Using Yahoo! Answers to Share Pro-Life Truth

Friends, please read this incredible post by Lucy to learn how you can help save more babies from the comfort of your own home.  This is one of the best ideas I’ve heard!

Guest Post by Lucy LeFever (originally posted at Live Action News & Opinion)

Want to save lives from where you are sitting right now? You can!

A few years ago, a post asking for help on a pro-life Facebook group caught my eye. A young girl considering abortion was seeking advice on Yahoo! Answers, and the person on Facebook wanted pro-lifers to respond. (For those of you unfamiliar with Yahoo! Answers, the website allows users to ask questions and receive answers from other individuals online.) Multiple people from the group responded and encouraged the woman to keep her baby. The effort paid off, and the girl chose life for her unborn child.

Though excited over one life saved, seeing the Yahoo! Answers question made me wonder how many other young women were looking for abortion advice online. A quick search for questions containing the word “abortion” gave me the answer: almost every half hour, someone used Yahoo! Answers to ask about abortion.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. If a girl chooses abortion in order to conceal the pregnancy from friends and family members, then she is unlikely to ask for abortion advice from those same people. Girls are left with a choice: braving the confusion of an unplanned pregnancy alone or seeking advice from strangers.

Since this discovery, I have answered abortion questions whenever possible. Often the results are depressing. The questioner never responds, or worse, she responds stating that she has opted for abortion. Occasionally, however, there is good news. A girl decides to go to a crisis pregnancy center rather than Planned Parenthood, or realizes that short-term discomfort is worth it for saving the life of her precious child. I still remember my excitement a couple years ago upon opening an e-mail that began, “You’re right. I do want to keep this baby.”

This is where you come in. Questions about abortion keep coming, and though I’ve noticed an increase in pro-life answers, many questions still go unaddressed. We need more pro-life individuals who will take the time to help these women. Are you willing to help?

First, create a Yahoo! account. (If you use any form of Yahoo! Mail, the account is the same. Users can also sign in with Facebook or Google accounts.) Next, go to Yahoo! Answers and search for questions containing the word “abortion.” Click on the button that says “newest,” and the most recent questions will appear. Choose a question, and start answering!

Obviously answers will vary, but below are some general guidelines to responding.

• Be personal.

Some pro-choice answers are incredibly generic and look like spam. They hardly answer the girls’ questions, but they are always anxious to direct her to the nearest Planned Parenthood clinic. Don’t follow their example. Respond conversationally, addressing any specific issues and needs that the questioner has discussed. If you are a student talking to another student, clarify that you understand how frightening an unplanned pregnancy would be at your age. If you have faced an unplanned pregnancy before, tell your story. Building credibility in a one-sided online conversation is difficult, but the more real your response, the better.

• Be positive.

Sadly, pro-life answers are sometimes limited to “YOU’RE A MURDERER!” or “If you have an abortion you will go to Hell!” Criticism of women in such a vulnerable and fragile situation does little to help. Speak the truth with sympathy, grace, and love. Replace condemnation with compassion, and offer help and advice to the girls who are in need rather than focusing on actions of their past. Remember that women who choose abortion are also victims of the abortion industry’s “no regrets” lie.

• Be patient.

Like with any pro-life activism, if you expect immediate results, you’re in for disappointment. But are months of discouraging results worth it to help save the lives of children and spare mothers from a life of regret? Absolutely.

Online counseling gives pro-lifers the ability to reach out to pregnant women before they ever set foot in the abortion clinic. Next time you are wasting time online, spend some time answering questions instead. Log out of Facebook. Take a break from laughing at memes. Pause the YouTube video. Drag yourself away from Pinterest. It could make the difference in a life-or-death decision.

Below are some websites that may be helpful when answering various questions:

Option Line

Life Issues Institute 4-D Ultrasound Images

Life Issues Institute Fetal Development Images

Students for Life

Rachel’s Vineyard

Silent No More Awareness

Beautiful Children

Children are an amazing gift…in whatever size, shape, form, or “quality of life” they come in.  Children teach us things we didn’t know about ourselves.  They teach us things about the world.  They show us beauty and delight in the smallest of things…like sometimes even a crumb on the floor.  Children take the time to laugh, to relax, to enjoy, and to smile.  If only each adult knew how valuable every single one of their own children are–born or unborn.  Let us continue to pray for our nation and for the world; until every child is loved, valued, and welcomed in law and in our hearts, we should never stop petitioning God for love to grow everywhere.

If you want to read the accounts of some beautiful children that show us how precious each life is, and how every child deserves to be protected, go here:

An adopted child speaks out years later as an adult:  http://liveactionnews.org/opinion/celebrate-life-through-adoption/.

