Why Bother?

Why Bother?
February 4, 2004
Dear Friend,
Do you ever lose sight of why we work together to defend the unborn and train pro-lifers? Here are
vivid reminders of the two most important reasons:
Women (and Men) Struggling with an Abortion Decision
“Jane” wrote me a letter recently. What follows is a portion of that letter. It speaks for itself.
“I was nineteen years old [when I had an abortion]...I would give anything if I could go back and
change my decision, but that's impossible. So I must live every day with the thought and pain of killing
my own child. I have had many people ask me if there was anything that would have changed my
mind. For a long time, I did not have an answer for them. But through the healing process and Jesus
Christ, I have come to realize something that would have changed my mind. The whole time I was
pregnant and afterwards for a long time, it did not seem real. I never really felt like I was pregnant,
and I sure didn't feel like the abortion was a reality, even with the ultrasound.
On the two year anniversary of my abortion, a college campus in my town had a Justice For All
exhibit. I went to volunteer. I didn't realize what I had gotten myself into. I had seen pictures like
this, but I had always looked at them in the comfort of my own home, never in public. This was real.
This was very real. Here is my answer. If I had seen this exhibit before my abortion, I am 99% sure
that I would have kept my baby. Whether I kept him personally, or I gave him up for adoption, it didn't
matter. He would have been alive, and that is what matters. Brochures, videos, and even ultrasounds
did nothing to make my baby seem real, these pictures from JFA did. I wish every woman considering
an abortion would look at this exhibit. I can't lie, it hurts to look at something like this, but I would
trade a little pain for my son any day.”
Don’t get discouraged by Jane’s story, though, because God has shown her great mercy. When she
talked with students and shared her story with me at a recent JFA exhibit, she glowed with a peace in
the forgiveness of Christ and an amazing ability to talk honestly about her abortion. She continues,
“I am currently still going through the healing process, as will I for the rest of my life. I volunteer at a
local Crisis Pregnancy Center. I willingly share my story with anyone who wants to hear it. I wish I
could show them more. I wish I could show them the JFA exhibit. I know what these women are
feeling when they come to the CPC. They are lost, and I do my best to help guide them. I know that
the majority of these women, especially the young ones, can't grasp the concept that there is an actual
human being growing inside them. If only I could make them feel like this baby of theirs is real. I am
a firm believer in that pictures and information like those shown in JFA exhibits need to be presented
to these women. I will do anything that I can to help these women make the right decision. No one
needs to go through the pain of an abortion, and no one needs to die.”
Women like Jane are worth dignifying with good arguments and accurate visual evidence about
abortion. We continue for the sake of them and their children. For a second reason, see the next page.
1438 East 33rd St. Signal Hill, CA 90755 1-800-2-REASON www.str.org
College Students Changing Minds on Campus
Quentin is a student in British Columbia who attended the National Campus Life Network symposium
in November. I gave nine hours of formal training at the symposium and spent time talking with
students throughout the weekend. In a recent email, Quentin related what happened afterward:
[I] had an opportunity to take the material from NCLN and put it to good use immediately. I am
taking an American History of Citizenship class, and one of our assignments was to do a presentation
on a Supreme Court case that had significance on citizenship rights. I chose Roe v. Wade, and did a
presentation (as well as wrote an essay) on the fact that this case denied citizenship rights to fetuses by
the Supreme Court's assertion that fetuses are not persons...After my presentation (which was slotted
10 minutes) a debate ensued, mainly between myself and my professor, who is clearly pro-choice,
which lasted nearly an hour. I am glad that the notes I took at NCLN, as well as the role-playing
sessions we had, were effective. At the end, my prof used time as an excuse and said the all to familiar
slogan, "we won't settle this debate today."
Let us not forget how serious abortion is for many women and men with unplanned pregnancies. They
are real people struggling with this issue today. And because of students like Quentin, we are reaching
them. This is why we are strategically training foot-soldiers to make the case for the unborn in class
and in the middle of campus. Students like Jane and Quentin refuse to be silent about abortion. My
Boston, Hume Lake, and Southern California events in February will help equip them. And your
continuous partnership encourages and enables me to go. Thanks.
For our Merciful God,
Stephen
Steve Wagner
Speaking Events: 2004
1/15 Radio Interview with Matthew Freeman – Chicago-area college (Chicago, IL)
1/18 Humans in the Balance: A Biblical Response to Bioethical Issues – Sunday Services, South
Valley Community Church (Gilroy, CA)
1/18 Question and Answer Luncheon –South Valley Community Church (Gilroy, CA)
2/6 Human Rights and the Right to Choose –Senior English Classes, Chadwick School (Palos
Verdes Peninsula, CA)
2/12-15 Catholic high school presentations and other events (Boston, MA)
2/18 Possessions or People? Are Embryos Members of the Human Family? – Wynn Lecture
Hall 1, Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA)
2/25-26 The Real World: Defending the Unborn – Joshua Wilderness Camp (Hume Lake, CA)
3/19-25 JFA Basic Training, JFA Advanced Training, and Exhibit Events – Justice For All (Texas)
4/7-14 JFA Basic Training, JFA Advanced Training, and Exhibit Events – Justice For All (Colorado)
Other Activities: 2004
1/12 Emcee, Master’s Series of Christian Thought –Hope Chapel (Hermosa Beach, CA)
1/19 Emcee, Master’s Series of Christian Thought –Hope Chapel (Hermosa Beach, CA)
1/22 Open Forum (answered questions on bioethics after the session) – UCLA (Los Angeles, CA)
1/26 Emcee, Master’s Series of Christian Thought –Hope Chapel (Hermosa Beach, CA)
2/2 Emcee, Master’s Series of Christian Thought –Hope Chapel (Hermosa Beach, CA)
YES, your gifts are tax-deductible!
Click here or call 800-2-REASON to help Steve train pro-lifers.