Today on LSN there were two very interesting blogposts that dealt with the end of abortion:
What God-given rights would you bleed for?
The end of abortion (will not be pretty)
Kristen Walker says when abortion will come to an end, it will involve forcing some pro-aborts to accept the new reality. And making them really mad.
Alissa Golob asks the question: what rights are you willing to bleed for.
I'd like to add my two cents about the end to abortion.
Abortion will not end without martyrdom.
How many bona fide pro-life martyrs are there in Canada?
You can name them all: Linda Gibbons. Ruth Lobo and the other Carleton U. students. Bill Whatcott. Whatever you may think of his tactics, he's willing to walk the walk and suffer for his beliefs, and he has numerous times.
If we are not willing to suffer for our cause, God will not give us victory. Do you really think God ever does things so that we're all comfy-cozy in our engagement?
No.
We will not end abortion simply with clicks and votes.
So what did I have in mind?
There are many leftist readers on my blog right now. And I suspect they think I mean we should commit violence against people involved in abortion.
I've never condoned violence. I oppose it.
I simply mean that pro-lifers will have to stand up to the unjust pro-abortion structures in our country and be ready to suffer in the name of Christ.
This may even involve being targeted by poor-choicers, who have hurt pro-life witnesses in the past.
Once upon a time, pro-lifers thought that winning the battle against abortion was a matter of political strategem.
And of course we've come to realize that this is ultimately a spiritual battle. Spiritual battles require spiritual means.
God does not grant victory to people unwilling to take up their crosses.
There are many good and dedicated pro-lifers doing all they can to fight the good fight.
But I do not see a heckuva lot of martyrdom in Canada.
I know that someone will object that I should be the first to step up to the plate because I'm the one raising the point.
There is a kernel of truth to this. I struggle with this. I am a mother. I think about the welfare about my children above all else. I am not in a good position to make myself a target. Prudence suggests to me that this is not what I should do.
Objectively speaking, though, there is no way around the truth that if pro-lifers want to win, they must each suffer the cross.
And losing an election is not suffering a cross. Being called a name on a blog is not suffering a cross.
I'm talking about major suffering: Getting arrested. Losing a job. Being physically attacked by a poor-choicer. I'm talking about serious inconvenience.
And this has to be undergone on a wide scale.
I don't see it in our movement. I don't want to disparage what pro-lifers are doing, because they are doing good work, and they're doing what's necessary in worldly terms. But it's insufficient in spiritual terms.
If you look at secular social movements, they had their heroes.They succeed according to how badly the members wanted victory. If secular movements won with suffering, don't expect Christian-led movements to win with less effort. And not just because our culture is hostile to Christianity. It has to do with the spiritual truth that God doesn't hand us victory on a platter. That's not his way. If you want the victory of Christ, you have to suffer with him.
Without this effort to suffer for the cause, we're not going to win. No cross, no victory. So the question becomes: how can we take up our cross?
My hope is that someday, a group of individuals will found a community or an order of single people whose only goal is the pro-life cause. I know Priests for Life and the Sister for Life have done some good work. But I was thinking more along the lines of a secular institute, of single, celibate people so that they can be involved in every worldly field.
I see these people praying in front of clinics, making sure that every clinic has at least one witness on every abortion day. When laws are passed to prohibit this witness, as it would inevitably be the case, they would go to jail and suffer there. And then more individuals would take their place. They would set up witness in other areas too-- for example, college campuses or the public square. Someone would find an excuse to jail them as well. Maybe even hurt them. They would accept the controversy and inconvenience as part of the mortification necessary to make reparation for Canada's sins.
We can't all be martyrs. We are not all called to undergo this suffering, but somebody has got to do it. Think of me what you will, but this is the objective truth.