The mother of a precious boy with spina bifida tells how he could have died at a doctor’s hand:  http://liveactionnews.org/medical/at-eight-months-my-doctor-said-he-would-absolutely-perform-the-abortion-for-me/”

My own daughter shows how natural it should be for us to protect and care for every child:  http://liveactionnews.org/opinion/and-a-little-child-shall-lead-them/

Want to share with me your own stories of beautiful children?  I’d love to hear your comments!

Division in Our Ranks

Sadly, division in the pro-life movement is all too common.  Instead of fighting against each other, we should be supporting each other where we can, and being quiet when we can’t.  There is plenty of room in the pro-life movement for each person or organization to focus on and work hard on their own strategy without wasting their time criticizing and critiquing all the other pro-lifers out there.  Will you join me in being a uniter instead of a divider?

 

I’ve just written a post for Live Action News on a simple strategy to cut division in our ranks.  Please read it, and share your thoughts with me.  I’d love to know other suggestions or strategies you have?  How can we work together and be positive instead of pulling apart?

Surrogate Mother Pressured to Have Abortion

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This is crazy.  Apparently, a surrogate mother is currently being pressured to abort her child by the adoptive parents.  The reason?  The baby has a cleft lip/palate and may also have a heart condition.  Cleft lips are EASILY corrected by surgery and should not even be considered a birth “defect,” in my opinion.  The major effects are clearly reversible.  In addition, many people live happy and fairly easy, healthy lives with a variety of heart conditions.

No parent should abort their child, but especially not for a horrible reason like this.  Reportedly, the surrogate mom is pro-life, but she definitely needs our prayers.  Read more here, and pray for strength for her and a choice for life.

Never Mind…DON’T Thank the Komen Foundation for Defunding Planned Parenthood!

Komen_12 (Photo credit: Tennessee State University)

UPDATE:  The Komen Foundation caved under pressure and the bullying tactics of Planned Parenthood and changed their decision to defund Planned Parenthood.  This, of course, is terrible.  Planned Parenthood should not be able to use mob-style tactics to force a grantor to give them funds.

On January 31st, the news broke that the Komen G. Foundation (Race for the Cure) has decided to break monetary ties with Planned Parenthood and stop giving them money.  This is incredible news!!  Of course, Planned Parenthood has stepped onto their bully pulpit as usual and is pounding Komen for their decision. Since when does a grantee attack a grantor for ending donations?!

Pro-lifers need to stand with Komen and thank them for defunding Planned Parenthood!  It’s very simple to send a short email, thanking Komen for their important, ground-breaking decision.

Send them an email–right now–here:  news@komen.org.

You can also sign a petition, thanking Komen here:  www.istandwithkomen.com.

Please take the time to do this.  We know that Planned Parenthood is having their supporters email Komen by the thousands.  While it’s virtually impossible for Komen to change their minds (based on a new rule their organization adopted), they still need to know that we stand with them.  Komen adopted a rule stating that they will no longer fund organizations who are being investigated at a local, state, or federal level.  Congress has a pending investigation into Planned Parenthood, and several states have ongoing investigations as well.  Planned Parenthood is a very corrupt organization that is on its way to an end.

For more information, read Jill Stanek’s inside scoop:  http://www.jillstanek.com/2012/02/inside-story-on-komen-split-from-planned-parenthood/.  You can also keep updated on Live Action’s blog:  www.liveaction.org.  Or, follow me on Twitter @KBurtonBrown.

Keeping Up on the Issue

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Have you ever thought that it’s pretty stinkin’ hard to keep track of everything that goes on in this world related to the pro-life issue?  I sure have!  Every day, it seems, new developments are occurring.  Happily, 2011 was one of the best years…if not THE best year…for pro-lifers since Roe v. Wade.  Many new pro-life laws were put states.  Congress held a vote to completely defund Planned Parenthood.  (Sadly, it didn’t pass this time around.)  Media attention is increasingly highlighting the pro-life issue.  The recent GOP presidential pro-life forum, televised by C-SPAN and live-streamed by CNN is evidence of this.

So, four ideas for you to keep up with all that’s happening in the pro-life movement:

1)  Subscribe to Google Alerts for news on “abortion,” “pro-life,” and “personhood.”  Any other term relating to the issue that you’d like to watch is fair game!  (Think Roe v. Wade, stem cell research, euthanasia, etc.)

