Our Response

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Michelle Kinnison

If you read Monday’s post, I would venture to guess that you are probably feeling several things, regardless of whether or not the information was new to you. Disgust, sadness, and anger are all very typical responses. Maybe some of those feelings are even directed at us, the ones who brought it up. Maybe you wish you had never heard the things we shared. Or maybe there are some of you out there who consider yourselves pro-choice and don’t really know how to react, because even though you don’t like the idea of abortion, you don’t want to judge others. And given the statistics, chances are you know someone, even multiple women, who have had abortions. Before we go on to share more information, we need to stop, breathe, and think about this important question. How do we respond to something that is at once horrific and so close to home?

The first place to look in a dilemma should always be the end: what is the end goal, and how do we realistically reach it? In this case, the end goal for all in the pro-life camp and even many (I believe) in the pro-choice one is the end of abortion. Let’s consider that thought for a moment. If I am right, and both camps want abortion to stop, then the vast majority of Americans have the same end goal, and our means for reaching it change drastically. We are no longer mortal enemies but regular people with different viewpoints. Now, I want to be clear that there are people who are pro-abortion. But with the “pro-choice” label, the distinction has been muddied, and we must take that into consideration as we interact with each other.

If the end goal is actually to see abortion stop, and not merely to outlaw or stigmatize it, then the manner in which we implement change is steeped with significance. We can change laws by yelling and screaming, but a person will never respond positively to that kind of abuse. So, let’s think deeply, remembering the fact that all people are multi-dimensional, and let’s take a look at some very basic guidelines.

The “Don’ts”

1. The abortion issue is surrounded by hurt people. However frustrated or angry you may feel, please do not argue, yell, or react with violence. It is important to have conversations about abortion, but if the goal is to “destroy” the other person’s argument, it is done in order to win, not to influence. My mom tells a story of my dad’s mother, who one day when my parents were adults and already married, told her to be sure to use the bathroom before they left the house. My mom says now, “I wouldn’t have gone even if I had to go!” Belittling and embarrassing people doesn’t allow for change; rather, it traps them into holding even more tightly to their beliefs, regardless of accuracy, just so that they don’t have to concede to you. As for violence, I wish it wasn’t a topic we even needed to mention; however, to date, at least eight abortion industry workers have been murdered in the United States. Abortion is not a person, and it cannot be killed like one. Violence cannot stop violence; it can only introduce a new kind. These things, dear reader, I believe you already know.

2. Stay far from shame and blame. There may be deception and misinformation, but there are also a whole lot of people with the best of intentions and good hearts. Abby Johnson is one example of a person who believed that she was really helping woman by working for the nation’s largest abortion provider and fighting for abortion rights. I would guess that the majority of people involved in the debate care a lot about women! As for the women themselves, shame only heaps on them more pressure to hide, when they could even be leading others out of abortion, were they treated with kindness. Be aware of the power that comes from giving others the benefit of the doubt.

3. Even though abortion is a heated issue, resist the temptation to do nothing. Yes, there is tension, and yes, there are people out there doing things that will make you look bad simply for “choosing sides.” But there are also millions of babies who’s lives depend on us doing real, productive things to end this crisis. Depending on your circumstance, the way in which you get involved will look different than that of other people, but please take a few moments to think and perhaps jot down the answers to these three questions:

-What skills or resources do I have?
-If I were in the middle of a crisis pregnancy (abusive relationship, poverty, full time school or job, rape, incest, etc.), what would I need in order to choose life for my child
-Where do the first two questions intersect?

Of course, many organizations provide ways for anyone to be involved in ending abortion, but by starting with what we have, we become focused and grounded in our cause. Your uniqueness is what makes you indispensable.

The “Dos”

1. Listen. Listen to friends and family, to post-abortive and pre-abortive women, to the pro-choice and pro-life, to research and news and blogs. Listen to the abortion survivor and the abortion doctor. Recognize the humanity in each one. Slow down and really hear what is said. If you have a friend who has been through an abortion, listen to her story. Be sensitive, and give her space to speak and work through emotions and thoughts. If she gives you permission, help her find support beyond you. By taking time to listen quietly, we have a chance to weed out our unintelligent speech as we familiarize ourselves with all angles of the issue.

