Daly Focus Blog
When Pat decided to have an abortion, she was convinced it was the right thing to do.
Her first marriage had ended a few years before as a teenager when her husband, also a teen, abandoned her, leaving her with a newborn son. She tried to pick up the broken pieces of her life by enrolling in college, despite the responsibilities she carried as a single mom. As a student, she wrote articles for the National Organization for Women and wholeheartedly supported abortion as a woman’s right.
With nearly 20,000 people jammed into New York City’s Times Square, this past Saturday’s historic “Alive from New York” ultrasound event exceeded all expectations.
Some of you may have been there. Many others may have watched.
As an event, it had it all: beautiful and inspirational music from Christian recording artists Francesca Battistelli and Phil King, passionate and compelling speeches from evangelist Alveda King, former NFL star Benjamin Watson, actress Ashley Bratcher, pro-life stalwarts Marjorie Dannenfelser and Christina Bennett, and abortion survivors Melissa Ohden, Josiah Presley and Claire Culwell – and the live 4D ultrasound of former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson’s baby.
On today’s Focus on the Family radio broadcast, I mentioned that corporate forces have refused to lease us space on some of the massive digital billboards in Times Square for our upcoming “Alive from New York” event.
In many ways, this blockade only confirms what we’ve long known. There are many people who don’t want the world to see these images of pre-born life, because the abortion industry is predicated on a lie – namely that a baby is just a blob of tissue inside the womb.
Stephen Arterburn calls the negative repercussions of abortion on men our nation’s “silent shame.”
Every abortion involves a man, and there have been almost 60 million abortions since 1973. That is a breathtaking number of men who either couldn’t or wouldn’t defend their own flesh and blood.
The physiological effects of post-abortion syndrome on a man can be devastating. It can include things like depression; an inability to bond with future children; a fear of loss or more pain; shame; survival guilt; or self-punishing and self-degrading behaviors like getting into relationships that are abusive because you don’t think you deserve anything better.
By now you’re aware that Focus on the Family will be hosting the largest pro-life event in Times Square history on Saturday, May 4th. We’re calling it, “Alive from New York,” and it will feature live music, inspiring speakers – and live 4D ultrasounds.
Ultrasound technology is a proven tool to help save pre-born life. In fact, over the course of the last 15 years, Focus on the Family has helped save an estimated 425,000 babies by placing ultrasound machines in high-abortion-risk areas of the country.
You’d think the United States Senate would consider the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act a “no-brainer.” The bill would have guaranteed medical care for children born alive after an attempted abortion. Of the 100 US Senators, the measure needed 60 votes to pass.
It received 53.
Nearly half of the United States Senate voted to allow infanticide – the killing of infant children.
A preponderance of abortion supporters reason that the legislation isn’t necessary. “The problem doesn’t exist,” they say.
Monday’s headlines were full of good news from the box office:
Unplanned, the powerful abortion-themed movie featuring Focus author and former Planned Parenthood director, Abby Johnson, grossed $6.1 million – more than doubling expectations. It was the second-largest launch for the Christian filmmaker Pure Flix, tracking only behind their hit, God’s Not Dead 2 ($7.6 million).
Industry experts were shocked at the NEW film’s popularity. In response to its strong opening weekend, an additional 700 theaters will now be showing the film.
Abby Johnson was an abortion clinic director for Planned Parenthood for eight years. She considered herself a Christian and believed she was helping women. But her heart was conflicted. As she described it, “I facilitated abortions on Saturday, and sat in a pew on Sunday.”
She was able to rationalize that dichotomy, in part, through Planned Parenthood’s skewed perspective. They never talk about the baby. Their focus is, and always has been, the woman. In fact, Abby was instructed never to refer to the baby at all.
Today, I was excited to see Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announce that the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are dedicated to making sure that U.S. foreign assistance does not go to organizations that promote or lobby for abortion.
This is a strong and principled step in support of life.
USAID is dedicated to helping countries and regions that have struggled with genocide, disease, famine and natural disasters. It is not an organization that was developed to subsidize the foreign abortion industry.
I wanted to remind you that registration is now open for “Alive from New York” – Focus on the Family’s largest pro-life event in its history.
The event will feature live music and inspirational speeches from special guests, as well as abortion survivors. The culminating moment of the event will be a live 4D ultrasound broadcast on several jumbotrons in Times Square.
Event capacity is limited to 10,000 attendees, so you need to act fast in order to reserve your spot.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
