Tuesday, March 20, 2007

URGENT: Pro-Life Prayer Warriors needed!

I read subject lines like this one and I think, What else is new?

Anyway, I ran across a post on livejournal from a young college student who has an appointment for an abortion on March 29.

That's just enough time for us to say a novena.
(A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer for a special intention, for Catholics it often involves the Rosary)

If you start tonight, March 20, you'll finish on the evening of March 28th, the day before her appointment.

If you start tomorrow morning, you'll finish the day of.

If you see this sometime between now and then, half a novena is better than none. :)

Break out the beads (or whatever), everyone! Maybe we can save two people here.

Here is her post:
http://community.livejournal.com/abortioninfo/312312.html

Pray for her conversion and the protection of her unborn child.


_______________________
Update (March 21):

Because I made the mistake of suggesting that the young woman in question examine fetal development information, The moderator at the LiveJournal community has banned me from posting. If you want to see what I said and what she has to say about me, you can click here. Here is my response to the responses to my post, which I would have happily posted there had the ban not been in force:

The Brilliant Baby website I linked to describes week 1 as follows, and I quote:

"Week one begins with the first day of your menstrual period.

• Conception hasn't yet occurred, but because your expected due date is calculated from the first day of your last period, this week counts as part of your 40-week pregnancy.

• As the uterus sheds it's lining, the hormones are preparing another egg for release.

• The heart begins to separate into four chambers.



The mention of heart valves, taken in context, is clearly an error, and inconsistent with the other accurate information presented. As is the case with the site you referred her to for morning sickness information, Brilliant Baby is geared toward women who are experiencing a planned pregnancy, and has no reason to present false information in order to forward any kind of agenda with regard to reproductive choice. In fact, the website to which you already referred her also contains information and images with respect to fetal development, and the OP can easily go there if she wants another source of information.

I openly stated that both websites I presented contain information on fetal development. If the OP does not wish to see such information (and she has now stated that she does not) she does not have to click on the links. (And she has already exercised her freedom in this regard, and I respect her right to do so. However, considering the physical facts of 5 weeks gestation, the images relevant to the OP's situation are unlikely to create any undue emotional pressure.

Those who have already convinced themselves that I am dishonest may not believe this, but I openly stated the content of the two websites in question out of respect for her freedom not to look at them. I believe in presenting information, and leaving the decision to her.

As to reminding her that she has a right to see her own ultrasounds, I base my suggestion on personal experience. There have been instances in my own medical history where medical professionals have refused to allow me to see my own ultrasound results, for non-controversial issues in which no pregnancy or possibility thereof was even involved. I find this unethical.

I have tried to keep a fairly respectful distance here, while acting in accordance with the demands of my own conscience. I am of course open to suggestions as to how to do this better. I know you understand the demands of conscience, since yours demands that you "protect" the OP from people like myself, and you have had the integrity to act upon your own sincerely held convictions.

I suppose my post could be interpreted as subtle dishonesty. Some find it difficult to believe that Pro-Lifers are capable of honesty at all. Had I truly been interested in concealing my opinions, it would have been profoundly stupid of me to post under a handle that would allow your astute readers to find my blog with a quick Google search. However that may be, people are welcome to their opinions. I know my own mind, and that is enough for me.

___________________________________________
Further Developments

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

oops... looks like all you did was piss her off. :/ Oh well, I guess prayer can't work all the time.

As for me - why yes, I AM the moderator of the Abortioninfo community. My job is to protect the community members from harassment and manipulation.

Another community member found this blog and brought it to my attention after you started harassing the community members. Not that I really needed it to know exactly what you were. That you thought you were being subtle is laughable. Please.

Women should be able to get honest and accurate information about abortion without having to submit to lectures, harassment, and manipulation. That's what abortioninfo is all about. And that's why we don't allow pro-lifers there.

So - get the hell out of my community, and leave my members alone, troll. Abortioninfo is not your personal hunting ground. Do your pro-life wanking in pro-life communities.

Christina said...

In the interests of free speech, and open mature dialog, this blog owner will allow the above comment to remain.

Alan Phipps said...

What's funny is that this person believes that you and HsLadyRose are the same person.

Christina said...

Eyelid gives me more credit than I deserve.

Michelle said...

Oh my. It would seem that somebody has her panties in a wad. If the moderator of that livejournal community was so sure of her opinion being the right one, she would welcome honest, albeit opposing, views on the matter. Since she must resort to ad hominem, can we safely assume that she is a bit insecure? I think we can. This concludes my daily snark. Have a pleasant day.

Anonymous said...

michelle: yes, obviously I was angry about my community members being harassed because "I am insecure."

Abortioninfo community members are women in a sensitive and emotional situation, trusting my community to be a safe space where they can ask questions and share feelings without being pressured, judged, or harassed. They are scared and often feel completely alone. Sometimes they feel there is no one in their lives that they can talk to this about without being attacked. Sometimes they are right about that.

And now someone comes into my community - a person who is pro-life but not saying so - and starts subtly pressuring the women on the community. She either creates two accounts to be annoying, or directs her friends to the community, tacitly encouraging more trolling. It turns out, surprise surprise, that she's pro-life and is trying to manipulate the OP into not having an abortion.

But yeah, this clearly only pisses me off because I'm insecure.

Please, Freud, tell me more. Amateur psychology is always so useful and insightful.


If the moderator of that livejournal community was so sure of her opinion being the right one, she would welcome honest, albeit opposing, views on the matter.

"If" I was so sure? Hon, I've been a pro-choice activist for a long long time. I'm absolutely sure my opinion is the right one.

Abortion-rights debate isn't allowed on abortioninfo for the OBVIOUS reason that women wouldn't feel safe revealing their stories and asking questions there if they were open to pro-life attack. Oh, sorry, I mean "honest, albeit opposing, views on the matter."

Abortioninfo is a community specifically and explicitly dedicated to giving unbiased, non-judgmental, non-pressuring, and scientifically accurate information on abortion. It also has the advantage of providing support to women during an often difficult time. Most of our members are women who have had abortions - many of whom were helped by the community when they were having their abortions. They stay to help other women and give them the benefit of their stories, information, and support.

Unless Christine here is going to be very dishonest, she will admit that her purpose in coming on Abortioninfo was not to answer a woman's medical questions. It was to try to persuade the woman not to have an abortion. Or more precisely, to manipulate the woman into not having an abortion by directing her to certain sites.

And that is why I am pissed and she is banned.

(Did you know that the prolife community on LJ does not permit either pro-choice membership or abortion debate? Does that mean that they too are "insecure" and "unsure that they are right"?)


It would seem that somebody has her panties in a wad.

Nah, I don't wear panties, I'm a pro-choice slut. I'm heartless and cruel and I hate babies and I can't keep my legs shut. Insert further pro-life stereotypes here.

-Eyelid

Anonymous said...

Typical liberals. Always using ad hominem arguments.

That person has my prayers.

Christina said...

Eyelid, I respectfully request that you re-read the "update" to this post, paying special attention to the last two paragraphs.