The Imagery of Abortion

The beauty of human life in the womb

A few years ago, I stood outside an abortion clinic with Abort 67, the group featured in this video on Channel 4 News. I couldn't help but think, at the time, that the group were 'brave'. I admired their ability to stand up and  be counted for the truth.

The longer time goes on, I cannot help but think they are brave, but stupid. Their idea was clear - if only ordinary members of the public could see what abortion is, then abortion would be ended.

Oh, how naive we can be. In a sane world, this would be true. In a sane world, just one picture of an abortion should convince the whole world that it is wrong and evil, but it hasn't worked yet because people are blind to the truth and hardened against God and against the love and protection of human life. Yet at the same time, there is no reason why graphic pictures of abortion need be used to get your point across. I know a couple who live on a street near an abortion clinic in Brighton who are vigorously pro-life but who simply can't stand walking past this group on the way to work when they are present there. They have a child and walked him to school when Abort 67 were outside the clinic. Is it fair on this couple to have to shield their child's eyes from a dismembered aborted baby on the way to school?

Original material

The imagery Abort 67 use is original material. Of course, it is faithful to what abortion is, but it is also both shocking and disgusting imagery of life needlessly and callously destroyed. And, of course, the great sin lies with those who commit this crime - for a crime it is, in the sight of God - the imagery is faithful to the truth, but is the imagery of murder of the unborn in broad daylight necessary to get your point across? Definitely not. You can hardly blame 'local residents' from hardening their opposition to the group when Abort 67 stand there with a huge photograph of a dismembered corpse all day long. I am certain that for passers-by, while some will express positive views that the campaign has 'educated them' on what an abortion is, the psychological tactics can easily backfire because those who pass by might not immediately associate the clinic itself with the imagery of brutal murder, but instead associate the campaigners standing in front of the images with palpable horror.

The beauty of human life outside of the womb

I must say I am no expert on pro-life vigils, but I cannot help but think that there is a reason why Good Counsel Network and other pro-life movements involved in, for example, 40 Days for Life, do not go in for this 'shock' tactic. It seems to be a strategy so ill-thought out, so lending itself to an angered response, that it is almost inviting Governmental repression of the pro-life movement and peaceful vigils for an end to abortion.

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Patroness of the Unborn

After all, the strategy of one group - and it appears that it is this group in particular who provoke reaction, could bring down upon the whole pro-life movement greater repression so that not just Abort 67, but all pro-life groups suffer. I cannot help but feel that the beauty of life in the womb - because we have so many beautiful images of life in the womb now - and the beauty of new life - babies - is more apt to broad day light vigils. At least, then, you do not give Government and those who think child sacrifice should be kept 'legal' a giant stick with which to beat you.

Tomorrow is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and imagery is an important feature of this Feast. For it was with an image that Mexico and other parts of Latin America were converted to faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. Mexico was converted from a form of paganism that most likely involved some kind of child sacrifice, some kind of human sacrifice to the Catholic Faith through a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an image painted by God Himself. The image is completely beyond scientific explanation. Even NASA have admitted that...

'...the image’s colors are not made from any material found on Earth. A laser that scanned the image even found that the colors float three tenths of a millimeter in front of the Tilma surface, without touching it.'

The sheer breadth and depth of the details in this miraculous image is stunning. By all rights, the image should convert the whole world to the Catholic Faith and to love and respect for God and the unborn. 'Original material' it certainly is, crafted by the Almighty.

Would huge replicas of this image, outside of abortion clinics, convince more people that abortion is wrong? Would it win souls to the Lord Jesus Christ and to Our Lady? Would it bring down abortion clinics? Perhaps no more or less than the imagery of Abort 67. Abortion is endemic in this country, a huge aspect of a spiritual war in which all of humankind is involved.

I cannot help but think that there is a vast array of inspiring imagery available to the pro-life movement to 'get the message across' without giving the enemies of that movement great excuses to put an end to the whole thing. The unborn are babies, beautiful babies crafted by God, each one precious in His sight. We can show people the beauty of human life. We can show people the beauty of the Woman clothed with the sun who crushes the head of the Devil.

The Abort 67 strategy, while successful in some ways, in educating people about what an abortion is, has not and will not turn popular opinion against abortion but will likely lend itself to turning popular opinion harder against the campaigners. From the beginning, Abort 67 deliberately wanted 'maximum publicity' - hence the images. The Good Counsel Network do incredible work providing help and assistance to those who need help, providing spiritual support and practical assistance to mothers presented with the choice presented to them by the United Kingdom Government.

In a sane world, the Good Counsel Network would be provided funding by the Government to support the poor who need help in times of crisis. The UK Government might always urge women to choose death. It's what Governments are good at after all. It would be a great shame - a terrible and awful tragedy - if those pro-life groups who offer real help, real compassion to those considering abortion, were banned from holding a presence near abortion clinics just because Abort 67 couldn't give up their logic that murderers will stop murdering when everyone has seen a snuff movie.

The Good Counsel Network always need more donations and prayers. Everything they do they do on a shoe-string, with very limited resources. Why not pray for them, pray for an end to the horror of abortion and donate to them today?

Gosh! 

It feels so good not to write a blog post about Pope Francis!
With God's help, anything is possible!

Update: I'm getting a couple of comments from people saying I am wrong, so wrong. Well, I don't mind being wrong. What I mind is that the deliberately provocative actions of one group gives the Government a perfect excuse to clamp down on all, even those who do not use these tactics.

Just to illustrate my point...

SPUC Displays