2)  Visit Live Action’s blog every day–or at least once a week–to catch up on news you may have missed.  Live Action usually makes multiple posts by multiple writers every day!  It’s a busy place over there =)

3)  Sign up for Family Research Council’s annual ProLifeCon.  This is coming up on January 23, and it’s a webcast.  You can find out how to more effective in broadcasting the pro-life message from the comfort of your own home!  The speakers include pro-life pioneer U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, Dr. Gerard Nadal, Live Action President Lila Rose, and Michael Clancy–the photographer of the famous picture where little Samuel Armas reaches out from his mother’s womb to grab the doctor’s finger.  Sign up for the webcast here.

4)  Watch the video of the GOP pro-life presidential forum.  If you’re still undecided on who to vote for, this may help you make up your mind!  (Hint, hint, don’t vote for Mitt Romney.)  Here’s the link to the video.

Happy learning!  Happy researching!  And happy saving lives!!!  Through God’s grace, we ARE making a difference.  YOU are making a difference.  Keep it up.

Ready to Quit?

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Sometimes quitting sounds so good.  I mean, honestly, do you ever feel like you want to quit?  I know I’ve felt that way.  No matter how much I believe that unborn babies—and all human beings—are worth fighting for, it can seem too hard some days.  It sounds a whole lot easier to just lay down this burden we carry and let another take it up.  It would feel so nice to forget about all the evil we’re trying to stop.

Or would it?  Would we really feel good if we left the voiceless innocent in the dust?  We’re not just fighting for a good cause here.  We’re fighting for people who literally cannot stand up for themselves.  If we go away, they have no hope.  They can never speak up and protect themselves.

We cannot quit.  We cannot end our efforts.  It’s ok to admit discouragement, disappointment, and hardships.  It’s ok to feel overwhelmed.  But it’s not ok to give up or quit.  Too many lives depend on our commitment.

Still, a resigned attitude—Ok, ok, I guess I’m in this to stay because I have to be—isn’t the kind of attitude our movement needs.  Trust me, I’ve questioned exactly what God is doing before.  I’ve wondered why He doesn’t hurry up and end abortion.  But I’ve learned that people blame God for way too many things.  People have a free will; we have a choice.  And sadly, too many people use their choices to keep abortion legal.

I’ve also learned that faith in God and faith in truth prevailing isn’t about expecting a certain outcome exactly when we decide that it’s essential.  True faith is recognizing that God does indeed have a plan.  The victory over death was already won on the cross, centuries ago.  Sometimes God doesn’t ask us to fight to achieve victory.  He asks us to fight as a test of who we really care about and Who we really follow.  He uses us to save lives—whether it be one or countless many—in the process.  And one day, abortion will end.  That is a surety.

I believe we will see abortion end in our lifetime.  I believe we will see death’s doors close and accept no more children.  I believe we will see life valued.  I believe we will see society welcome babies as the precious little ones they are.  I believe there is hope.  I believe in a God Who works miracles.  I believe.

I’d challenge you not to overlook how you truly feel inside about working on the pro-life issue.  If you are rearing to go and out-of-your-mind excited right now, that is AWESOME!!  We need people to feel like that!  If you never get discouraged because you’ve already learned what faith and hope are, hang on to them!

But, if you do occasionally question the length of this battle; if you wonder what will happen one day; if you are asking if you really have the strength to keep trying—examine your heart.  Find out why you are really fighting.  Remind yourself of the truth you believe.  And picture all the nameless unborn children who cannot utter a single sound in their own defense.  I know that you, like me, do not want to leave them behind.

Doubt, discouragement, and hopelessness will attempt to plague most of us.  But we have the choice to reject these monsters and send them back to the pit where they belong.  We can make the choice for hope.  We can choose Hope itself in Christ, Who first came to earth as an unseen unborn Child.  We can choose to believe.  We can choose the attitude of faith.

Doubt sees the obstacles,
Faith sees the way!

Doubt sees the darkest night,
Faith sees the day!

Doubt dreads to take a step,
Faith soars on high!

Doubt questions, “Who believes?”
Faith answers, “I!”

–Author Unknown

 

Visit Me at Live Action!

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Hey Friends!

Just wanted to let you know that I very recently started blogging over at Live Action!

Live Action was started as a youth-led movement by Lila Rose when she was just 15.  To date, she and her team have conducted many investigations of Planned Parenthood.  Her work is quite famous–in fact, if you look her up on YouTube, you’ll see plenty of media videos about what she’s done.  You’ll also learn about many of Planned Parenthood’s lies in the process.

I’m excited to join their team of bloggers over there, and hope that you will check it out often.  Live Action keeps their blog VERY updated with current news, real-life stories, and up-to-date opinions on the pro-life issues.

Here’s a link to my first blog post over there:  “Terms of Life and Death“.  Let me know what you think!  And don’t worry, I’ll still be blogging here as well =)

Merry Christmas!

