Trying to Save the Unborn

[TheLiberator]

I have recently been talking to people on Yahoo! Answers and two threads on the BabyCenter forums (Termination for Medical Reasons: community.babycenter.com/groups/a6325/termination_for_medical_reasons, and Termination for Non-Medical Reasons: community.babycenter.com/groups/a7815/termination_for_non-medical_reasons) in the hopes of convincing them not to have abortions or use abortive drugs/drugs capable of inducing abortions, such as Plan B. I feel as if I have done very little; I have been mocked at every turn by the pro-abortion “feminists” on Yahoo! Answers and am terrified to write there, having not done so since Saturday. I have started sending messages to women in need of guidance on BabyCenter, only to receive two particularly angry, outraged responses from somebody who has since ended their child’s life due to a strong possibility of the child dying.

I feel guilty, because I spend a lot of time online having fun and I spend a lot of time in my life doing other things, and I feel as if I am letting children die by not responding to all or the most recent posts (I haven’t done any of the most recent posts on either thread today). I feel desperate, and the pro-abortion crowd makes lists of pro-life people for others to block/ignore. They even censor opposing views; I posted on their forums in a compassionate manner to convince various people to not turn to abortion, but all of my posts were deleted. Since then, I’ve turned to the site’s messaging system.

Am I to blame if a child is killed through abortion, a child I could have saved by devoting my time towards writing messages? Sometimes, I stay away from the boards or don’t write any messages to people considering abortion because of some combination of laziness or cowardice or fear of retribution or fatigue. This is too much stress for me to take. I could use some help from the people on this site who are willing to write kind notes to convince people against abortion, and I have already befriended some Catholics on the site who also write in order to stop these abortions from happening.

What do I do? I’m trying to do the right thing and save unborn lives, much like our abolitionist forebears opposed slavery, despite threat of death or prison. Think Henry David Thoreau being imprisoned for tax evasion or William Lloyd Garrison being dragged on a noose throughout Boston by an angry mob.

 

[QuestLove]

I have recently been talking to people on Yahoo! Answers and two threads on the BabyCenter forums (Termination for Medical Reasons: community.babycenter.com/groups/a6325/termination_for_medical_reasons, and Termination for Non-Medical Reasons:

Am I to blame if a child is killed through abortion, a child I could have saved by devoting my time towards writing messages?

Wow, that’s taking on a lot. I cannot fathom how you are possibly responsible for the decision made by some random person in cyber-space. You have said your piece and sown the seed, leave the rest up to God. You are not all powerful, why would you assume the stress of being responsible for the choices of others. It is hard to even get people we see face-to-face everyday to take our advice and follow it, much less someone who is out in cyberspace who don’t even know you.

It is an arrogance that we all suffer from at times. We forget that we can only tell others the truth. It is God who is capable of turning their hearts. I always try and remember that when I give someone advice and they end up outright rejecting it. Do what most people do, Pray for them.

 

[Auntie_A]

Your desire to save lives is to be commended; but you might want to rest, pray, and re-consider your tactics. There may be better ways to educate and save lives. Find others and learn from others about effective ways to change minds and save lives.

Read about people who changed their minds and hearts about abortion; what caused the change? Prayer? Someone educating them? Find out. Learn. Be humble and strong.

 

[QuestLove]

Your desire to save lives is to be commended; but you might want to rest, pray, and re-consider your tactics.
Read about people who changed their minds and hearts about abortion; what caused the change? Prayer? Someone educating them? Find out. Learn. Be humble and strong.

I agree. I think that sometimes the messenger can get in the way of the message.

To the OP, on the internet you have to be careful because certain things may come across as harassing or judgmental and may shut down communication immediately. Then someone who may be open to listening to you begins to shut down.

 

[Sean_St_Jude]

I laud you for going into these sites and doing what you’re doing and I’m willing to get in there with you, but first I need background information. What do you mean about Yahoo!Answers? Is that where people ask a question and they vote on the best answer? I don’t think they allow dissenting voices on there, so if you’ve gotten through, God has used you for the good of humanity. Don’t worry about what others tell you or about their insults. You’ve done your job. Whatever happens after that, leave it to God.

I make it a habit of going into Yahoo News and every time there are articles about gay marriage, abortion, or anti-Catholic/Christian messages, I leave my two cents worth on there. I can recall Bible verses, so I look up on another tab where that verse is and copy and paste. I have been called all sorts of things, but after over 600 messages, I have developed a thick skin. I’m doing what I do for love of Christ and neighbor.

Hang in there and don’t let them intimidate you. They themselves are being confused and intimidated by the Culture of Death and ultimately demons who want them to destroy a life people refuse to recognize.

 

[manualman]

The internet creates bubble worlds where people can isolate themselves. Even CAF can be like that if you don’t get enough physical world people contact! I took a look and quickly realized that that place is a bubble world where ANY encouragement to consider other options besides abortion or even providing help resource info is considered “nasty, hateful, judgmental and trollish.” Sheesh.

