I’m convinced that the majority of people who support legalized abortion don’t really understand what it involves. Although I’ve been a practicing (more or less) Catholic for my entire life, I was EXTREMELY apathetic about abortion. Yeah, I guess I was pro-life, but I never gave it too much thought. After all, I had my own problems. One day, approximately 20 years ago, something drastic happened and it changed my outlook forever. I saw a picture of an aborted baby in a trash can. A precious life that was intentionally snuffed out and discarded like a piece of garbage. From that moment on I became strongly pro-life.
Many questions have arisen about whether or not graphic pictures of aborted babies should be used by those in the pro-life movement. As I mentioned, it worked for me. I saw all that I needed to see and I’ve done all I can to avoid seeing another such picture. When I originally wrote this post, I included a link to a gruesome photo gallery on the Priests for Life website. After reviewing my comments and reading an excellent blog post from Simcha Fisher on the subject, I decided to modify my post and remove the link. What changed my mind? The fact that it never really dawned on me that the aborted babies used in these pictures were human beings who deserved to be treated with respect and dignity. My zeal for proclaiming the truth about the evil of abortion caused me to lose sight of the bigger picture. Although the use of the pictures can be very effective in some cases, I agree that using them could show a lack of respect for the dignity of the victims.
As a result, I’ve decided to link to another Priests for Life photo gallery, one containing photographic images of fetal development through the first 6 months of pregnancy. I think it makes the point in a much better way. Am I copping out? I don’t think so. Rather, I’d like to think that I learned something today. If we’re really going to win the battle and convert people to the side of life, we all have to be willing to constantly reevaluate our approach and make sure that we don’t let our pride get in the way. Is it wrong to use graphic pictures in certain limited cases? I can’t say for sure, especially since so many lives are at stake. For me personally, however, I’ve decided to go a different route. The important thing is that we continue to expose the myth that abortion is all about choice and let others know what it really is…
Murder!
http://www.priestsforlife.org/resources/abortionimages/fetaldevelopment.htm
Displaying the dead body of a human being in a naked bloody state is highly disrespectful to the individual person you are displaying in this manner. If your grandmother was murdered and raped, would you want a photo of her naked body to be displayed in a public forum simply because you think that someone may be moved to find the murderer and prevent them from killing again? What about your wife? Would you want the naked, bloody body of your wife to be put on the internet for any stranger to see? The fact that you are willing to display these kind of pictures tells me that you yourself do not believe in the sanctity of the life and personhood of the baby that you are exposing to public view in this way. The ends do NOT justify the means. Find another way to get your point across.
You bring up an interesting point, Silver. For the record, these are not my photos, but are from the Priests for Life website. I was converted by seeing one of these pictures and the image has remained with me. In addition, I would never advocate using images such as these without a great deal of discretion.
Your point about the photos being disrespectful is one that really causes me to pause and think. I wonder if a more appropriate, but equally effective approach would be to use ultrasound pictures? This technology has increased dramatically in recent years and can make the same point in a more respectful and less gruesome way. Thanks for your comments…they were very powerful and thought provoking.
God Bless,
Gary