Kristi

An Unborn Child Was the First…

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As we approach Christmas and the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I’d like to point you to an incredibly touching article.  It was written by the father of a little girl with Down’s Syndrome.  As this father writes, his precious daughter “belongs to a group of unborn children who are indentified, targeted and eliminated prenatally at a rate of 90+%.”

Most of us probably know at least one person with Down’s Syndrome.  There is absolutely no reason in the world why they should be targeted for death.  They are precious, precious people, who have an amazing capacity to give love.

What does it say about our society that 90+% of people who are about to have a baby with Down’s Syndrome abort that baby?  We can only keep “perfect” babies?  And what is the definition of perfect, exactly?  Clearly, we have our definitions wrong.

As this father poignantly points out, the very first person to recognize Jesus was an unborn child.  Here is what he says: “Elizabeth was carrying her unborn child John the Baptist when Mary who was pregnant with Jesus visited her. Unborn John immediately leaped in Elizabeth’s womb upon hearing Mary’s voice. The unborn son of Elizabeth recognized the unborn baby Jesus in Mary’s womb, and he was so very excited and overcome with joy that he jumped in Elizabeth’s womb! This is an absolute incredible documentation of an event by the gospel writer and physician Luke who was known for his attention to detail. The first person to truly recognize and celebrate…the One who would wash away our sins and lead us to our permanent home in heaven was an unborn child — what eternal wisdom! John was clearly thinking and understanding the magnitude of the situation when he recognized Jesus, and as an unborn child he could not control himself.”

To finish the article…and I hope you do…go here:  http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/kondrich/101222.

In the meantime, let’s remember to celebrate ALL life, for every SINGLE life is truly a precious and PERFECT gift.

Suffering From a Culture of Convenience

This morning, I read an excellent article about the effects of abortion on women, men, and other family members.  The author is correct when she recognizes that abortion has a ripple effect.  Not only does it end the life of an innocent human being; it also does major damage to the lives and relationships of many others…the mother, sometimes the father, a friend who encouraged the abortion, parents who were “almost-grandparents”, siblings who lost a brother or sister…the list goes on, as Jane Brennan points out.

I’d encourage you to read her poignant article, sharing her personal experience here:  http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/understanding-the-post-abortive-woman-11568765.html

Here is an excerpt of what Jane shares:  “The pain of abortion is a pain many women continue to suffer in isolation or silence. I recently compiled a book of women who have chosen abortion, and in their stories I see the same sorrow, pain, agony and guilt I felt that so often gets unreported amid the jumble of political rhetoric focused on rights. In one story, Marie shares: The despair deepened and turned quickly to depression. I remember sitting in the bathroom during a break at my summer job, seriously considering suicide. I could just take one of these box-cutters from the back room-end it all. Right here. Right now. “

Jane gives hope for healing to women who have already chosen abortion.  And to those who are on the brink of making their choice, she has some thoughts that cannot go unread.  For example:

“Today’s world is all about comfort, it’s all about “me.” Our society has convinced us of the “inconveniences” of life and that we need not endure them. Yet, I and so many others have learned that “inconvenience” builds character and makes us stronger. In fact, these “inconveniences” can even be better for us than the alternative.”

I agree wholeheartedly with Jane that we suffer from a culture of convenience.  Because we are often so busy looking at what we want in the here and now, we forget to have faith for the unseen blessings ahead.  Since we cannot see our unborn child, we choose to believe they must not be a real person.  The women who accidentally see the arms, legs, and heads of their aborted children after abortion are usually devasted for life.  Choosing convenience is weak.  Choosing to break out of our circumstances, even when it seems that we can’t, is a strong choice.  Strong women are built by hard choices that care for others.  Once we are pregnant, we have a duty to care for the small life developing under our heart.  Choosing life may be hard, but it is the best choice for everyone involved…

Here are resources to help women who have already had an abortion and for those who are pregnant and looking for help:

Post-Abortive Women:

• Motherhood Interrupted by Jane Brennan  Info on ordering it is here:  http://janeatmotherhoodinterrupted.blogspot.com/
• http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/  This is absolutely EXCELLENT!!

Women Needing Help to Continue Their Pregnancies:

• http://www.standupgirl.com/
• Find a local pregnancy center:  http://www.optionline.org/get-help/
• 101 Reasons Not to Have an Abortion:  http://www.101girlsguide.com/uploads/101_Reasons_Not_To_Have_An_Abortion.pdf

Note:  Some of these sites/resources claim that abortion or emergency contraceptives (chemical abortions) are options for women.  I disagree.  It should never be an option for us to intentionally kill an innocent little person.  However, these sites will point you to good resources and help in keeping your baby or choosing adoption.

MOM and BABY (istolethetv via Flickr)