You can’t pop some people’s bubbles. Save heavy efforts for the real world and keep online presence in it’s (small) place in life. Yes, I’m aware of the irony given my post count. But I’ve been here long enough that it’s under 4 posts a day. Balance.

 

[TheLiberator]

I agree. I think that sometimes the messenger can get in the way of the message.

To the OP, on the internet you have to be careful because certain things may come across as harassing or judgmental and may shut down communication immediately. Then someone who may be open to listening to you begins to shut down.

And my account has now been shut down. Typical. Any and all views which don’t agree with the general consensus are quickly done away with.

What’s disturbing is the fact that I was always civil, courteous, and compassionate in my messages; I never referenced God, just in case the person I was writing was irreligious or of a different faith. I never insulted the message receiver. I was always nice; of course, according to the pro-abortion zealots on those boards, anyone who recognizes that abortion is murder (a scientific and medical fact, given that life begins at conception/fertilization/the minute that the sperm and egg cells unite) and who warns women against its evils and injustices is hateful and must be turned into an online pariah. I’ve even been put on their “troll” list. Because sharing views someone disagrees with makes one a troll.

What’s even more disturbing is how they shut down my membership AFTER I stopped posting on their forums. Instead, I opted for direct communication with the people starting threads, rather than posting directly to their forums. They’ll do anything in their power to shut down anyone who disagrees with them; heck, some of these people actually make donations to pro-abortion groups under the names of pro-life posters. How sick and twisted is that?

Anyway, thank you for the help. I needed some fellow Christian guidance before moving on. I encourage everyone to take part in those forums and use kindness to discourage people from committing abortion. Just because many Christians oppose abortion doesn’t change the fact that from a 100% secular worldview, abortion is still entirely and unequivocally wrong. Just like slavery.

 

[SouthCatholic]

And my account has now been shut down. Typical. Any and all views which don’t agree with the general consensus are quickly done away with.

What’s disturbing is the fact that I was always civil, courteous, and compassionate in my messages; I never referenced God, just in case the person I was writing was irreligious or of a different faith. I never insulted the message receiver. I was always nice; of course, according to the pro-abortion zealots on those boards, anyone who recognizes that abortion is murder (a scientific and medical fact, given that life begins at conception/fertilization/the minute that the sperm and egg cells unite) and who warns women against its evils and injustices is hateful and must be turned into an online pariah. I’ve even been put on their “troll” list. Because sharing views someone disagrees with makes one a troll.

What’s even more disturbing is how they shut down my membership AFTER I stopped posting on their forums. Instead, I opted for direct communication with the people starting threads, rather than posting directly to their forums. They’ll do anything in their power to shut down anyone who disagrees with them; heck, some of these people actually make donations to pro-abortion groups under the names of pro-life posters. How sick and twisted is that?

Anyway, thank you for the help. I needed some fellow Christian guidance before moving on. I encourage everyone to take part in those forums and use kindness to discourage people from committing abortion. Just because many Christians oppose abortion doesn’t change the fact that from a 100% secular worldview, abortion is still entirely and unequivocally wrong. Just like slavery.

Your account was shut down on baby center???

They have in their guidelines that abortion is legal so you really are not allowed to go in and make anti-abortion comments (except in the debates forum). So, my guess is that is why your accounts was blocked. And, the fact that you made those comments in the Medical Termination forum probably set those women, who were already at various stages of grief, completely off!

 

[TheLiberator]

I don’t post on their forums anymore. I just use the messaging service to reach out to women in order to turn them away from abortion. And I always use compassion, courteousness, reason, and generosity, rather than rude dialogue, being judgmental, and the like. The goal is to save unborn children, so none of those things really help.

I’ve always been of the opinion that unjust legislation and policies should be questioned at every turn, even when a gag rule exists.

 

[merne9]

I have to stop myself from going on these websites and any open forum with some of these anti-catholic teachings. I, like you, was answering, commenting, and so on every chance I got. First, people don’t leave comments to be contacted. If someone is leaving comments they’re mind is already made up. We certainly can’t change their minds online.
from personal experience, some of these beliefs are too deep to be changed by a messenger. It is so personal and a process.
I think you really want to make an actual difference. I have been trying to manage my schedule to volunteer at a pregnancy crisis center. I think I could make a difference one-on-one. Also, I have heard of people praying the rosary outside of abortion clinics and successfully stop woman from going in.
I have come to the conclusion that I have to do something about it. Maybe your parish or local parish have something you can be a part of.
I join you in the sorrow I feel. Thousands of abortions per day. 90% of babies with down syndrome are aborted. I have a special needs child and when I go pick him up from class along with other moms I thank them in silence for choosing life.