Pro-Life Update
January 2003
January 22, 2003 marks the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. We can sometimes be disheartened knowing that abortion is still legal after all these years. However, we must remember the advances that we have made while also reassessing the issues we face. For years now, the number of abortions have been decreasing. States have been passing Pro-Life incremental legislation, which is bringing our society closer to a Culture of Life. This has affected people’s views on abortion, which are becoming increasingly Pro-Life. Still, while making positive strides in the fight against abortion, medical technology constantly presents challenges. One example is in vitro fertilization, which has been used for years, and, although it is much more effective now, it still results in the death of many human embryos each year.
Pro-Lifers must continue to work hard to educate others about abortion, euthanasia, and biotechnology. During the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, many churches take the opportunity to host a Pro-Life Sunday. If you would like to bring Pro-Life literature to your church, log on to www.TexasRightToLife.com and print out the latest edition of the LifeLink. This educational insert can be used in a bulletin, worship guide, newsletter, bible study, Sunday school, on bulletin boards, or just as a conversation piece.
Please read this issue of the Pro-Life Update carefully to understand some of the challenges we now face and how you, as a Pro-Life activist, can help advance the Culture of Life. Please share this information with your family, friends and church congregations. Make copies. Spread the news.
Abortion Numbers Continue to Decrease
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (the research branch of Planned Parenthood), the abortion rate has declined again: Between 1994 and 2000, the overall abortion rate decreased by 11% to 1,313,300 innocent deaths. This translates to 21 abortions per 1000 women of reproductive age in 2000 (down from 24 per 1000 women in 1994).
This continual decrease is exciting. Our educational and legislative efforts are aimed at continuing this downward turn. Incremental legislation (e.g., a Woman’s Right to Know, Parental Notification, and the Child Custody Protection Act) seeks to lower the number of abortions and to help people realize that abortion is not a healthy choice for women. Minds are slowly changing, fewer women are having abortions, and our society is moving closer to our goal—a true Culture of Life.
Attitudes Become Increasingly Negative Towards Abortion
According to research conducted by Zogby International, a well-known polling firm, “More than one-fifth of Americans surveyed say they’re less in favor of abortion today than they were a decade ago—that’s nearly twice the number who say they’ve become more pro-choice.” Zogby conducted a poll of 1,009 people nationwide and 800 people in Erie and Niagara counties (New York) from November 12-14.
One of the most surprising and most exciting responses was from young adults between 18-19 years old. Most abortions are performed on women in this age group. When asked, “By law, in which one of the following circumstances should abortion be permitted?” only 22% said always. In contrast, 33% said abortion should never be permitted, and 30% said that they would tolerate abortion only in instances of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is in danger. That’s 63% of our young people who would ban about 95% of all abortions. These numbers are tremendously encouraging!
People overwhelmingly realize that abortion is not a positive option for women. When asked what they would advise “if a relative or close friend told you she was pregnant and wanted to get an abortion,” 67% said either “tell her abortion is wrong” (33%) or “advise against her decision” (35%). Only 19% of the respondents said that they would advise her to have the abortion “if she thinks it is right.” That is a 3.5 to 1 Pro-Life response!
More people are becoming Pro-Life and abortion is becoming a decisive voting issue. According to the Zogby poll, 13% of respondents said they will vote specifically for Pro-Life candidates, while only 4% will vote for pro-choice candidates. When asking about people’s dispositions, 27% said that they would favor a Pro-Life candidate (but still consider other issues), while just 19% would favor a pro-choice candidate (but still consider other issues). Only about one-quarter of the respondents said “abortion makes no difference to my vote.”
As more people become Pro-Life, more people will vote for Pro-Life candidates, who will then shape our government to truly promote a Culture of Life. We are slowly winning hearts and changing minds.
In Vitro Fertilization
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process that has long been accepted as a normal procedure to treat infertility; it accounts for almost 75% of all assisted reproductive techniques. However, the procedure results in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of embryos each year. During the in vitro fertilization procedure, a doctor takes eggs from a woman, sperm from a man, and then mixes them in a petri dish. Next, the doctor will take the fertilized eggs (tiny humans) and place them in the mother’s womb (hoping for implantation). Most often, doctors will fertilize several eggs (three on average). Even though the birth rates have increased greatly over the years (from 10% in 1985 to 30% in 1999), the majority of human embryos do not survive. 70% of those lives are lost—about 170,000 a year (in 1999). These numbers do not even include the thousands of embryos that are frozen or those who are destroyed through “selective reduction” (abortion) when too many embryos implant. While IVF may help couples bring new life into the world, it does so at a steep price—the lives of hundreds of thousands of children each year. This is yet another example of the medical establishment’s lack of respect for human life at its earliest stages.
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