2. Get to work, doing things that help reach the end goal. Take a moment to look back at the questions you answered. Research the pregnancy resource centers in your area, look into support groups, get involved with one of the organizations we highlight at Eli Joshua Project, or start your own where you see gaps. You would be amazed at the variety of volunteer positions at just our own local pregnancy center. Find something that you feel made to do or even something that seems too easy. Often the smallest jobs encourage people more than we think.

3. In an ideal world, these three steps would happen in order; however, I am aware that we no longer reside in Eden, so we will just have to do our best. When you have seen the humanity of all sides, been exposed to the reality of abortion, and begun to work to enact change, it is time to speak. Notice that words come last. We will no doubt all have to recover from foot-in-mouth syndrome at one time or another, but as ambassadors for women and unborn babies, let’s do our best to temper our words. Inform kindly and respectfully, and speak as if everyone can hear you. Although it is tempting to let ourselves rant and roar when we find someone who agrees with us, we must remember that this battle is one that only ends when we lay down our swords.

The End

Do not lose hope, my friends, that abortion can end completely. There is a light at the end of this very dark tunnel. If you have not already, please join us as we pray and work toward that end.

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I Use To Believe In Magic

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Eric Kinnison

Harry Potter

I use to believe in magic.

Not black magic.

Not Disney.

Not the amazing magical world of Harry Potter.

No, I used to believe in the magic of abortion.

Growing up in a Christian home, I always believed abortion was wrong.  I understood it ended a life, but how exactly it happened I had no clue.  I don’t know if it was ignorance, lack of personal history, or just the fact that NOBODY I knew (inside or outside the church) talked about abortion.  For whatever reasons, I saw abortion in magic-like terms.  As if it was some peaceful procedure consisting of unhooking a life-support machine from the baby, kindly letting it die in its sleep.  Or, maybe more realistically, abortion was a merciful execution; a gunshot to the head type procedure instantly killing the unborn baby with no pain.  Certainly, abortion wasn’t an overtly violent or torture-like process.  However, my magical ignorance turned to shock and painful awareness when I actually did some research on abortion procedures.  Their is nothing peaceful about them.  In fact, they are quite the opposite.  The process of aborting a developing baby is violent, abhorrent and barbaric.  When you can grasp the facts of the procedures along with the facts of the developing baby, how can you see it any other way?

Before we jump into the types of abortion procedures, let’s take a look at what abortion is and how developed the unborn child is during these procedures.  Abortion ends a pregnancy by destroying and removing the developing child. That baby’s heart has already begun to beat by the time the mother misses her period and begins to wonder if she might be pregnant (about 31 days after the mother’s last menstrual period or LMP).  Surgical abortions are usually not performed before seven weeks, or 49 days LMP.  By that time, the baby has identifiable arms and legs (day 45) and displays measurable brain waves (about 40 days).  During the seventh through the tenth weeks, when the majority of abortions are performed, fingers and genitals appear and the child’s face is recognizably human.  In addition, the scientific evidence converges upon the conclusion that unborn humans can feel pain from 20 weeks after fertilization with a significant and growing body of evidence suggesting as early as 11 weeks post-conception.  In fact, some scientists contend, although it has not been proven, that the unborn baby may be able to experience pain as early as 7 weeks post-conception.  In case you’re wondering, 66.7% of abortions are done at 7 weeks or later equalling approximately 707,000 a year in the U.S.

Just a reminder, most abortions are elective and performed on perfectly healthy babies.  The vast majority of all abortions performed today are done for social, not medical reasons — because a woman doesn’t feel ready for a baby at the time, because her partner wants her to have an abortion, etc.  Approximately 93% of all induced abortions are done for elective, non-medical reasons such as these.

DISCLAIMER: The following descriptions of abortion procedures are graphic and will most likely be disturbing to you.  I understand if you want to skim over parts or simply stop reading right now.  I felt that way when I first started researching.  It was SO hard to bring myself to read and view pictures of abortion procedures (you never get numb to it).  Many times, I could only read a little bit and then take a break, so if you feel that way I understand.  But PLEASE, don’t let the fear and pain of the truth keep you from pursuing it.

