App encourages prayer for women considering abortion

A US pro-life organisation is hoping to encourage more supporters to engage in prayerfully supporting their ministry

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A new app has been launched to enable Christians to pray for men and women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and uncertainty over whether they should keep their child. 

The app keeps pro-life supporters up to date with specific prayer requests and news, while also offering the ability to give financially to the cause.

The organisation behind the app is Online for Life, a non-profit outreach based in the US that aims to provide “comprehensive care to abortion-determined women and men in their deepest time of need”.

It works both on and offline to reach those considering terminating their pregnancy, coming alongside them and connecting them with life-affirming centres that provide a free ultrasound and resources on the other options available, including adoption.

OFL claims to have saved 1,447 babies so far.

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Believing that life begins at conception, the organisation cites the 55 million unborn children aborted in America since 1973 as its primary motivation. The emotional, physical and psychological trauma associated with abortion inspires the team to introduce potential parents to “life-affirming organisations where love and information can be shared in a compassionate, non-judgemental way”.

The new prayer app – available at http://www.prolifeapp.com – launched this month. It celebrates lives saved and gives notifications about women in crisis who need prayer.

Users are notified when someone in their area makes contact with a life-affirming centre in OFL’s network, meaning that they can pray for the individuals and families involved immediately.

The app also connects supporters to one another and encourages them to share with their friends and create mobile prayer groups. It shows the number of people who are already praying for life both in their area and across the US and offers an “impact feed” to celebrate the difference they are making by supporting the cause.

An ‘Events’ feature will also give information on local and national life-affirming events such as the March for Life, while ‘Updates’ will share client stories and updates on OFL.

Online for Life co-founder and president Brian Fisher has said he is “excited” about the newfound ability to connect with supporters and share prayer requests.

“What we love most about the new version is that users can see the direct impact they are having on saving babies, keeping them engaged in the process and encouraged about how they truly can make a difference,” he says.

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LEARN MORE:

http://onlineforlife.org/news/app-encourages-prayer-women-considering-abortion/

Complacency is our greatest enemy

February 19, 2014 (ALL) – When I used to do community organizing work in Chicago, yes I did say community organizing in Chicago, I quickly learned that it was all for naught.

Many of the organizations which claimed to be fighting against this or that or another injustice were often all talk and no action. Don’t get me wrong. There was a lot of action in terms of rallies, protests, and bussing countless poor people to the state capitol at least once a year to pose for pictures with political allies.

The problem is that the actions and activities were just for show. At the end of the day, the affected people were only used as props in a sick game of false and empty social justice—which only served to perpetuate the relevance of the community organizers.

If any of the social injustices they purported to be fighting against were truly eradicated, then there would no longer be a need for the busybody community organizers who are nothing more than parasites profiting off of pimping the poor as a means to their selfish ends.

There is a great difference between “empowerment,” which is a favorite word among community organizers, and “enablement,” which is what the organizers actually did.

They have enabled poor people to embrace victimhood and have sentenced them to the very same bondage they claim to be freeing them from.

Our challenge

Having said all of this, I challenge all of us doing battle to defend life to never fall for these same traps. We must never become complacent and get “comfortable” in our work.

Unlike the community organizers, our work is to end the injustice of abortion. Period. Our complacency would only be our admission that we have accepted abortion because it keeps us busy and, in some cases, paid and working.

While we may see our goal to defend life as an entirely different animal, in reality it is the ultimate fight against the ultimate injustice. We may be community organizers for life, but more accurately we are warriors for life!

I won’t even refer to our work as “the pro-life movement” because it isn’t so much a movement as it is a true and bloody war. Millions of innocents have been murdered and the war is far from over.

Each day that we do battle is a new challenge for us to ask ourselves What more can we do? How can we think and act outside the box and come up with new, creative, and more effective ways to win this war?

We already do a terrific job of empowering men and women with the truth about abortion, contraception, and the overall culture of death.

There is no doubt that many strides have been made, but at the end of the day, thousands of innocent babies are still being slaughtered through chemical and surgical abortions. The lies are being peddled and many are continuing to fall into those same “culture of death” traps.

I leave you with one more question: What else can we collaborate on together to end abortion?

