8 week old embryo
Today is Respect Life Sunday in the Catholic Church, as well as perhaps other churches. We have been asked to write about the topic of abortion in our blogs. This is a hard topic. It often divides people. But it is so important, that I am going to attempt to do an entry.
-------------------------------------------------------------
abortion (noun) - The termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus; especially: the medical procedure of inducing expulsion of a human embryo to terminate a pregnancy.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully in this entry you will become a little more educated. The facts contained in this entry will be hard hitting and emotional, but there is no other way to present abortion facts but straight on.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fetal Development
First I wanted to show you a few photos showing fetal development. Here are some links to human embryos. Please note how developed a human being is in his or her early stages of life.
Photo 1: seven week old embryo
Photo 2: eight week old embryo
Photo 3: twelve week old embryo
For a complete set of photos, please visit: Photos of Fetal Development
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos of Abortion
Now comes the hard part. Yes, actual photos. I'm going to provide you with a page of links. Please be warned. But consider looking at the photos anyway. But just be informed that they are beyond graphic. How could they not be? If you have had an abortion, don't look at them without going to therapy first. But otherwise, consider looking at them. As a matter of fact, if you consider yourself a "choicer" right now, I am going to challenge you to look. Then come back and tell me how you can feel the same way. I challenge you to do this. Are you up for the challenge?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There is help if you're pregnant
If you are pregnant and would like assistance, you need to know there are places you can turn to, where you will be treated with respect and confidentiality. There is help available for both you and your child, before, during and after you give birth.
Don't be victimized by making a mistake. Don't let the abortion industry take both your money AND your child. Below are links where you can get help in your area.
OptionLine (US, UK, Canada)
The National Life Center 1-800-848-LOVE (US)
US Directory of Pregnancy Help Centers & Shelters for Pregnant Women
--------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have had an abortion...
If you have had an abortion, you may be experiencing something called Post-Abortion Syndrome. The loss of a child is a devastating Loss.
These are some symptoms of Post-Abortion Syndrome:
shame
depression
confusion
low self-esteem
suicidal tendencies
drug or alcohol abuse
promiscuity
eating disorder
abusive relationships
Please contact one of the following organizations for help if you have had an abortion.:
The National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing (secular and Christian)
Project Rachel (Catholic Christian)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope this entry has served to better inform you.
And I hope it provided you with resources for any help you may have needed, for yourself or to pass on to another.
Take care of yourself and each other,
Krissy
Tags: abortion, pro-life, anti-abortion, Whiteout Initiative, Respect Life Sunday, embryo, fetus, pregnancy, fetal development, photos of aborted fetuses, Pregnancy Help Centers, Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Shelters for Pregnant Women, Post-Abortion Syndrome, Project Rachel, Let me live!
Posts
wow great entry, I however could not look at the abortion pics. not with my beautyfull granddaughters picture on my desk.
ReplyDeleteKrissy, 'great entry' doesn't fit the bill here, but it is definitely an important entry, a well done entry, a much needed entry. Thank you. I'm guessing it wasn't easy for you to look through all the pictures and information either.
ReplyDeleteI had my main ultrasound when I was pregnant with Hannah done at about 10 weeks. Right as they got the camera on her, she suddenly scissor-kicked and jumped up with both arms straight up over her head. I "knew" her the moment I saw that. I knew the spark, the joy, the kindness that inhabited her soul. - Barbara
ReplyDeleteAbortion is a touchy subject in our country. Whereas I don't particularly believe in it and would never advocate it for anyone in my family, at the same time I don't feel that I could ever tell someone what they can or cannot do. I support you and your effort to bring awareness to stop people from seeking them out. Have a good Sunday.