RU 486 (first trimester, chemical abortion, used within 4-7 weeks LMP)

The RU 486 procedure requires at least three trips to the abortion facility.  In the first visit, the woman is given a physical exam, and if she has no obvious contra-indications (“red flags” such as smoking, asthma, high blood pressure, obesity, etc., that could make the drug deadly to her), she swallows the RU 486 pills. RU 486 blocks the action of progesterone, the natural hormone vital to maintaining the rich nutrient lining of the uterus. The developing baby starves as the nutrient lining disintegrates.

At a second visit 36 to 48 hours later, the woman is given a dose of artificial prostaglandins, usually misoprostol, which initiates uterine contractions and usually causes the embryonic baby to be expelled from the uterus.  Most women abort during the 4-hour waiting period at the clinic, but about 30% abort later at home, work, etc., as many as 5 days later.  A third visit about 2 weeks later determines whether the abortion has occurred or a surgical abortion is necessary to complete the procedure (5 to 10% of all cases).  RU 486 is documented to be unsafe, even deadly, for women.  Chemical abortions account for 22.6% of all abortions.

Suction Aspiration/Suction Curettage (first trimester, surgical abortion, used within 13 weeks LMP)

Suction aspiration is the abortion technique used in most first trimester abortions.  A powerful suction tube (29 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner) with a sharp cutting edge is inserted into the womb through the dilated cervix.  The suction dismembers the body of the developing baby and tears the placenta from the wall of the uterus, sucking blood, amniotic fluid, placental tissue, and fetal parts into a collection bottle.

A suction curettage type of abortion involves a curette, a hook-shaped knife. The curette scrapes out the uterus for any more parts, and a suction machine goes through the uterus once again to make sure all parts have been removed.

Just as a reminder, the baby isn’t given anesthesia or killed prior to the procedure.

Dilation and Evacuation or D&E (second trimester, surgical abortion, used within 13-24 weeks LMP)

The developing baby literally doubles in size between the 11th and 12th weeks of pregnancy. Soft cartilage hardens into bone at 16 weeks, making the child too large and strong to pass through a suction tube.  Therefore, forceps with sharp metal jaws are used to grasp parts of the developing baby, which are then twisted and torn away.  This continues until the child’s entire body is removed from the womb. Because the baby’s skull has often hardened to bone by this time, the skull must sometimes be compressed or crushed to facilitate removal. If not carefully removed, sharp edges of the bones may cause cervical laceration. Bleeding from the procedure may be profuse.

D&E Diagram

Former abortionist, Dr. Anthony Levatino, performed over 1,200 abortions.  In May of 2013, he testified before members of a Congressional committee about his experiences performing abortions.  Here is a quote from his testimony about the D&E procedure:

“The toughest part of a D&E abortion is extracting the baby’s head. The head of a baby that age is about the size of a large plum and is now free floating inside the uterine cavity. You can be pretty sure you have hold of it if the Sopher clamp is spread about as far as your fingers will allow. You will know you have it right when you crush down on the clamp and see white gelatinous material coming through the cervix. That was the baby’s brains. You can then extract the skull pieces. Many times a little face will come out and stare back at you.”

Again, the baby isn’t dead or given anesthesia prior to the procedure.

Salt Poisoning or Saline Abortion (second and third trimester, chemical abortion, used after 16 weeks LMP)

This technique is used after 16 weeks of pregnancy, when enough fluid has accumulated in the amniotic fluid sac surrounding the baby.  A long needle is inserted through the mother’s abdomen and 50-250 ml (as much as a cup) of amniotic fluid is withdrawn and replaced with a solution of concentrated salt.  As the baby’s lungs absorb the salt solution, it begins to suffocate.  It may struggle and may even have convulsions.  The saline also burns off the baby’s outer layer of skin.  Saline abortion can take one to six hours before the baby is no longer viable.  The mother goes into labor about 33 to 35 hours after instillation and delivers a dead, burned, and shriveled baby.  About 97% of mothers deliver their dead babies within 72 hours.  Because the procedure is often quite long, many times the woman is left to labor alone.

Once more, the baby isn’t dead or given pain-reliever and, more than likely, can feel pain.

