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We’ve heard and seen a lot of horrible things during the exposure of Planned Parenthood this summer. But a bright spot of hope occurred last weekend, when thousands of Americans pushed back against the death culture and began to make our voices for life heard. A national day of protest happened on August 22 and I attended in Aurora, Illinois. It was overwhelming to see streams of people pouring in. Ours was one of the largest gatherings in the country with 1600 people recorded as attending. This number did not include hundreds more who didn’t wait in line to sign in. Real numbers were closer to 2000, by my estimation.
After weeks of writing pleas for people to wake up and stand up for the rights of babies not to be torn into pieces and sold for parts, it was a relief to see so many people give up their Saturday plans to march for life. There were so many young people, teenagers, and children that my heart nearly exploded with joy. These were not your usual sweet elderly people who tirelessly protest in small, ignored groups. This was something new. Some of the children were carrying signs that read, “My generation will abolish abortion.” It gave me hope that the children we are raising will be better than us.
There were so many babies in attendance — tiny newborns who just weeks ago could have been victims of the organs-for-profit horror, not because they were any less human, but because their geography was slightly different. We must find a way to protect these children who deserve to have futures. Some may have harder roads than others, but they are roads that are unique to them and each child deserves a chance to walk his road. Those truly interested in social justice, in speaking for those without a voice, in helping the underprivileged, in advocating for the weak must speak out in defense of the most defenseless of humankind. Developing humans are people too! They deserve rights.
We no longer have the luxury of wallowing in ignorance, the murky depths of the womb unprobed by cameras and filled with mystery. The womb, and who is contained in it, is clearly visible and clearly in possession of all the things that make one a human being deserving of rights: legs, arms, head, brain, spine, nervous system, heartbeat, fingers, toes, dreams, hopes. We no longer can allow these tiny humans to be discarded under the lie of “women’s health” when we know abortion does not ever increase the lifespan of a woman. Nor does it protect her from cancer or help her fight disease. On the contrary, abortion can scar a woman’s womb leaving her infertile. It can hurt women and it always kills human babies. Abortion is not health care. Childbirth, on the other hand, has many benefits that include a newly discovered miracle. In Billions of Missing Links Geoffrey Simmons M.D. describes an amazing benefit of birth,
Moments before mother and child completely disconnect, the newborn receives a last-minute blood transfusion from the umbilical cord. The placenta, which has been purposefully storing nutrients for this moment, infuses extra nourishment. And there is evidence that the fetus sends some of its own stem cells into the mother’s bloodstream. These newly discovered microchimera stem cells seem to be purposefully left behind to help maintain the mother’s good health.
(From left to right) Thomas Payne, Alex Payne, “Buddy” Payne, Jesse Payne, Gayle Payne and Cory Payne
Another benefit of childbirth is the incredible blessing of adoption. Gayle Payne was at the Aurora rally with five of her six adopted children. Each of them was wearing a sign that read, “I’m adopted. My mom chose life.” Payne began her journey of adoption late in life when she fostered a troubled 12-year-old girl who came from an abusive home. Today that child is a mother of two and going to college. At the age of 67, Payne now has 5 children ages 5 to 15 still under her roof. Says Payne,
The assignment is impossible. God picks unlikely people to do extraordinary things, so He will get the glory. You look at my life and you can see His Hand. Did my faith cause me to take responsibility for 6 kids? Absolutely.
The opposition says that Christian people who are pro-life are really only pro-birth, caring nothing for what happens to the children afterwards. This is a false and defamatory charge. There are thousands of crisis pregnancy centers set up by Christian networks for the purpose of offering women with crisis pregnancies parenting support or assistance with adoption. Payne believes that the abortion culture is what makes it more difficult for more people to adopt.
Planned Parenthood states that they provide a service to women because these women cannot care for a baby and no one else wants them. If they [encouraged women to give the babies up for adoption] the lines would be down the street. You would not believe how many people hear or see my story and say “I wish I could take a child but they make it too hard.”
Payne has put into practice the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 25:40:
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
There are many people willing to invest their money and time in the lives of women in crisis and babies who need homes. Women need to make better choices that don’t involve killing their children.
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