ReplyDeletePhil
I looked at these images and I hope others who come to your site will look at them, too. I wonder if you have the website link where the statistics of legal abortions performed in the U.S. are listed. I used to go look at these numbers hoping they would come down, but the last time I looked they had not. I want to print just how many abortions are performed each year. I think you have done a great service for the victims of abortion, among them my own grandchid. to do this entry. I hope a number will. I intend to flag your journal today also. Gerry
ReplyDeleteI have always been against abortion...I can't understand how other people can not see that if left alone this will grow into a human being that has rights like all of the rest of us...the right to live........June:)
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteKrissy, this really opened my eyes. I have never had children because I couldn't.
When I saw these pictures my emotions took over and made tears come to my eyes. I had several different types of feelings. One of horor. Then sorrow. And I thought "How could anyone do this". But then who am I to judge others and their reasons for abortions. I do not believe in them except to save the mothers life.
Myke
I've been taking a break from journals, but saw the title of yours made me look. I am so glad you shared this. I'm against abortion in all cases and it's wonderful to see you advocating for LIFE. Murder is simply never an option.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless
Christy
In 1966 as a very young wife of a sailor, I lost a baby. He (I prefer to think of him that way). Even though I had another baby later on, I have never forgotten that baby. It wasn't my choice, but God's and I just cannot imagine how I would feel if I had purposely aborted that child. He was 10 weeks old. The pictures of those babies reminded me just how precious EVERY LIFE is. If your readers can still live pro-choice after seeing them, I am very sad. Krissy, you do J-Land a great honor by sharing about abortion on this special Sunday. I love you very much and hope soon to see more of you. Blessings, Penny http://journals.aol.com/firestormkids04/FromHeretoThere http://journals.aol.com/firestormkids04/TimeforaLittlePoetry
ReplyDeleteOh Krissy! Those pictures made me cry! This really needs to get out in the public, (I know it is) but the way that you have it in this post! Abortion IS killing!
ReplyDeleteLisa
I am very sorry Chris but I cannot look at the links.Just thinking about anything like this upsets me.I hope you understand.It is a very sensitive subject.I do not agree with abortions at all and never will.Take Care God Bless Kath.
ReplyDeleteastoriasand http://journals.aol.co.uk/astoriasand/MYSIMPLERHYMES
I so agree with you on abortion. Life is so precious. Thank you for posting this, it may very well help to save a life. 'On Ya' -ma
ReplyDelete((((((((((((((((((((((KRISSY)))))))))))))))))))))Have a nice day.
ReplyDeleteKrissy,
ReplyDeleteMessage heard, loud and clear, and thanks for commenting on my entry from a little while back on this subject. You know my opinion on abortion, but I'm shocked at the number of legal abortions (1 out of every 3 pregnancies). This figure is 1 out of 5 in the UK. Methinks the debate in the US is therefore more vociferous.
It's fine to see pictures and such, but where are the suggestions for solutions??
ReplyDeleteBravo, Krissy. It takes a lot of guts to to create an entry like this one. Today in church, our pastor said that he hopes one day instead of the media saying that Catholics are against abortion that they will say that we value life.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I cannot have children and we have begun the process of adoption. It is so sad to see all these precious babies that were killed when there are so many couples waiting to love them and make them the center of our world. We need to let birth moms know that there is another way.
TO SAY THANK YOU KRISSY; JOB WELL DONE... IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE EMOTIONS RUNNING RAMPANT THROUGH MY HEART AND SOUL.....LIKE GERRY...I TOO AM GOING TO POST A LINK TO YOUR JOURNAL...I KNOW THAT GOD WILL BLESS YOU FOR THIS...
ReplyDeleteLOVE YA,
CARLENE
Krissy, I am totally against abortion except if it would endanger the life of the mother, especially if there are other children in the family. Amazing how sophisticated the "so-called" fetuses are so early on. The links to the aborted picture I couldn't look at. I've seen them before. They just sicken me. Hugs Chris
ReplyDeleteHi Krissy, I'm leaving the same comment in your journal that I left in Vals;
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful for organizations like CareNet who offer counseling for those who've already gone thru with abortion. And offer help for those pregnant, so they'll carry thru with their pregnancy. And for a Heavenly Father who can forgive those who had an abortion. When I worked in the hospital admitting department & had to do the paper work on those coming in for the procedure, sometime during the process...I'd lay my hand on their arm, shoulder, hand...just a touch with a silent prayer that they would change their mind & if not that they would realize one day what they'd done and accept God's forgiveness.
