For the past few days, I have received message after message of requests for me to discuss my thoughts on PBS airing the abortion supporting documentary “After Tiller.” I hadn’t decided if it was worth addressing because I truly don’t want to give it any more attention.
As it turns out, I do have a few things worth mentioning. In fact, I watched “After Tiller.” I thought it was very well done. The producers did a great job of captivating the audience quickly. The movie is, as to be expected of Hollywood, sympathetic to the abortion movement. Honestly, if you’re not careful, you could totally forget about that part and find yourself struggling with misguided sympathy. So, that’s my first word of advice.
If you watch this documentary, guard yourself. I don’t discourage anyone from watching it, but you want to be careful not to scandalize yourself or anyone you’re watching it with, so be cautious. I think it’s a good idea to listen to what our opposition is telling the public, and more importantly, what they are telling themselves.
Researching and understanding the mindset of the pro-choice side is a very important part of being a pro-life activist. However, remember what you are watching. The producers do a great job of turning these late term abortion providers into sympathetic heroes, heroes that risk their lives to perform these “lifesaving medical procedures.”
I mean, look what happened to Dr. George Tiller! He was gunned down in his own church by a crazed pro-lifer. They are risking their lives for women. They are threatened, hunted down, and harassed… all because they perform a legal medical procedure. At least that’s the message Hollywood wants you to hear. It’s certainly the message that you will hear if you don’t guard yourself.
You may read this and say, “Well, that’s not going to happen to me.” We are usually moved to changes in our thinking by SMALL messages that we hear over and over again. I was raised pro-life, but progressively changed over a period of time into becoming a pro-choice advocatee because of those small messages I heard.
Those messages were lies, and so is the message this documentary is trying to send to those willing to believe it, to be deceived by it. A lie can easily be disguised as truth. Be careful. Remember that these physicians abort babies. They are not heroes. On that note, here’s my second word of advice.
The reason this documentary was even able to be created was a direct result of the pro-life movement. Yes, you read that correctly. You see, we give them the material. A self-proclaimed pro-life person killed Dr. Tiller.
Self-proclaimed pro-lifers bomb abortion facilities. Self-proclaimed pro-lifers celebrated the deaths of abortionists. Self-proclaimed pro-lifers protested Dr. Tiller’s funeral with signs that said “Tiller rot in hell” and “Thank God Tiller’s dead.” I remember. I saw them with my own eyes.
We do it when we, as pro-lifers, call abortion providers “baby killers” and “murderers.” We do it when we use crazy, inflammatory language like “death chamber” and “slaughter house” when referring to abortion facilities. We make ourselves look weird. We become un-relatable. We fit the stereotype that pro-choicer advocates are SO desperate to stick on all of us.
As pro-life activists, we make it so easy for them to say, “Look. They are ALL like that.” In my mind, those who promote violence against abortion providers are NOT pro-life people. But my opinion doesn’t really matter. It’s all about perception.
We would do well to ask ourselves, “How are we perceived by our opposition?” Are we someone that an abortion minded woman or an abortion worker would trust to help them? Or have we become so verbally aggressive that they wouldn’t come near us? I am thankful every day that I had rational, kind pro-lifers to turn to in my crisis of conscience.
I realize that this can be a sensitive subject for some people. Some pro-lifers just have to hold on to that inflammatory language created by pro-lifers in order to somehow disrespect pro-choicer’s. The truth is, calling an abortion facility escort a “deathscort” is hilarious to them. Calling an abortion facility an “abortuary” cracks them up.
I remember when we were in meetings about the abortion facility we were constructing in Houston. My boss used to laugh and say, “Now remember, this will be the largest abortuary in the Western Hemisphere.” We would all laugh. We have made ourselves look like fools to them because we insist on using this dramatic language.
Maybe some people are okay with that. I am not one of those people. I sincerely hope for the conversion of each of these people. That is my goal. I want them to have conversions on the issue of life and eventually have conversions to Christ. In order to do that, they have to take me seriously when I talk to them. They have to understand that I genuinely care about them. That won’t happen if I’m mocking them.
Please understand that this doesn’t mean that I EVER water down the truth. If you follow me on Facebook, you know that is true. Nonetheless, I believe that when we speak truth, we must do so with charity, compassion, and benevolence. Otherwise, we become a clanging gong.