Complacency is Our Greatest Enemy

LEARN MORE:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/complacency-is-our-greatest-enemy

Planned Parenthood Takes the Lead in Obamacare’s Enrollment Army

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 2/19/14 1:21 PM

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When Congress passed Obamacare, it did so over the objections of the pro-life community, which pointed out the ways in which it would fund abortions and send taxpayer dollars to the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

As the Obama administration struggles to sign up people for Obamacare, which is already rationing care as patients are denied or delayed treatment and hospitals and doctors offices closes, Planned Parenthood is taking the lead to assist the administration in signing up more Americans for the boondoggle.

The working relationship with the Obama administration will make it easy for America’s largest abortion business to sign up more customers for abortions and to plug them into their political system pushing and promoting pro-abortion candidates like President Obama. This is all funded with taxpayer dollars.

As the New York Times reports:

The campaign is staffed by organizations deploying thousands of paid and volunteer canvassers across the country. Planned Parenthood, one of the most aggressive groups, has raised millions of dollars for the effort. It is paying about 400 workers like Ms. Morwin $12 an hour. They are knocking on an average of 18,000 doors a day in eight states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Enroll America, a nonprofit group that is trying to expand the health care rolls, has hired 266 people and recruited 14,000 volunteers to not only canvass neighborhoods but also make calls at phone banks and host events at community colleges in 11 states. The group has also spent $7 million to advertise on the Internet.

The efforts are important for Mr. Obama, who has been damaged politically by the initial failures of his health care website. Now, with HealthCare.gov finally working, his administration and outside supporters are racing to meet their goal of signing up seven million people by March 31. By the end of January, nearly 3.3 million people had enrolled. To the canvassers, at least, the original goal seems a long way off.

“Can’t sweat the small stuff, not in this biz,” Ms. Morwin said, after retreating from a run-down rental property on a modest street lined with palm trees in Hollywood, where she was once again informed that the person on her list no longer lived there. “You see the challenges I have?”

The canvassers’ lists are derived from data created at Enroll America’s offices in Washington by some of the same computer programmers who churned out the statistical models for Mr. Obama’s presidential campaigns. Using commercially available information, the data experts generate lists of people with rankings that indicate their likelihood of needing health insurance. The typical uninsured is younger, male and either low-income or unemployed.

People are scored from zero to 100, with those at the top most likely to be uninsured. By using an uninsured score of just 20 or higher, Planned Parenthood is casting a wider net to improve the chance that its door-knockers find people without insurance. In Broward County, home to 1.39 million people, the Enroll America data lists 284,000 such targets between the ages of 18 and 45.

In Florida, Planned Parenthood has turned the data into “heat maps” of the uninsured, with neighborhoods colored in varying intensities of red to indicate where most of the targets live.

After more than an hour canvassing Hollywood for Planned Parenthood, Alberonick Valsaint, 42, had yet to sign up anyone for health insurance.

LEARN MORE:

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/02/19/planned-parenthood-takes-the-lead-in-obamacares-enrollment-army/

After 41 Years of Abortion, Here’s 41 Reasons I’m Pro-Life

by Maria Vitale Gallagher | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 2/19/14 10:51 AM

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In commemoration of the 41^st anniversary of the tragic U.S. Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade and its companion decision, Doe v. Bolton, here are the 41 reasons I am pro-life:

1. Every child, no matter what race, religion, or the circumstances of conception, has an inherent right to live.
2. Motherhood is a beautiful gift which should be celebrated, not eliminated.
3. Abortion is an egregious attack on the family.
4. A true feminist supports other women, including those in the womb.
5. Abortion is not an anti-poverty plan but simply a means to eliminate the poor.
6. As the big sister of a preemie, I learned the value of the littlest lives.
7. It is a supreme injustice to destroy an entire class of people—those with special needs—by means of abortion.
8. The pro-life movement sees women as strong and capable.
9. It is heartbreaking to see a father cry over the loss of his unborn child.
10. There is no supermodel more beautiful than a woman cradling a second life within her.
11. The March for Life is the most inspiring event I have ever witnessed.
12. I have seen women who have had an abortion experience profound healing and new hope after joining the pro-life movement.
13. The people, the people, the people!
14. No sound is as sweet as a mother singing a lullaby to her newborn.
15. A friend introduced me to the landmark book Grand Illusions by George Grant and my eyes opened to the immense tragedy that abortion represents.
16. My Church has been pro-life since its inception.
17. The friends and family members who were adopted who have so enriched my life.
18. Norma McCorvey, the late Bernard Nathanson, and Abby Johnson, who once accepted and promoted abortion but who later chose to embrace life.
19. Lila Rose, who has brought the head of a journalist and the heart of a civil rights pioneer to the pro-life movement.
20. The many women and men who work tirelessly in local pro-life groups, volunteering through bitter cold and blazing sun to bring the pro-life message to their communities.
21. The only logical beginning to life is conception and the only logical end is natural death.
22. The pro-life movement is on the right side of history.
23. The miracle of ultrasound, which introduced me to the miracle that lies within a mother’s womb.
24. Dr. Alveda King and her bold proclamation that the pro-life movement is the civil rights movement of our time.
25. The hope that is as natural to pro-lifers as breathing.
26. My childhood idol, suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was pro-life.
27. Pregnancy help centers, which extend a hand of friendship to women in often incredibly difficult circumstances.
28. An unborn child should not be forced to suffer for the mistakes her parents may have made.
29. The high school and college students, who bring energy and enthusiasm to the pro-life movement.
30. Abortion does not solve problems for women—it only creates additional ones.
31. No baby should be blocked access to birth.
32. Actor Eduardo Verastegui, who has become a pro-life ambassador to Hollywood.
33. “L’Chaim” (“To Life”) is a wonderful phrase to live by.
34.  The late Congressman Henry Hyde, who fearlessly fought for the right of taxpayers not to fund the abortion industry.
35. Without the right to life, none of the other rights we hold as Americans could be exercised.
36. The people who are determined not to allow their disabilities to become death sentences.
37. My training as a journalist taught me to search for truth, and to be pro-life is to recognize the truth that abortion ends an innocent human life and can cause immeasurable pain for a mother.
38. Being pro-life brings indescribable joy and peace of mind.
39. In the pro-life movement I work shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the finest people in the world.
40. My mother—who lost her job because she was pregnant—and my father, who was unemployed—chose life for their baby girl (me).
41. My daughter.

LEARN MORE:

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/02/19/after-41-years-of-abortion-heres-41-reasons-im-pro-life/

Transforming hearts one pro-life meme at a time

This unthinkable experience occurred in the early 1970s as Roe v. Wade was being discussed in the courts.  Rationalizations for abortion were considered, including the common one for cases of rape and incest.  Birgit’s family saw no possible rationale for killing this innocent baby conceived in rape.

As Birgit writes on her blog, “And now it had hit home. Should a girl really carry her attacker’s child? For this irrevocably Catholic family there was only one answer, ‘yes’! After all, why punish the child for his father’s crime? Wouldn’t that just create another victim? That child had committed no crime, had been convicted by no jury. To give him a death sentence would be the height of injustice.”

She gave birth to a beautiful blue-eyed baby boy and her parents lovingly welcomed him into their home, adopting him as one of their own children.

Birgit bravely pressed on in her life.  She married her high school sweetheart her senior year, going on to graduate from college with a BA in Art.  She and her husband went on to start a family soon after.

When her three children were still young, Birgit began having a desire to become actively involved in pro-life work.  She wrote letters to the editor in her local newspaper and got noticed by people in the pro-life movement.

She was asked to be the first executive director of a local pro-life group in Owensboro, Kentucky but she refused, believing her season of life was to be at home with her children.  They kept asking her and eventually, the time was right.  Her dying mother was the greatest source of encouragement to her in deciding to take the position.

As the years went by, Birgit continued to be an influential pro-life advocate in her community. Her children grew up and two of them have begun families of their own.

She fell in love with her grandchildren and began taking their pictures.  She developed the idea of making the pictures into statements about life. 

Thus, the idea for her pro-life memes was born.  Says Birgit of the memes, “Abortion is not a pretty topic.  But I’ve transformed the way I approach it to be much kinder and gentler.  It’s more about the soft images, the beauty of life.”

She says she recognizes that abortion doesn’t have one identity but is multifaceted.  “I try to win people through their hearts, through their feelings, through their motherhood, their grandmotherhood, and through their siblings,” she says.