Thanks to both of you for these posts today...Linda in Washington state
Thank you for spreading the word. Good has been done here. Step by step....
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Kellen
I am still a pro choicer, always will be. Which, by the way, does not mean I am 'proabortion'. I just refuse to push my beliefs on another woman's body.
ReplyDeleteI am also pro birth control, even though I am Catholic. No one should be pregnant if they do not want to be, even in a marriage, and the calendar just does not work.
be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/
I must add though, Krissy, I think it is awesome that you have up links for people to check for options other than abortion. Too many don't realize there are other options. They aren't for all, but they absolutely should be considered.
ReplyDeletebe well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/
Hi Krissy- What an excellent entry- so informative! As an adopted child, I am fiercely pro Life. I am also pro life because of my Bible believing convictions- but well, I am always grateful that my birth mother CHOSE to carry me to term and give me my life. I will never ever judge a woman for having an abortion- but I will always try and steer her to consider other options. I believe that all of us who are pro life are actualy pro choice- because there are so MANY other CHOICES. God Bless you Krissy for giving another voice for the babies. BTW, the term used "fetus" is actually latin for little one. Consider that. Thank you Krissy. Love Carolyn
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Krissy!
ReplyDeleteVery informative and great links. I love the photo of the 8 week old in utero baby at the top!
God bless you!
Georgette
According to the protest rules you are suppose to "white-out" your blog & not write a thing for today's entry. I think your pastor made up new rules.
ReplyDelete~Bethe~
What an awesome entry. Thank you for taking the time to do this entry. I think I left a comment before when you talked about volunteering, about my involvement with the crisis pregnancy center here in our town. While they cannot make decisions for the individuals, they do provide them with facts. They also discuss abstinence (sp?) with youth. A touchy subject always when discussing who has the rights to end a life, whether abortion, the electric chair or lethal injections, or even when to pull the plug when someone is ill. People want to argue there is not a life yet at conception, but science shows there is. I know there are some odd situations out there and I am not judging anyone b/c it is not my place. God gets to do that. But for me and my family, I would not be pleased with a decision to abort. And God gives us his Word and we can look to Him for guidance in odd situations to make those decisions that need to be made. Course that is assuming that everyone believes in God and well, we know that is not the case. Even some that believe, their actions would convince us otherwise. So....this a great entry for awareness. You are brave for posting and I'm brave for commenting. LOL
ReplyDeleteKrissy, you did a wonderful job with this entry. I applaud your efforts! I have rather mixed up feelings about this issue. I (personally) am pro life, and Dave is even more so. But I have to say that I don't feel that I have the right to decide what someone else should do, and I will explain why. I had a friend whose life was threatended and she had to have an abortion. She was a Christian, she was a Pastor's daughter, and the dealing with the aftermath of that was horrible for her. I was right by her side afterwards as she was in counseling, etc.. This friend had an a blood clot to her brain at the age of 45, and died in minutes. She left 2 sons who were in high school, and a husband. On the other side of me, there are so many couples wanting children and it is just heartbreaking that they can't adopt because we have a shortage. I wanted more children myself, and I would have loved to adopt, but Dave didn't feel we could afford it, though now he understands we really should have. I also had a late miscarriage and I do NOT understand how the medical community considered that a "fetus" as that baby had had a heartbeat and a name (Patrick). But he didn't live long enough to breathe and so he was a "fetus?" So wrong!