Dilation and Extraction (D&X) or Partial Birth Abortion (second and third trimester, surgical abortion, used after 20 weeks LMP)

Although this procedure is illegal as of 2003, it was used to abort thousands of unborn babies prior to being banned.  Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist reaches into the uterus, grabs the unborn baby’s leg with forceps, and pulls the baby into the birth canal, except for the head, which is deliberately kept just inside the womb. (At this point in a partial-birth abortion, the baby is alive.) Then the abortionist jams scissors into the back of the baby’s skull and spreads the tips of the scissors apart to enlarge the wound. After removing the scissors, a suction catheter is inserted into the skull and the baby’s brains are sucked out. The collapsed head is then removed from the uterus.

In a testimony before a judiciary committee, Brenda Pratt Schafer, a registered nurse with 14 years of experience at the time of her testimony, spoke about her experience witnessing a partial birth abortion.  Her testimony is a powerful witness to the violent and abhorrent partial birth abortion procedure.

“Dr. Haskell went in with forceps and grabbed the baby’s legs and pulled them down into the birth canal.  Then he delivered the baby’s body and the arms– everything but the head.  The doctor kept the baby’s head just inside the uterus.  The baby’s little fingers were clasping and unclasping, and his feet were kicking.  Then the doctor stuck the scissors through the back of his head, and the baby’s arms jerked out in a flinch, a startle reaction, like a baby does when he thinks that he might fall.  The doctor opened up the scissors, stuck a high-powered suction tube into the opening and sucked the baby’s brains out.  Now the baby was completely limp.  I was really completely unprepared for what I was seeing.  I almost threw up as I watched the doctor do these things.”

D&X

This isn’t an exhaustive list of abortion procedures.  There are more that are just as violent and abhorrent.  But the ways to terminate a baby don’t end in utero.  There is testimony and evidence of abortionists killing babies born ALIVE.  For instance, the Kermit Gosnell trial of last year revealed that he killed hundreds of late-term post-birth babies by snipping their spinal cords with scissors.  In addition, there are testimonies from three former abortion clinic workers about how another abortionist killed babies after birth by jamming a tool through the soft-spots on their heads or by twisting their necks until they snapped.

It appears to me that there is no magic to abortion.  It’s not just “another medical procedure,” such as removing your appendix or a benign tumor.  Nor is the unborn baby a “clump of cells,” but instead it is a developing human with a heartbeat, brainwaves, arms, legs, a face and likely the ability to feel pain.  When the illusion is pulled back, we see abortion for what it truly is: the willful and purposeful act to destroy a living unborn baby.  There is nothing peaceful or merciful about it.  What other conclusion can be inferred when the unborn baby is starved, sucked, cut-up, torn apart, poisoned and burned, or has its brains drained, all the while the baby is alive and very likely feeling the full effects of such a procedure?

I use to believe in magic.  How about you?

 

Information used for this post can be found at the following websites:

Abortion Techniques

http://www.birthmothers.org/extras/types-of-abortions.htm

Abortion Methods and Abortion Procedures Used to Kill Unborn Babies

 

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Online For Life

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Michelle Kinnison

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Over the next several weeks, we will be highlighting some people and organizations in our country’s pro-life movement, as well as some ways that you can get involved in protecting women and babies.* We hope that some of you will get involved in a big way, but today’s organization is a great baby step.

Online For Life was created with the goal of reaching abortion-minded women by showing up in the place they look first – Google. Brian Fisher, along with his team, work to connect these women with life-affirming pregnancy resource centers as they are first searching for answers. The most significant parts of the ministry, however, are the people on the other end of the phone. Not only does Online For Life partner with pregnancy resource centers, but they also pick up the phone when the resource center is unable to answer. They provide someone to talk to, and they also check up on the women who call, walking with them through the whole decision-making process. Because most women make the decision to abort within the first 24 hours after they learn they are pregnant, Online For Life is right at the front lines, providing support and guidance, and encouraging women to choose life for their babies.

Here’s where it gets exciting. Online For Life has a free app that allows you to pray in real time for women around the country who are considering abortion. Push notifications even let you know when a when a baby has been saved! If you consider yourself even a little bit pro-life, this is a no-brainer. It’s free, it takes about zero time out of your busy life, and you get to be a real part of rescuing babies from abortion. Prayer is the first step to seeing the end of abortion, and we hope that you will join us!


