Are we Pro-Lifers viewed as radical by most Americans/others?

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I’ll be honest, I’m pretty liberal on a lot of issues. However, I am very pro-life like I’m sure most of you are.

The vast majority of my friends or friends of my family/parents (I’m in college) are pro-life.

This has most likely resulted in me being almost “sheltered” from the mainstream American view of the abortion issue is. It seems that the prevailing stance on the issue is pro-choice, but I guess I could be wrong about that.

So from your experience, or perhaps you may have statistics, what do most people in American view of pro-lifers?

Thanks
 
To start this off, I’m pro-life.

If I were to put myself in a pro-choice mindset, I would think that pro-life people don’t care about what the consequences of having a baby are. For the young girls who become pregnant, there should be no other choice then to abort if they don’t think that they can adequetly raise a child on their own.

That was of course just my guess. From the opposite end, I see pro-choice people as those who want to ignore God’s miracles. If a young girl doesn’t think she can take care of a child, adoption is a much better alternative.
 
I know this isn’t the best source, but pop culture does reflect a lot of what society believes/thinks/values.

Today I saw an old Seinfeld episode where Elaine claims that Jerry shouldn’t eat at a certain pizza joint because the owner supports “radical anti-abortion” groups.

I love Seinfeld, but this episode seemed to pain pro-lifers or “anti-abortion” people as crazy and weird.
It was a popular show, so it seems they were pretty confident that this picture they painted wouldn’t offend many people.
 
Read Abby Johnson’s book Unplanned. She’s an ex-Planned Parenthood director and was also their media consultant. She was basically brainwashed into telling the media that Planned Parenthood is a light in darkness, trying to help women in a sea of mad, violent anti-choice extremists who want to stifle women.
 
I think it kind of varies. I suspect there are actually a lot of people who are somewhere in the middle on abortion issues. They would say for example that abortion should only be allowed very early in pregnancy, or in a serious medical condition.

So I think sometimes the Catholic position is seen as the most extreme form of pro-life.

And of course it tends to be the people who are a little nutty or don’t present themselves well who get really noticed. A person who chains herself to a fence does seem extreme to many people, but that is a common kind of image.

In my experience, there are actually a wide variety of reasons people take a more pro-choice view, and it is generally a bad idea to assume they all have a bad perspective. But many of them do seem to feel that pro-life people are missing or negating or just not caring about aspects of the issue they see as important. So, for example, I read one fellow who was incensed that a particular pro-life person was also against universal health care, because he felt the individual was insisting on women having babies without making sure that there were solid social structures to care for mother and child.

So that is my main impression - many people feel that pro-life does not address the real issues that arise if women must carry pregnancies to term, and so they feel they cannot take them seriously. This is especially true when it comes to voting for the Republicans who they perceive as actually making it more difficult for women in difficult situations. I think they are not totally correct - many pro-life supporters are actual active or concerned about these things. But I also think it is something that should really be taken seriously.
 
MillTownCath said:
I’ll be honest, I’m pretty liberal on a lot of issues. However, I am very pro-life like I’m sure most of you are.

The vast majority of my friends or friends of my family/parents (I’m in college) are pro-life.

This has most likely resulted in me being almost “sheltered” from the mainstream American view of the abortion issue is. It seems that the prevailing stance on the issue is pro-choice, but I guess I could be wrong about that.

So from your experience, or perhaps you may have statistics, what do most people in American view of pro-lifers?

Thanks
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Just a thought (and not sure how well I can convey this), but I’ve heard a couple of people recently express some befuddlement over pro-life rallies. On one hand, the people at rallies are always pictured as sort of happy–like it’s a big party or celebration, and sometimes this doesn’t seem to mesh well with perceptions about the seriousness of the issue or with other pro-life activities, like clinic prayer vigils. I don’t really know how to respond to that.

Sorry, that’s not very clear. I am pro-life, but I’ve never been to a big rally, so I can’t speak from experience. But I think this comes across as bizarre to some people. Or like pro-lifer rally attenders aren’t very serious about it.

It’s a good question, though. I’m guessing most people think of pro-lifers as pretty fringe. I try to not “be” that.
 
Dave_Noonan said:
Just a thought (and not sure how well I can convey this), but I’ve heard a couple of people recently express some befuddlement over pro-life rallies. On one hand, the people at rallies are always pictured as sort of happy–like it’s a big party or celebration, and sometimes this doesn’t seem to mesh well with perceptions about the seriousness of the issue or with other pro-life activities, like clinic prayer vigils. I don’t really know how to respond to that.

Sorry, that’s not very clear. I am pro-life, but I’ve never been to a big rally, so I can’t speak from experience. But I think this comes across as bizarre to some people. Or like pro-lifer rally attenders aren’t very serious about it.

