Open letter to ARCC from a crisis pregnancy centre

(Reprinted with permission from Valley Care Pregnancy Centre)

June 22, 2018

Valley Care Pregnancy Centre

An open letter to the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada

We are deeply saddened and distressed by the misunderstanding your organization displays concerning who we are and what we do as a pregnancy centre in Canada. We are simply convinced of the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death because all humanity is made in the image of God. Therefore, we seek to inform people of the wonders of life including fetal development and the risks of abortion while making strong, loving and tangible support available for those feeling the pressure of friends, family or finances to end the life God has created within them.

If someone chooses abortion, we do not condemn them. We offer help and hope to those who struggle with negative emotions and thoughts afterward. We are convinced that in an open, inclusive culture, you have all the rights in the world to exist and do your work; and in the same way, we too have these same rights.

Our God instructs us to speak the truth in love. Therefore, we would like to share some insights we have which we pray will be a blessing to you.

In looking over your website (you have a beautiful logo, by the way), we looked at your “Media” page where you show all the images you claim are necessary to be shown when discussing the topic of abortion. There are images of sad women, pregnancy tests and tiny balls of cells – some of which are in petri dishes.

Many women have shared with us that they wish they had known about fetal development before they made their decision about abortion. Women tell us they want to be told the truth about their pregnancy, so they can make an informed health decision.

Since most abortions in Canada occur between 9-12 weeks (with about 10% done after 12 weeks, according to your publications), why do you only display the outside of the fetal sac of a 6-week embryo, but do not show the development inside the 6-week fetal sac; and why do you not show any other fetal images between 7-12 weeks or beyond?

The women we have been honoured to work with have told us they didn’t like to see images of human development between 7-12 weeks and beyond because they were trying to deny that reality. They told us that if they had been given a safe, loving environment to share their story and receive complete information about what was going on inside them, they may have made a different decision, and would not have to live with the regret they now carry.

Therefore, we encourage you to add images to your media list of fetal development, inside the fetal sac, for weeks 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 so that women can make an informed health decision based on how far along their pregnancy has progressed. (www.EHD.org has amazing images and video.)

We pray for God’s blessings upon you, that you might even come to know Him, the Author and Giver of Life. He loved this world in such a way that He humbled Himself to be born among us and took upon Himself the blame for all the wrongs we have ever done. He died in our place and rose bodily from the dead, promising to forgive and heal all who trust and obey Him, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Interestingly, Jesus Himself was considered by His peers to be the result of an unplanned pregnancy! He has love and grace for all who find themselves in this situation.

God bless you,
Bill Davenport
Executive Director

More pro-life chronicles

The series on Netflix Call the Midwife is wonderful. They actually have nuns on the show; a preacher is one of the regular cast; and dare I say it, people actually pray to God on the show. Very unusual for Hollywood. Except of course it isn't done in Hollywood, it's done by the BBC. I certainly could never imagine our CBC creating a series like this.

Of course there are a lot of lovely babies born, family stories and no swearing. So refreshing.

And today Maureen and I had another lovely time on our weekly visit to the nursing home. We took two patients outside, wore our silly hats again, and sang more songs. It's so good to finally be able to take residents outside again to the garden, where the air is fresh, there is a lovely breeze and sunshine.

I visited one gentleman who I hadn't seen in a while and who is bed-ridden. Unlike many of the other patients we visit on that floor, he is completely lucid. We had a grand visit.  He's hoping to be moved to a floor higher up so that he can be with patients who are more like himself. I'm hopeful he will be able to move soon.

We also bought a Mass card for our dear friend who died last week.

I've also been looking at my crisis pregnancy centres report I wrote last year. I like to remind myself frequently about the good these places do for women. It's always good to be reminded of the positive pro-life things happening. And CPCs are most definitely top of the pro-life list.

And last but not least an MP contacted me for information on abortion and the fact that there is no charter right to abortion. I was able to provide the MP with this fantastic site which analyzes the Morgentaler decision.

All good stuff.

Two sides of the pro-life coin

This week I listened to someone who shared a first hand account of what crisis pregnancy centres deal with every day. It broke my heart.