*To our Canadian friends: we will be doing some research on abortion in your country specifically, but if there is a pro-life organization that you think is great, we’d love to hear about it!

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Eli Joshua – the meaning and significance of a name

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Eric Kinnison
Names are important.  They are more than a simple label to distinguish one from the other; names give us identity and character.  For many cultures, the name given a child is considered to be of great importance, having profound influence on the development of that child’s character.  Therefore, when a parent carefully chooses a first and middle name for their unborn child, more often than not, two considerations come into play: meaning of names and honoring a person, often a family member.  As with naming a child, the naming of our blog looked to both these considerations, with one resulting more by accident (or Providence).
Honoring A Person
Back in December of 2012, right before leaving to be with family for Christmas, my wife and I found out that we were pregnant.  What a Christmas present!  Actually, it was more of a Christmas surprise!  For us, this was a crisis pregnancy.  We already had a two year old boy and twin girls that had just turned one.  We were busy, financially unstable, and we didn’t feel ready for a baby again.  Nevertheless, we knew that we wanted another child and we grew in excitement as the days went by.  We joyfully shared the news with all our family over the holiday and returned home to have our first doctors visit after the New Year.  We couldn’t wait to have an ultrasound and see the little guy (for some reason my wife and I both felt that he was a boy).  Sadly…we never got the chance.  There are points in life that stop you in your tracks.  One minute, everything is just flowing like normal.  The next, a dam has broken and you are drowning.  I remember when my wife came to me, pale in face, with the words that every pregnant couple fears, “I’m bleeding.”  My heart sank.  Upstairs, my wife was on the phone with the nurse.  Downstairs, I was taking care of our young children, praying my guys out for the life of our baby.  My wife came slowly walking down the stairs and into the living room where we embraced.  Then she looked up at me and sputtered, “I don’t think we are going to have this baby.”  I held her tighter and wept.  One minute he was there; the next, gone.  No funeral.  No death certificate.  Nothing.  His name was going to be Eli Joshua.
Fast forward two years.  Through the willingness of another to share his stand for life, my wife and I started investigating abortion in our country.  The results left us in utter shock, disbelief and horror.  How did this go under our radar for so long?  We couldn’t ignore the cold and violent reality of abortion anymore.  We had to do SOMETHING!  That something has turned into this blog, which seeks to educate and provide resources to equip others to stand for life.  The more people learn the truth about abortion and its unrelenting path of destruction, the more women and babies can be rescued.
As we started planning out our blog, one of the first things I wanted to do was figure out a name.  The first name I thought of was Eli Joshua.  It could give us some small way to honor and share him with others.  He could be part of a mission to save his very own, the unborn.  After pretty much deciding on Eli Joshua, I decided to search for the meaning of the name because I couldn’t remember what they were.  I was blown away.
Meaning of Names
I found two meanings to the name Eli Joshua and both are significant.  First, the American meaning and, second, the Hebrew.  The American meaning of Eli is “defender of man” and Joshua is “a deliverer.”  What a powerful name that reflects the mission God has given His people to defend humanity and deliver those who are weak and oppressed!  For it is our passion and purpose to stand for life: to rescue those being led away to death (Proverbs 24:11) and defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed; rescue the weak and needy, deliver them from the hand of the wicked (Psalm 82:3,4).  The Hebrew meaning of Eli can be “my God” and Joshua is “Yahweh is salvation.”  So, in the name Eli Joshua, we also find a marvelous reminder that our God is the ultimate deliver, our shield and savior (Psalm 18:2).  Thus, I see two powerful meanings behind the name Eli Joshua: an affirmation of our commission to defend and deliver the victims of abortion and the recognition that Yahweh is their, and my, savior!
Dear Eli Joshua,
I miss you so much, my boy.  I wish I could have just held you for one minute.  Given you kisses.  Whispered, “I love you,” in your ear.  I wish you could have met your mother.  She is amazing!  You would have fallen in love with her at first sight.  I wish you could have met your big brother and sisters.  How they would love to play with you!  I want you to know that we all love you, and we can’t wait to meet you.  And behind all the passion and purpose of our blog is the hope to honor God, you, and all your unborn friends.
Love,
Daddy 
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