An important question to ask ourselves is, “Who are we doing this for?” Are we prolife because it makes us feel good? Are we pro-life because it’s a box we can check off? Are we pro-life because we like running pro-choice advocates into the ground and mocking them? Are we prolife because we are all about being right and winning an argument?
I hope not. I hope we are pro-life because we genuinely care about women, men, families, and babies. I hope we are pro-life because we believe that women deserve better than abortion. Being prolife is not about being right. It’s not about winning an argument. Win an argument, lose a soul.
Christ died so that each of us could live the life He sacrificed for us, a life of holiness, of love, of mercy… He died so that all of us could have eternal life. He died for His enemies too, many of them converted with His prayers and love unending mercy on mankind. He is our example to live by in how to live our lives and to help others live theirs.
You can call someone a “baby killer” all day long. That will only repel them. It definitely won’t bring about a fruitful conversation. I didn’t think I was killing babies when I worked at Planned Parenthood. I didn’t think those terms related to me at all. I was blind. I didn’t see the truth that you see. It was far more effective to reach out to me with genuine care over name calling.
I admit that I’ve only been a pro-lifer for four and a half years, but I have been a student of this debate for 12 and a half years. I’m no expert on all things pro-life, but I know what worked for me, a person who was ENTRENCHED in the abortion lifestyle.
I also know what has worked for the 122 other former abortion facility workers who have come through our ministry, And Then There Were None. None of them decided to leave because someone called them names. Not one of them left because people yelled at them and told them that they were going to hell.
I remember once when someone was attempting to criticize me and they said, “Good grief, Abby. It’s like you think that if we love these baby killers enough, they will convert.” Yes, that’s kind of exactly what I believe.
Before I close, I want to make sure that you don’t fall for the misguided sympathy that these producers of this documentary are trying to guilt you into. I will, once again, describe a third trimester abortion below.
Since the ban on Partial Birth Abortion, abortionists have come up with a different method, and believe it or not, a more dangerous method.
When a woman comes in for a late term abortion, her cervix is dilated through the administration of one out of two medications called mis
oprostol (Cytotec) and Pitocin and/or Laminaria/Lamicel insertion. Laminaria is made up of sterilized seaweed that looks like tiny tampons. Lamicel is similar, but made up of a synthetic material.
The Misoprostol is taken by mouth prior to surgery and may take several hours to take effect. Misoprostol is a medication administered to relax the cervix muscle so that the surgeon can easily dilate it. Pitocin is also sometimes used to help with this process and is administered intravenously (IV).
If Laminaria or Lamicel is necessary to complete dilation, they must be inserted into the patient’s cervix by the physician prior to the abortion procedure. The Laminaria/Lamicel acts as a sponge by absorbing the moisture in the patient’s vagina, and expanding to gently open the cervix.
Laminaria/Lamicel and Misoprostol will be administered on day one. The physician on day one will also administer a medication called Digoxin, which is injected into the amniotic fluid. The fetus will then drink in the Digoxin and will overdose in the womb. It can take up to 48 hours for death to occur. During this time, the mother may feel her child struggling to live inside of her womb.
On day two or three, the physician will perform the surgical abortion after the cervix dilation is complete—this may take several hours or overnight. The doctor will remove the Laminaria, if applicable, and insert a speculum into the vagina, and remove the unborn child using vacuum aspiration (suction), forceps, and curettes. The surgical procedure takes approximately 10 – 25 minutes. After the procedure, the mother is taken into the recovery room, where nurses will monitor her for approximately 45 minutes.
Now, that you have read that, remember that these abortionists are misguided. They are sinners, just like you and me. They are also REDEEMABLE. They are not our enemy. Our enemy is the sin of abortion. These lost souls are our brothers and sisters in Christ, should they choose to convert.
Let this be a reminder to pray for their conversion with increased fervor. If you don’t believe that these abortionists featured in “After Tiller” can experience a conversion, then you don’t know the same God I do. The God I serve is in the business of miracles.
Action item: Since PBS is paid for with our tax dollars and they are showing this on their “Point of View” program, then it only makes sense that they would show the opposing point of view related to “After Tiller.” We are asking that they show the awesome pro-life film “40” as part of their programming.
After all, PBS certainly doesn’t want to appear that they are being biased, right? Here’s what you do. Go to the PBS petition to broadcast the pro-life of the debate, and sign the petition. I also strongly encourage you to go to PBS’s website to let them know what you think of this decision. Make your voice heard.