ReplyDeleteI don't even think I have made sense here. But I tried to be honest and still respond to your entry... Love you, Merry
I applaude your courage at writing such a difficult entry. It said that if you are a "choicer" to look at the photos and write back. Well, I am a choicer. My choice is to NOT choose abortion, and I would NOT encourage it to anyone who sought my advice on the subject. However, I consider myself pro-choice because until there is a change in attitude about sex and life in this country, abortion needs to stay legal. Revoking the law is not going to change people's minds. The desperate will put their future fertility (there have been some women who wanted children at a future time, and weren't able to because of a previous abortion) and possibly their lives at risk in back alleys. People's hearts have to change before the law does. I grew up in the generation where women's magazines preach sex by the third date is acceptable and expected and there are ways to deal with the consequences if they come up, because we all know even when birth control is used it isn't 100%. I know other circumstances lead to women seeking abortions.. but, I bet if we could change the casual attitude about sex, we could eliminate alot of desire for abortions. People who are married and get pregnant and don't want the child...well... I've thought and thought about that, and I honestly don't know what to say to it. Except consider adoption. Actually that advice goes to anybody, married or not. However, on the other side of that coin, you still have to carry the baby for 9 months, plus deliver it. Having two children myself, one of them having been a complicated delivery, I can understand some women not wanting to go through that, even if it meant a life would get to continue and bring someone else joy. There are no easy answers to the issue. I have opinions, but, I know when it comes down to it.. some things are not for me to judge. God is good and will forgive the truly repentent.
ReplyDeleteKristina, you handled this issue very tactfully, so don't let any negative comments get to you. Keep in mind that there will always be those who will feel "offended" when someone is challenging their actions or beliefs, no matter how tactfully it is presented.
ReplyDeleteFor those who claim that we need to keep abortion legal because of the potential for "back-alley" abortions: there are a few problems with this assumption.
1st, most women who go to an abortion clinic assume that it is a safe, clean medical procedure performed by a doctor. We don’t know how many or few of these same women would be desperate enough to have it done illegally by someone who is not a doctor, or to attempt to do it themselves.
2nd, it assumes that the safety of the mother is more important than the life of her child; if someone were to kill a woman on purpose, it’s considered murder, and is illegal. There are still "back-alley" murders, but that doesn't mean we should start legalizing murder, does it? Prostitution? Child labor?
3rd, many women are told over and over again that there are no consequences and very little risk with abortion. Abortion is often presented as the "easy way out" of an unwanted pregnancy. Often, they won't realize the truth until it's too late, unless someone intervenes. If it were illegal, most women (and men) would understand that there is probably a reason that it is illegal, and that there will likely be serious consequences if they choose to do it--women might, for that reason alone, reconsider their options.
Certainly, outlawing abortion is not the only step we need to take--we need to offer realistic alternatives and a healthy dose of help for those who need it, including financial support and medical care. But by leaving abortion legal--or by justifying leaving it legal--we are saying that it is a socially acceptable step to take, perhaps even a
I have read two journals thus far on the abortion issue, I feel both were presented very well. Your research and obvious effort you put into this was wonderful Kirssy. Thank you for sharing this. I worked in a hospital for many years, a friend of mine, was making her rounds and she took me into the path. lab. In jars were many specimens of different things. In one jar was a 12 week old fetus, a boy, which looked perfectly normal, just sleeping. I will forever remember that, when I think of abortions, I think of that little baby. While I dont agree with abortion, I do understand in some exceptional circumstances it might be necessary.
ReplyDeleteKrissy.....I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to link this entry from my journal.
ReplyDeleteLisa
I am Catholic and I do follow the doctrine that abortion is wrong. I have three happy, beautiful children, now adults, that I could have just as easily aborted. In fact I was told to abort my youngest because of the risk of having a child with downs syndrome when giving birth at a later age. I'm so happy I didn't. My sons are my life, and my daughter is my soul. I thank God for all three. I only wish everyone can feel what I feel now.
ReplyDeleteJude
http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay
Abortion is the killing of a human being. I don't know how anyone can kill their own baby.
ReplyDelete