On the 18th of January 2019, fifteen young Scots travelled to Washington DC to be a voice for the voiceless and represent Scotland in the world’s largest pro-life rally. Marching alongside hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates, it was evident that every person present had a unique and determined reason to march. From feminism to science, hard cases and empowerment, here are the most inspiring signs spotted at the 2019 March for Life!
1) All Life is Good Life
Image: March for Life
Rape is a violent assault against an innocent victim. Abortion is also a violent assault against an innocent victim. The violence of abortion parallels the violence of rape, and we will always oppose violence against innocents.
The 'hard case' of rape is seen as a common exception as to why abortion must be permitted. However, just as this personal testimony illustrates, those conceived in rape aren’t statistics, they aren’t criminals and they aren’t 'rape babies'- they are simply babies! And no child deserves the death penalty for the crimes of their father!
2) Because Science
The fantastic thing about science is that it’s pro-life! Simple scientific fact demonstrates how from the moment of conception an unborn child is a distinct, living and unique human being. At fertilisation when the sperm cell meets the egg, a precious human life comes into existence, fully- equipped with their own unique DNA set. The unborn child’s gender, hair colour and eye colour are all determined at fertilisation!
Scientific evidence suggests that the cells which form the heart can begin to beat from 16 days. By four weeks gestation the nervous system, circulatory system, respiratory system, eyes, ears, kidney and liver are all beginning to form! As this artistic sign illustrates, the humanity of the tiny unborn human must be recognised!
3) Language Matters!
Image: March for Life
This sums up the misleading nature of pro-abortion language perfectly! When was the last time you heard someone say: "My clump of cells is a boy" - "The clump of cells is kicking."- "Will you come to my clump of cells shower?" Never. For the pro-abortion lobby, if the child is wanted it’s a baby. If the child is unwanted it’s a "clump of cells." This manipulative language is only used to dehumanise the unborn and mislead women about who and what they are aborting. But we know the truth; it’s a baby!
4) Priorities
2018 sparked a year of outrage for animal right activists as the "Palm Oil Industry" was increasingly exposed as endangering animals, specifically the Orangutan and the Sumatran Tiger. During the year thousands globally pledged to boycott the Palm Oil Industry out of moral outrage. That year around 56 million unborn humans would have been killed as the world remained silent.
In the majority of western nations, all wild birds, their nests and eggs are protected - to destroy them is a criminal offence. Yet unborn humans have limited, or no legal protections. Their deaths are celebrated as a "human right." Hypocrisy? I think so.
5) Real Feminists Don’t Kill Babies
The early feminists recognised that abortion was a tool of oppression which attacked both woman and child. Abortion is a symptom that society has not met the needs of women. It is disgraceful that in the 21st Century some women still feel inclined to choose between their job or child; their home or their child; their relationship or their child.
Abortion routinely discriminates against unborn girls through sex- selective abortion. There are an estimated 160 million girls missing from the world today. In countries such as India, an unborn baby girl is aborted at a rate of 1 per minute. Abortion depicts unborn children and specifically unborn girls as property. Women are never property, even in the womb.
Authentic feminism rejects abortion as the tool that discriminates against unborn girls. Authentic feminism stands with unborn girls. Authentic feminism is pro-life.
6)Women betrayed
Too often women are fed the lie that abortion empowers, liberates and saves them. However, after decades of legalised abortion, the true damage that abortion inflicts upon women has surfaced. According to Abortion and Women’s Health, women who have had an abortion are; six times more likely to commit suicide compared to women who continue with pregnancy, 30% more likely to suffer from depression compared to women who continue with pregnancy, and 25% more likely to suffer from anxiety compared to women who continue with pregnancy. We know that abortion hurts women. We know Abortion betrays women and they deserve better.
As the decades drive on, the true nature of abortion is coming to light. As it does, the pro-life movement grows in strength and numbers. On the 18th of January 2019 hundreds of thousands of people marched on Washington. They marched for the unborn. They marched for women. They marched for human rights. They will march until they no longer have to.