What happens when we reveal the ugliness of abortion to those who are in favor of it?
I don’t think there’s a clear answer to that question. Because depending on the person’s values, personal experience with abortion, and their own story, everyone reacts somewhat differently.
But whether the person remains hardened and continues to defend abortion or their heart softens and they realize the evil of abortion, I think both reactions show the power of exposing its violence.
Two stories remind me of this that I want to share.
One Young Man’s Change of Heart:
At a recent outreach at Northeastern Iowa Community College (NICC), Molly, our Digital Outreach Associate, talked with a young man whom we’ll call “Peter.”
When Molly asked him what he thought about abortion, Peter responded with a common answer: “I don’t have an opinion.” Molly continued to ask clarifying questions, and she also shared images of fetal development.
Only when Molly asked Peter if he had ever seen the result of an abortion did his opinion begin to shift. She revealed to him images of what abortion does to the little babies in the womb. As she turned the pages, the light was shed on this dark reality. Peter was confronted with the violence and injustice, and he woefully admitted, “that doesn’t look good” and concluded that abortion is “not a good thing.”
He responded to the images with a softening of his heart and realization of what abortion truly is – a gross injustice against the most vulnerable.
That’s the power of uncovering the reality of abortion.
Silence in the Face of Truth:
What if someone doesn’t have a change of heart in the face of hearing about the injustice of abortion? What if they respond with indifference?
I think it still says something about what happens when the truth of abortion is exposed.
During a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing, Texas Representative Brandon Gill blatantly described the details of the “barbaric” abortion procedures.
The subcommittee was examining whether the Biden administration used the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against pro-life activists praying and counseling outside abortion facilities.
Gill boldly asked abortion activist Jessica Waters, a senior scholar at American University whose research includes “abortion regulation,” what her favorite form of abortion is.
When she avoided the question, Gill went on to describe the abortion procedures, asking again after each one “Is that your favorite?” or “Do you prefer that method?”
But Waters continued to avoid answering the question or acknowledging the gruesome nature of the procedures. Gill questions why she won’t talk about abortion: “Is it because it’s uncomfortable to talk about? It should be uncomfortable.”
In this instance, Waters does not want to acknowledge the gruesome procedures. I don’t want to presume to know her reason why. But I do think it goes to show that in the face of the grave evil that abortion is, it’s difficult to defend abortion.
Waters even describes herself as an “access-to-reproductive-healthcare advocate” rather than an abortion advocate. Gill revealed what it is that Waters is actually supporting, and she didn’t have any response.
Why We Must Expose the Reality of Abortion
These two stories show that people respond differently when abortion is exposed. But they both reveal that we must tell and show people what abortion does. Because Rep. Brandon Gill is right: it should make us uncomfortable. And only until people are uncomfortable with abortion will they be willing to fight against it. When we are bold enough to reveal the injustice, abortion will be seen for what it truly is — a barbaric act of violence against the most innocent.