Her memes have caught the attention of many on Facebook, Twitter and other social media as well as churches all over the country.  Last year, Birgit was contacted by individuals wishing to showcase some of her memes on display boards at the back of their churches during 40 Days for Life.  This idea inspired Birgit and she was granted permission to begin displaying memes at the back of churches in her diocese.

Birgit is happy to offer her memes on her Facebook page for free use to others.  “It is the kind of craft that needs the appreciation of others in order to be spread,” she says.

When asked how others can use their abilities to spread a pro-life message, she says, “Let your passions and whatever gifts you’ve been given collaborate together and let the Holy Spirit inspire you.” 

“Remember,” she adds, “the outcome belongs to God.”

See Birgit Jones’ pro-life memes on her Facebook page here.

LEARN MORE:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/transforming-hearts-one-pro-life-meme-at-a-time

 

She Was Conceived in Incest, Should She Have Been Killed in Abortion?

by Monica Kelsey | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 2/18/14 2:28 PM

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On a hot summer day in June of 2008 Kristi Hofferber decided it was time to talk to her adoptive parents about getting information about her birth parents. Kristi never felt the need to step back into her past, and always felt unsettled about it. But on this hot day in June 2008 she decided to go back in time and what she found out about her birth parents has become the biggest shock of her life.

Kristi was adopted at birth into a loving home and was raised in the Lutheran church. She grew up knowing she was adopted and was the only child for this young married couple out of Illinois.  She was never sure why her birthmother placed her up for adoption and was never sure if she ever really wanted to know the reason why.

When Kristi was 13 years old, her adoptive parents read a local newspaper article about a father who had molested his daughter for years and was being charged with rape and molestation of a dependent. The newspaper printed this families name and that’s when Kristis’ parents discovered the truth about Kristis young life. Kristi’s parents were mistakenly given the name of her birth family during the adoption process back in 1978. They decided to keep this information secret until Kristi was old enough to understand and mature enough to handle this kind of information.

For years Kristis’ adoptive parents told her that when she wanted information concerning her birth family, they would sit down with her to discuss it.  Kristi was content in her life and didn’t feel the need to revisit her past.  It wasn’t until Kristi was 30 years old, after being married with a child of their own, she felt God moving her towards finding out about her birth.

“I tried to talk to my mom and dad lots of times about opening my birth records but I felt like I was disrespecting them in some way so I didn’t”.  “When I finally got up enough nerve and they sat me down and told me the truth, I was taken back by what they told me”.

Kristis birth-mother was repeatedly molested by her father and as a result, became pregnant with Kristi.  Out of years of abuse and torture, Kristi became the only survivor of 6 children conceived in incest.  Four of the pregnancies ended in abortion to hide her fathers crime and one forced miscarriage due to abuse.  The abuse went on for almost 20 years until Kristi’s birthmother was strong enough to put an end to it. Kristi’s birthmother/sister finally pressed charges against her father and Kristis birthfather/grandfather went to prison.

One of the questions Kristi gets asked a lot at the events she speaks at is “do you have any physical abnormalities since you were conceived in incest”?  “This makes me laugh because this is why society tells women to abort children conceived in incest”, Kristi says.  ”Like there is going to be something wrong with their child, like I should be purple with green dots or something”. “I am as normal as anyone in this auditorium, I am not an exception I just have an exceptional story”.

Kristi knows that her life is a gift and she is not only lucky to be alive but blessed to be strong enough to tell her birthmothers/sisters story.  Kristi is now speaking out publicly and has joined forces with Pam Stenzel and Monica Kelsey and our organization “Living Exceptions”.

“Living Exceptions” is a non profit organization that is made up of members who are conceived in rape or incest and are educating individuals how to be 100% pro-life with no exceptions.  60% of the pro-life community have a rape/incest exception and Kristi is dedicating her life to educating people in the pro-life movement that being “pro-life” means that all life has value.  You can follow Kristi on her pro-life speaker page at www.facebook.com/kristihofferber. To have Kristi speak at your event please use the contact page on www.livingexceptions.com.

LEARN MORE:

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/02/18/she-was-conceived-in-incest-should-she-have-been-killed-in-abortion/

How Should Pro-Lifers Talk About Birth Control?

by Josh Brahm | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 2/18/14 11:19 AM

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