions as well as a short booklist.
• A review of Cradle My Heart:  Finding God’s LOVE after Abortion, Kim Ketola’s comforting book for post-abortive women.
• A review of Unplanned, the story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director, who became pro-life after watching an abortion on ultrasound.

Disclosure:  I do not work for any of the organizations mentioned, am not compensated for this blog post, and have expressed my own opinions.