It’s a good question, though. I’m guessing most people think of pro-lifers as pretty fringe. I try to not “be” that.
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I know what you mean about the rally feeling. I find that too, it almost seems like they should be angry or upset. I understand why they aren’t, but it does seem a bit disconcerting.

I’d say people are happy because they are excited to see a response to an issue they do think is very serious.
 
It is my belief that the most vehement supporters of abortion rights love to caricature the pro-life movement. I think that they have been successful in creating a perception that there is more support for abortion rights than what there in fact is. I do not think that there is an overwhelming majority of Americans who are strongly pro-life, but I do believe that there is more support for the pro-life movement than many people are led to believe (or perhaps choose to believe, in some cases).
 
People try to be “sensitive” and brush things under the rug. Give people what they want and they’ll leave you alone.

Abortion creates more problems than it solves. And the worst part is that most women who get abortions get them because they see it as their only option. They can’t take care of the child and are uninformed about adoption. Their rapist, boyfriend or parents force them into abortion. And repeat abortions are on the rise, so it’s not a one-time deal. Later on, women regret what they’ve done. They wonder what their child would have been like. Also, the more abortions you have, the higher the risk that future children will be born prematurely. It’s not a good thing. 😦
 
i think that abortion has been distorted in how it is perceived in the secular world, the concept of ‘‘womens rights’’ has surpassed the basic right to live - on average every second child aborted is female, what of their rights?
As per women’s rights i am all for it, but in equality with men not a law above men, for example ‘’ a man physically assaulted his girlfriend who was pregnant with the intent of killing the unborn child she was carrying, he succeeded she lost the baby, he effected an aborton. He then rightly was charged, found guilty sent to gaol for seven years.

so without trivialising the issue - what was the crime he was sent to gaol for, the assault or the death of the unborn child…both but the primary reason was the death of the unborn child.

example 2 ‘’ a woman takes a pill or an injection with the intent of killing her unborn child she is carrying, she succeeds & loses her baby, she effected an abortion…

same result the death of an unborn child yet one is a terrible crime one is a woman’s right
 
It has been surprising to me to find the number of Catholics who say that they are pro-life personally, and abortion is not a choice they would make for themselves, but don’t want to deny another woman’s right.

They don’t seem to have thought that it is the taking of an innocent life. They are shocked to think of it this way rather than as merely a personal choice. I think women (and men too) are becoming more aware of this, and though still reticent to speak out publically, will say it one to one.

The celebratory atmosphere that you see at the rallies are, in my opinion, the recognition that there are growing numbers of people, male and female, from every walk of life, every income level, who are speaking up in public. They feel joyful in proclaiming the truth.
 
From my personal experience, I find that a lot of the people around my age (I’m 22 btw) are hostile towards people that express any kind of leaning towards being pro-choice. They have this idea that any kind of belief in God is stupid/ignorant/oppressive/ etc. and should be stomped out. They view pro-life people in a very negative light.

The other day I was reading on a celebrity news blog and found an article where a television personality admitted to having an abortion when she was younger and made a comment about why it was ‘the right choice’. I was curious about what people thought and went to read the comments. Needless to say the comments were full of people applauding her for being so ‘progressive’ and treating her abortion like the ‘simple medical procedure that it was’. The few people that commented negatively about abortion were quickly pounced on by the other commentators. I think the pages and pages of comments were a good example of just how the younger generations have been brainwashed into thinking that abortions=freedom and pro-life=ignorant/close-minded/judgmental.
 
DesDiamondS said:
From my personal experience, I find that a lot of the people around my age (I’m 22 btw) are hostile towards people that express any kind of leaning towards being pro-choice. They have this idea that any kind of belief in God is stupid/ignorant/oppressive/ etc. and should be stomped out. They view pro-life people in a very negative light.

The other day I was reading on a celebrity news blog and found an article where a television personality admitted to having an abortion when she was younger and made a comment about why it was ‘the right choice’. I was curious about what people thought and went to read the comments. Needless to say the comments were full of people applauding her for being so ‘progressive’ and treating her abortion like the ‘simple medical procedure that it was’. The few people that commented negatively about abortion were quickly pounced on by the other commentators. I think the pages and pages of comments were a good example of just how the younger generations have been brainwashed into thinking that abortions=freedom and pro-life=ignorant/close-minded/judgmental.
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i think you are 100% right!
i hate the idea of an unborn child being killed out of conveniance as many abortions are justified in terms like ‘’ it’s not the right time, she hasn’t finished university yet, they are saving for a house etc…’’
i would prefer my own daughter to be ‘’ inconvenianced’’ & responsible for her decisions rather than have my grandchild exterminated
 
DesDiamondS said:
From my personal experience, I find that a lot of the people around my age (I’m 22 btw) are hostile towards people that express any kind of leaning towards being pro-choice. They have this idea that any kind of belief in God is stupid/ignorant/oppressive/ etc. and should be stomped out. They view pro-life people in a very negative light.

