Pro-Life Movement Thrives, But Not In Canada

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Today is Day 32 of “40 Days for Life“,  an international campaign aimed at overturning abortion through peaceful demonstrations, awareness and prayer. Now this organization doesn’t get much press in Canada, but down south it’s a real powerhouse and is making a difference. But Canada is in fact a “land without restrictions” with respect to abortion. In Canada abortion is completely legal, at any stage of pregnancy for any reason. Minors do not need parental consent and most parents don’t know this. Take Ontario for a shocking example – 37% of babies are aborted each year!

Prime Minister Harper says he’s not revisiting the Abortion Issue, among other things, when he is re-elected. Our government is currently preoccupied with economic conservatism, and by all appearances, has left some crucial social issues “by the wayside”. This may be in part due to a popular but mistaken opinion that these issues are closed and final and that revisiting them will produce nothing but conflict. I think the issue is anything by closed and final. One only has to google “pro-life” to see a great deal of news and activity on the issue. But you may notice as quickly as I did that the buzz is all down south. Once again we look to our southern neighbors for an example of how to conduct ourselves as an aspiring, Conservative nation.

Simply put, abortion rights in America are under heavy fire. There is a powerful and growing movement to overturn pro-abortion laws and “illegalize” (if I may coin a phrase) certain aspects of it. Here follows a list of the progress in the States:

There is  a new initiative, a new legislation, spreading throughout the States right now called the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection” Act. This Bill just was just passed by the Idaho House and Senate is expected to be approved by the Governor. Similar legislation was also passed by the Oklahoma House and Senate and approved by their pro-life governor. This “first-of-its-kind” bill originated in Nebraska. Many other similar initiatives are moving forward in other states, all based on the same facts – that at 20 weeks a fetus can feel pain as real as any a born person can and that suffering gratuitous pain, especially in the context of a heinous and brutal murder – abortion, is unacceptable. You just need to look at a few images of an abortion to understand how brutal and horrible it is.

Phoenix, Arizona and Delaware are also passing laws that place restrictions and limitations on abortions and the facilities that provide them. Delaware has introduced legislation that would require parental consent for minors seeking abortions. In Oregon, the State Legislature is currently conducting hearings over laws to ban abortions of unborn babies who are capable of experiencing pain. The Oklahoma House of Representatives just passed a ban on abortions after 20 weeks. And there are other similar examples in South Dakota and Florida.

Even the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to cut funding to Planned Parenthood whose clinics provide abortions (among other things).

This “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection” Act has fired up a national debate. Suddenly, it is not about whether the fetus is a legal and protected entity. This legislation circumvents the prejudice held by pro-choice advocates and attacks the issue at a primal root – pain. Everyone can agree: no one likes pain, no wants to experience it and if there are plenty of organizations protecting animals and trees from pain than why can’t we protect “human tissue” that feels pain.

But all is not lost in Canada on this issue; it’s just not front page material at this point, especially since Canada is not engulfed in a battle over abortion. However, to their credit, the Harper government did oppose funding for abortion in their G8 health initiative for developing countries.

What will it take to raise an outcry against abortion loud enough for our politicians to hear and do something about? Action – definitely, prayer – most certainly. And also reading the article below – it should be hard to read. Canadians need to know this and do something about it!

Abortion statistics show reality of a land without restrictions – National Post.