“In the United States, where one half of all pregnancies are unintended, almost one third of women will seek an abortion by age 45.”
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

 

Today is the 15th annual Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity. In the United States, where roughly 3000 abortions are performed each day, the Day of Silent Solidarity was founded as a way for students to show support for these babies with no ability to speak for themselves.

Early on, this peaceful protest was limited to a relatively small number of college campuses, but it has now grown to a worldwide event. To observe the occasion, individuals commit to spending the day in silence at school, work, or wherever they’re out in public. Often they cover their mouths with red duct tape or wear red arm bands; many of them also choose to wear t-shirts with a pro-life message. When they’re approached with questions, they offer a flyer (like this one) explaining that their silence is a way of recognizing and honoring the thousands of innocent lives ended by abortion each day.

Each cross below represents one of the babies killed in this nation each day by abortion:

Since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion in 1973, more than 60 million babies have died in this country as a result. To put that in perspective, it is roughly the combined population of the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North and South Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the territory of Puerto Rico.

During World War II, Hitler and the Nazis murdered approximately 6 million European Jews. The Holocaust is rightly considered one of the great atrocities of human history — yet our nation has permitted ten times more babies to be aborted since 1973.

“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right.
A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice.
A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thankfully, the number of women seeking abortions has been declining in recent years. From a horrific 1.6 million performed in 1990 in the United States, current rates are the lowest since abortion was legalized. Researchers suggest a number of reasons for this, including more effective birth control methods, the efforts of pro-life organizations at raising awareness of the issue of abortion, a growing number of state regulations that restrict the procedure, and a decrease in the number of providers in many areas of the country.

One possible cause is the advance of ultrasound technology. Even as long as three decades ago, at the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) conference in 1989, pro-choice pollster Harrison Hickman told the audience that, “Nothing has been as damaging to our cause as the advances in technology which have allowed pictures of the developing fetus, because people now talk about that fetus in much different terms than they did fifteen years ago. They talk about it as a human being, which is not something that I have an easy answer how to cure.” There is evidence suggesting that ultrasound can help mothers decide to carry their babies to term, and it stands to reason that today’s 3D/4D technology is even more effective at this because the images so clearly show a baby, even at early stages of gestation.

Abortion proponents often argue the necessity of access for the “hard” cases, when they assert that it would be cruel to force anyone to remain pregnant. Among their examples: women who may suffer life-threatening complications from carrying a pregnancy to term; cases when doctors believe that serious (even fatal) congenital abnormalities are present in the child; or conception by victims of rape or incest. However, Human Life International has studied the incidence of these difficult circumstances, and the percentages are alarming:

• 0.36% –  abortions to save the life or health of the mother (5,200 per year)
• 0.24% – fetal birth defects (3,470 per year)
• 0.09% – cases of rape or incest (1,300 abortions per year)

This means that only 0.69% percent of abortions in the U.S. (or about 9,970 per year) can be attributed to all of the “hard cases” combined. Economic or social reasons — essentially, abortions sought by mothers who either do not want a baby or don’t believe they can financially support one — account for the remaining 99.31%. The extreme and sometimes tragic circumstances that are used to justify the absolute necessity of legal abortion make up a tiny minority of those performed each year.

Many of us don’t have a way to participate publicly in this annual event. Our kids may not be in school, and we may not work outside the home (or be employed in a place where wearing an armband or covering our mouths with duct tape would be permitted or effective). So how can we observe today’s Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity, and perhaps teach our kids a bit about the importance of ending legalized abortion? Here are a few suggestions:

• Read Bible verses that underscore the sanctity of life and have your children write them as part of today’s lessons. Suggested verses:  Genesis 1:27; Job 31:13-15; Psalm 22:10; Psalm 127:3-5; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 6:16-19; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Jeremiah 1:5. In our Resources Section you’ll find free, printable A Reason For Handwriting® Border Sheets, which are a great way to have your kids write out the verses and display them in your home.
• Yes, I have kids at home, so I realize that a full day without speaking may be impossible (especially for those with young ones). But ask your children to cooperate with you in having 50 minutes of silence — set a time, and at the end, explain to them that EVERY SECOND of the time that just passed in silence represents one of the 3000 babies killed in the U.S. each day through abortion.
• Older kids who are homeschooled may want to be silent for the full day, and spend time in prayer: for the pregnant mothers who are considering abortion, for those suffering through the aftermath of ending their child’s life, for pro-life groups working to change the laws in the U.S., for mercy on our nation and turning away from wickedness.
• Set recurring timers during the day, stopping each hour to pray as a family for an end to abortion in our nation. Then add it to your prayer list and pray regularly for abortion to cease.
• Contact your local crisis pregnancy center (use this helpful map to find one if you don’t know where the closest is) and find out their current needs. Many of them provide expectant or new mothers with free supplies like diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, diaper bags, crib sheets, and more. Chances are good that your local center has a “wish list” of items you may be able to help supply. Why not get your homeschool co-op or ladies Bible study involved? Pray for their ministry regularly, and consider volunteering and supporting them financially as you are able.
• There are currently between 250 and 300 abortion clinics in the nation, down from 851 just over a decade ago. Six states — Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and West Virginia — have only ONE in the entire state! If you live close to one of the remaining providers, pick a day to join the protesters outside and pray for the women entering the clinic. Or if you have very young children and aren’t able to be there for a long period of time, consider taking snacks (homemade cookies, bottled water, coffee or hot chocolate in colder months) to those who are protesting, to let them know that you support and appreciate their efforts.
• Follow pro-life organizations (there is a comprehensive list here) on social media, and share their posts on your own accounts. Sign up for their mailing lists, and as you are able, donate financially to help support one (or more) of these groups.
• Speak up … identify yourself as pro-life, and make it clear that you support overturning Roe v. Wade to make abortion illegal in our country. This might include sharing information on social media, wearing shirts with pro-life messages, or putting a bumper sticker on your vehicle. It definitely involves talking to your kids about the ugly reality of abortion, even though it can be a difficult conversation.
• I know many moms don’t have the time (or interest) to be heavily engaged in politics, but we CAN educate ourselves enough to be certain we vote for pro-life candidates. For me, personally, this is the single most important litmus test for any candidate. Whether it’s a local, state, or national election, I simply will not cast my vote for anyone who is not pro-life.
• You may have noticed a recurring theme among these suggestions, and it is the most important thing we can do: PRAY. The power of praying for our nation and for the end of the terrible toll of abortion cannot be overstated. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (I John 5:14)
  

 

Defend the weak and the fatherless;
    uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 82:3-4

 

Main photo credit: lunar caustic [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

---