The other day I was reading on a celebrity news blog and found an article where a television personality admitted to having an abortion when she was younger and made a comment about why it was ‘the right choice’. I was curious about what people thought and went to read the comments. Needless to say the comments were full of people applauding her for being so ‘progressive’ and treating her abortion like the ‘simple medical procedure that it was’. The few people that commented negatively about abortion were quickly pounced on by the other commentators. I think the pages and pages of comments were a good example of just how the younger generations have been brainwashed into thinking that abortions=freedom and pro-life=ignorant/close-minded/judgmental.
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Yeah, I find that a lot of people cannot even comprehend how someone could be pro-life. That is kind of new to me, growing up in a mostly pro-life network of people.
 
Brainwashing by media of all kinds has been going on for 50 years. It’s easy to see how young people “assume” some horrible ideas as a direct result of watching mainstream TV shows, the liberal bias that is only apparent to those of us who have received some moral instruction. That being said, poll results show that the vast majority of people do not consider abortion as a right choice or even a good choice under “certain” circumstances. Media in general does not and will not report the whole truth. The old style media journalists only reported 'who, what, when, where and how, leaving the individual with the right to interpret the information Those days are long gone. We are the voice crying in the wilderness. Attending Pro Life rallies is a joyful experience as it reinforces the goodness that is within us all. Never stop speaking the truth. The truth is the truth, no matter how many voices oppose it.:getholy:
 
JackVk said:
Read Abby Johnson’s book Unplanned. She’s an ex-Planned Parenthood director and was also their media consultant. She was basically brainwashed into telling the media that Planned Parenthood is a light in darkness, trying to help women in a sea of mad, violent anti-choice extremists who want to stifle women.
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It is the prevalence of these sorts of conspiracy theories that render the pro-life movement distasteful to people who don’t have a strong opinion on abortion. The pro-life movement isn’t taken seriously because only fundamentalist/radical type people would believe these sorts of brainwashing stories.

Most people would look at that book and say: “Here is a disgruntled employee looking to make some money by pandering to people who are predisposed to believe her negative portrayal of her ex-employer.”
 
TheTrueCentrist said:
It is the prevalence of these sorts of conspiracy theories that render the pro-life movement distasteful to people who don’t have a strong opinion on abortion. The pro-life movement isn’t taken seriously because only fundamentalist/radical type people would believe these sorts of brainwashing stories.

Most people would look at that book and say: “Here is a disgruntled employee looking to make some money by pandering to people who are predisposed to believe her negative portrayal of her ex-employer.”
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I have to agree. I think her story could be very powerful, but I wonder why it has been packaged in quite that way.

Abortion is an important issue, and people need to be so careful how they present it. When it becomes tied to weird theories, or just other ideas that some people feel are connected, it means you are cutting out a segment of people. I’ve seen some Catholics aggressively connect it to birth control. Well, I even think there is a relation, but I think telling people that to be pro-life you have to reject all artificial contraception, or women working, or whatever, is a bad idea.

This is also true of connecting it to a specific political party. That is something to be avoided, because it tends to make it seem like a partisan position, and we want it to be a human position. We can disagree on what kind of economic system is best and still agree that abortion is wrong.
 
Pro-lifers like to see ourselves as hated by those who disagree, like Christians who think the whole world is anti-Christian. It is nice to play victim sometimes. The truth is, there is certainly a lot of hate. I doubt that anyone who has been actively involved in pro-life work can say that they have never been the brunt of some serious anger.

Still, I would say that the answer to the question is no. Pro-lifers are not viewed as radical by most Americans. There is some question as to what percentage of Americans define themselves as pro-life, but if it is a minority, it is not a small minority. The vast majority of Americans, by most accountings, oppose abortion on demand but do not want it to be illegal in certain specific contexts. The vast majority, therefore, can point to us way over on one side as still closer than those on the other side who think abortion as birth control is a God-given right. In my experience, those who vilify us are way off on the other extreme.

It is worth noting also, that many of the people who are just as angry as can be, have had abortions themselves. It does not change the fact that they might think we are radicals, but it perhaps it changes our approach to dialogue if we know they are in pain and they are are covering the pain with anger.

Those in the middle on the issue may use the word radical, but pushed they reveal that they hope that pro-lifers win most of the battles we fight. So, I suppose, it depends on what one means by radical. If by radical we mean extreme, is it not an appropriate adjective? If what is meant is something more like, out of touch with mainstream American thought, I do not think that being pro-life automatically puts you in that box. I do not think that most Americans would either.
 
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