May 18 Protest of Wendy Davis at Planned Parenthood Fundraiser

The director of Citizens for a Prolife Society (CPLS) is calling for all prolife advocates in mid and south Michigan to attend a protest of former Texas Senator Wendy Davis at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser on Monday, May 18, 2015. Davis will be the keynote speaker at the sold-out event, which will begin at 11 a.m. at The Henry, a Marriott hotel located at 300 Town Center Drive, Dearborn, Michigan.

Davis became nationally recognized for her prochoice stance when she “filibustered for 13 hours to stop passage of a Texas law that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy,” according to Dr. Monica Miller, the director of CPLS and organizer of this protest.

“Substantial medical evidence demonstrates that unborn children are capable of experiencing pain, certainly by 20 weeks after fertilization,” according to a statement issued by National Right to Life Committee, Inc. (NRLC). The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act “is legislation which protects from abortion unborn children who are capable of feeling pain,” and has already been passed in nine states. The law is pending in two states.

The House is voting on making the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act a federal law this week, but even if it is passed, it is likely that it will then be vetoed by the president. If it is vetoed, the law will still be upheld in the states that have already passed it, but it would not become the law of the land.

Monday’s protest is expected to last until 1:30 p.m. Protesters are asked to arrive promptly at 11 a.m. and may bring signs, but signs will also be provided.

Dr. Monica Miller, director of Citizens for a Prolife Society

Ryan Bomberger Speaks at Celebration of Life

More than 400 people filled the Brighton Nazarene Church on April 16, 2015 to hear Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation speak about the intrinsic value of each human life. This was the keynote speech during Pregnancy Help Clinic’s 40^th Annual Celebration of Life.

Mike Ervin, master of ceremonies and member of the Men’s Team at Pregnancy Help Clinic, referred to Ryan’s life as “miraculous” because Ryan was the product of rape, but his mother chose life instead of abortion. Rape and incest are the two exceptions that even many otherwise prolife people think should be allowed when considering laws restricting abortion.

Ryan was adopted at six weeks by a loving Christian couple who ended up being the parents of three biological children and ten adopted, the latter of many races and ethnic backgrounds. He and his siblings and adoptive parents are still a very tight-knit group and proof that every human life has value. Each of those children is a productive member of society, working to make this world a better place.

Ryan and his wife, Bethany, are doing their part as co-founders of The Radiance Foundation, an organization formed in 2009 that seeks to inform the public about the value and “incredible possibility” of each human life. The foundation strives to “illuminate the irreplaceable worth each of us possess, educate diverse audiences about a myriad of social issues, and motivate people from unawareness to positive action.”

Some of the issues the foundation tackles and promotes are the racist and eugenic past of Planned Parenthood via TooManyAborted.com, compassionate outreach through Sally’s Lambs, which celebrates adoption “while cherishing birth moms,” and “character development and community action” in Shine, a branch of the foundation that aims to help people realize the value of “integrity, honesty, hard work, faith, restraint, and service to others.” During the speech, Ryan stated that more than 70% of African American babies are born to single mothers, continuing a dead-end cycle of poverty and fatherlessness. The Radiance Foundation seeks to combat that hopelessness by teaching that traditional marriage is the foundation of a strong society.

For more information, visit The Radiance Foundation at http://www.theradiancefoundation.org/

Longtime Director to Speak at Dinner

Right to Life of Livingston County’s 23^rd annual Focus on Life dinner will be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2013, at Crystal Gardens Banquet Center, 5768 E. Grand River, Howell, Michigan. Registration begins at 6 p.m., and the event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Ed Rivet, who has been the legislative director of Right to Life of Michigan for over 25 years, is the scheduled keynote speaker. His topic is “Obamacare vs. Human Dignity: What is at Stake.” Senator Joe Hune will be the master of ceremonies.

Tickets for the dinner are $50 per person or $450 for a table of ten. Student tickets are $30. Checks are payable to Right to Life of Livingston County, Inc., P.O. Box 934, Brighton, MI 48116. For additional information, call the Right to Life office at (810)227-5788 or email rtllc@sbcglobal.net. 

Unconditional Love

Quiet times in my house are rare, so on a summer morning after some have left for work and the others are still asleep, I enjoy being able to think. I know that mothers with big families and/or small children can relate! The other day, though, the silence felt heavy and made me start thinking about my mom. It will be 20 years in December since she died at the too-young age of 64. I still miss her terribly and hope that someday I’ll see her again, but I really have no idea about that.

Thinking about my mom made me think about how much mothers (some – the normal ones, anyway) love their babies. The ones I’m thinking about – like me and the women I know – love their babies before they’re even born, before they’ve even seen them. They love them unconditionally, which means that this same child can (and probably will—maybe more than once) rip his mother’s heart out and although she may be very sad and angry, she will still love him. This parent* – child relationship is the only time humans love this way. This is the only “unconditional” love.

