Last Post on Abortion Imagery

I apologise to anyone I've offended over the abortion images blog posts. When I wrote about it, the first one at least, I was under the general impression that this simply wasn't a Catholic kind of imagery used outside abortion clinics and that Catholic pro-life vigils were on the whole a bit more gentle and cautious than the more controversial style of Abort 67.

Ironically, Abort 67 are depicted by the media as bringing an 'American style' approach to abortion protesting, but from what I hear and see of US vigils on the internet, images of aborted fetuses are not a common feature of pro-life work in the US anymore. Therefore, to anyone I have offended, I apologise. Because I have never seen Catholics using such imagery in this country, I was genuinely surprised by the mixed response to the post. I did it once with Abort 67 - a definitively not Catholic organisation - and really didn't feel right about it afterwards, but that's a reflection on my personal experience. Having stood outside an abortion clinic in front of graphic images of aborted babies while trying to give out leaflets women walked into the clinic and came out - some in tears - I honestly felt not quite right about it afterwards. I felt morally justified but I didn't feel 'right' though I do acknowledge and do know that pro-life vigils are not about me.

Readers are, I hope, aware that the images of the type used by Abort 67 have not been a feature of British anti-abortion protests in the recent past and it is genuinely still quite a 'new thing' on the pro-life scene. It has certainly helped to keep abortion in the public eye, that's for sure. Like I said, I admire anyone who is willing to stand up in the public square for the unborn. They are certainly giving a voice to the voiceless and standing in defence of the weak and defenceless unborn. In terms of freedom of speech, it wouldn't be just for the Government to compel the group to cease, but I won't be terribly surprised if they do - even though that would be wrong. The fear I expressed was that the publicity generated by Abort 67 could bring in legislation to stop them, but that legislation would not be limited to the actions of this one group - but all - whether they use such images or not.

I'm not completely convinced that when during the Aztec period, human sacrifices were performed and children sacrificed up to pagan idols, people of the time were 'not aware' of the 'full implications' of what they were doing. I think their beliefs made them feel justified in what they were doing even though what they were doing was contrary to love and the natural law. I'm convinced that most women who have abortions have an awareness that what they are doing is morally wrong - that it involves the snuffing out of a human life - but I think that much like the times of the Aztecs converted to the One True Faith by Our Lady of Guadalupe, the idols of the age give to those women a belief that the choice to have an abortion is justified - no matter what the cost to the unborn. There is, after all, nothing new under the sun.

I was going to post an image of a real can of worms for the blogpost but thought better of it, thinking that for those who find cans of worms a bit repulsive, it might be best to use the cartoon image instead. In future, I think I will blog on things all Catholics can agree on, like, er, raising concerns about the lively and interesting pontificate of Pope Francis. Thank you, readers, for your responses to my posts on this subject. I don't claim and didn't that I am absolutely right on the matter of how we should go about raising awareness of the urgent need to protect the precious lives of the unborn. It would appear that opinion on that matter remains very much divided. I think I have had a glimpse of the strength and depth of different opinions that make the British pro-life movement the diverse movement that it is.

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