Without going into detail because of privacy--and I already knew this--CPCs and the people who work there are truly nothing like what the radical-hate-crisis-pregnancy-centre crowd will tell you. They are the most amazing loving caring compassionate people I have ever met. Each and every one of them. And I thank God they exist. Because I could not do that work.

But what I can tell you is this. The women who come to visit CPCs, and the people who work there need our prayers and our support, and especially lots of prayers.

What I am able to do, by the grace of God, is to go on my weekly visit to the nursing home where my sister Maureen and I volunteer every week. Even though some days I don't want to go. Like this week. I almost turned around and went home again. But I didn't and I'm glad I stayed.

One of the women who I've visited for the past three years passed away this week. She was a dear woman; nearly totally deaf; always in pain from sitting too long in her chair; who always loved when I or my sister would visit her. I would usually say a prayer with her and she was always thankful for this too.

After hearing this sad news, things looked up when Maureen and I took three residents outside to sit in the sun, to sing a few songs, and wear silly hats, and, this is the best part, laugh.

Maureen actually got one of the three who at first wasn't in a laughing mood, to laugh. And she LOVED her hat. That made my day.

There is such a need for volunteers to visit nursing homes. There are so many people there who don't get visitors. Who are alone. Who appreciate wearing a silly hat. Or saying a prayer. Or just someone to listen to them. Or to hold their hand.

It's really a blessing that I can go.

What does the Ontario NDP party REALLY stand for?

I sent the email below to the NDP candidate in my riding Lyra Evans, along with NDP leader Andrea Horwath.

I noticed that one of the anarchists who blocked our March for life was carrying an NDP election sign for Lyra Evans. The sign is clearly visible in the video below.

The stated intention of these counter protesters--many of them cowardly covering their faces--was in fact to "End the March for Life". They carried a banner stating this at the front of their sorry bunch.

In fact, if I'm not mistaken, in the picture in this article by Jonathon Van Maren on the March, it looks like NDP candidate Lyra Evans is actually holding that anti-democracy sign. That also contains a hammer and sickle. 

 From the Ottawa Citizen

As Jonathon writes on what the hammer and sickle actually represents is pretty scary:

"The Soviet Union wracked up a death toll of over twenty million, with nearly two million people perishing in the gulags and nearly a million being summarily executed in the first years of Stalin’s rule. Mao’s Red China took it even further, with an estimated 45 million Chinese perishing during the Great Leap Forward—which was actually fewer dead bodies than Mao had been anticipating. He originally thought that 52 million peasants would have to die in order for Communism to be sufficiently implemented. The flag that flapped over these staggering death counts was the Hammer and Sickle, a flag now proudly waved by those purporting to protest totalitarianism."

Is this what Andrea Horwath and her party stand for? A ban on free speech rights, freedom of assembly rights for pro-life people--and maybe even worse? I hope not.

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Dear Lyra,

I live in Ottawa Vanier.

I noticed at the March for Life there was a counter protester with one of your election signs. This group's purpose is to end the March for Life, a legal, peaceful protest done against abortion in Ottawa every year.



This group illegally stopped our March from continuing.

Can you please tell me if you support freedom of speech rights, and freedom of assembly rights for all citizens including pro-life people?

Thank you.

Patricia Maloney

March for life 2018 - the real reason the police do nothing

Dear Jim Watson and Chief Bordeleau,

The reason that 125 people made it up Elgin street from Confederation Park is because our Ottawa Police stood on the west side of Elgin and watched and did absolutely nothing. Why is that? Were they told to do so by one of you?

We were lawfully protesting, with a police-approved route. These others had an illegal protest with masks and therefore should have had to stay off the roads. But they didn't.

This video is quite telling. See our police standing by for four minutes. 

See more pictures of these counter protesters hiding their faces and yelling at us and this video.

Can you please explain to me and twenty thousand peaceful pro-life marchers are treated in this disdainful way? You do realize we pay taxes like these "pro-choice" people, right?

In fact, why can't you just be honest and tell us you treat us like this because we are pro-life?

Looking forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Patricia Maloney