Thinking about unconditional love made me think about abortion and how it’s changed human relationships. If you know me, you know that I am passionately prolife. I cannot understand abortion or the people who support it. It seems obvious to me that it’s the murder of an innocent human being and therefore wrong. I recently read an excellent memoir about prolife activism – Abandoned by Dr. Monica Miller – in which the author explains that abortion is not only murder but the vilest form of rejection. Aborted babies are ripped from their mothers’ wombs – what should be the safest place in the world – and stripped of their humanity, even considered less than human. They are implicitly declared not worthy of inclusion in our human race; they are nothing -- rejected, unloved, unwanted.

Making abortion legal 40 years ago not only didn’t make it rare or safe, but it also permanently altered how we view each other. What was once generally assumed to be a sure and unconditional love – that love between a mother and her baby – is now not unconditional at all. In fact, this love is so conditional  that a mother has the right to not only not love, but to hate to the greatest degree – by arranging for the murder of her own child.

Now, “sacrifice” no longer necessarily means giving up something in order to benefit another. Rather, it’s been twisted in the most evil way. Sacrifice now may not be the mother giving up something in order to love and care for her child, but possibly sacrificing her child so that she doesn’t have to relinquish anything.

It’s hard for me to look at pregnant women and mothers of babies and young children without recalling the statistic that one out of three women will have had an abortion by the age of 45. When I see a young mom or one with a big belly, it makes me wonder…..did she ever have an abortion? And if she did, how then can she really love her other children? What if they find out that their mother aborted their sibling? Will they wonder, “Why not me?”

Abortion is murder. It’s a sad and harsh day, but a great day, when people who’ve participated in this atrocity finally acknowledge what they’ve done. While unspeakably difficult, acknowledgement is the critical first step. Thankfully, there is a great, healing Physician who is able and willing to forgive all sins when one truly repents. If this is you, it is my most sincere hope that you will recognize Jesus Christ for who He is – the Messiah. He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” As He said, no one can come to the Father except through Him. He can and will save you and heal your broken heart if you ask. It will take time and support is strongly recommended. Visit http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/ or http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/. If you live in Livingston County, Michigan, there is confidential group and individual support available at Pregnancy Help Clinic http://www.pregnancyhelpclinic.com/

*Normal fathers love unconditionally, too.

"October Baby" to Speak at Fundraiser

Abortion survivor, Gianna Jessen, subject of the movie, October Baby, will be the keynote speaker at Pregnancy Help Clinic’s annual Celebration of Life on April 18, 2013.

“Ms. Jessen has an amazing story to tell that is important for both prolife and prochoice people to hear. She brings truth to the conversation, a truth that cannot be overlooked: abortion takes the life of a real human being. Gianna Jessen is one of the few who have survived to tell their story. Her life is the inspiration for the blockbuster movie, October Baby,” said Ann O’Reilly, director of community development at Pregnancy Help Clinic in Brighton, Michigan.

This fundraising event will take place on Thursday, April 18, 2013, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Brighton Church of the Nazarene, 7669 Brighton Road, Brighton. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased at the door or in advance from Pregnancy Help Clinic by calling 810-494-5433 or by visiting their website at www.PregnancyHelpClinic.com.

In addition to Ms. Jessen’s speech, audience members will be treated to an appetizer and dessert buffet, music, and updates about Pregnancy Help Clinic. According to Ms. O’Reilly, the Celebration of Life is not only “the major fundraiser of the year, but also a time to celebrate victories, thank volunteers, and educate the community about prolife issues.” Previous speakers have included Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Norma McCorvey, “Roe” from Roe v. Wade, among others.

Take a Stand Against Abortion This Weekend

Pro-life advocates have a busy weekend ahead with two important events: Run for Their Lives 5C Charity Walk on Saturday morning and Life Chain on Sunday afternoon.

Run for Their Lives 5C Charity Walk begins with check-in at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 6 at Brighton Church of the Nazarene, 7679 Brighton Road, Brighton. The cost to participate is $20 for the first ticket and $10 for each additional ticket in the same group or family. Included in the fee are a t-shirt and a chocolate treasure map leading walkers one mile into downtown Brighton where they will be instructed to stop in at designated shops for chocolate treats. All proceeds benefit Pregnancy Help Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending abortion by providing practical help to mothers who are dealing with unplanned pregnancies. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by visiting the following link:  www.PregnancyHelpClinic.com/RunForTHeirLives

Pro-life advocates will have another chance to take a stance against abortion on Sunday, October 7 from 2 to 3 p.m. by standing along Grand River Avenue for the annual Life Chain. Signs with slogans such as “Abortion Kills Children” and “Lord, Forgive Us and Our Nation” will be ready for pick-up at Pregnancy Help Clinic, 7743 W. Grand River in Brighton, starting at 1:30 p.m. the same day. Life Chain is a national event during which participants peacefully stand, holding signs, and pray for an end to abortion.