Christians Protest 10 Years of Abortion in South Africa

​Celebrating a Holocaust?
​The Weekend Argus (03 February 07) Life section included an article “10,000 Abortions a Week in the first decade!” as a cause for “victory and celebration.” Correspondent Sherree Roussow described the legislation enacted by Nelson Mandela on 1 February 1997 as “the most liberal abortion laws in the world.”
The article declared the abortion legislation introduced in South Africa 10 years ago: “the most amazing victory for women. It’s a celebration…”!!
This seems to be a bizarre perspective on a tragic situation. I would not have thought that poisoning, dismembering or strangling little babies in the womb was any cause for celebration!

​Life begins at conception. Every abortion stops a beating heart. How can we condemn child abuse in society when we allow the ultimate child abuse by abortionists?
​
The day will most certainly come when the right to life of the most helpless and innocent people, pre-born babies, is respected and entrenched in law. Future generations will look back at our society with astonishment that so many journalists, politicians, educationalists and medical professionals could have justified the killing of pre-born babies through abortion.

Future generations will look upon abortion in our time with the same revulsion that we today look upon the slave trade, the holocausts of WWII and the Rwandan Holocaust.

The Fight for Life
Life is precious and should be respected and protected by law and that is why throughout January, Africa Christian Action mobilised churches to observe 28 January as Sanctity Life Sunday. Bible studies, sermons and worship outlines for Sanctity Life Sunday services were produced and promoted by regular E-mailings, in the Christian Action magazine and on the www.christianaction.org.za website. Numerous pastors requested our Sanctity Life Sunday packages to be posted to them. Through many radio programmes, letters to the editor, personal correspondence, phone calls and interviews, our National Co-ordinator, Taryn Hodgson, worked to inform and inspire, to educate and equip leaders in churches, schools and universities to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” and to “rescue those being led away to death.”

Funeral Procession to Parliament
On 1 February, Africa Christian Action organised a funeral procession march through the city of Cape Town in memory of the thousands of babies killed by abortion who have never had the dignity of a funeral. Led by a hearse, nearly a hundred marchers, many dressed in black, carried small wooden coffins, white crosses, bunches of flowers and banners declaring: “600,000 dead – Abortion is murder”; “Abortion kills babies”; “Death sentence abolished?”; “600,000 murders by government consent”; “Freedom for criminals! Innocents get death sentence”; “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”; “Abortion – government backed murder”; “Pro-choice? That’s a lie, babies don’t choose to die” and “Jesus is Lord.” Thousands of Gospel tracts and pro-life leaflets were distributed to passers by.

Choose Life Trailer
At the rear of the funeral procession was the Africa Christian Action Pro-Life trailer with beautiful pictures of pre-born babies declaring: “Eight weeks after conception: heartbeat, brainwave, finger prints, hiccups, summersaults, thumb sucking – Abortion kills babies. ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves’…” and on the other side: “Since 1997 - 600,000 babies were legally denied the right to life – abortion kills!CHOOSE LIFE that you and your children may live.” For 3 days the trailer was driven all around the Cape peninsula.

Parliamentary Prayer Vigil
Outside the gates of Parliament, a National Day of Repentance Prayer Vigil was held for the national sin of abortion. 1 February 2007 was the 10 th Commemoration of the legalisation of abortion on demand in South Africa. Numerous Christian leaders led in prayers of repentance and supplication, including a National Prayer of Repentance responsive reading and a Scriptural Imprecatory Prayer.

Imprecatory Prayer Proclamation
Over 100 pastors and other leaders signed the Imprecatory Prayer Proclamation, to be delivered to a representative of the Health Portfolio Committee.

There were numerous journalists and photographers present and a number of prominent articles, several with pictures, were published in Die Burger, Business Day and other newspapers. Taryn and Tershia had a total of 12 media interviews as a result of the march. Several passersby, including policemen, requested further information and literature on the right to life of pre-born babies. After the Prayer Vigil at Parliament some of the marchers went on to hold a placard demonstration outside the local Marie Stopes aborturary.

Debating Press Censorship
On Tuesday 6 February, Christian Action invited the deputy editor of the Argus to take part in a radio phone-in programme on Salt and Light – Radio Tygerberg (104 FM). This was to explain his decision to censor obituary notices for victims of abortion. Throughout the last 10 years ACA has placed obituary notices in national newspapers reading: “All babies killed by abortion since 1 February 1997. Africa Christian Action mourns the 600,000 babies whose lives have been tragically cut short since the legalisation of abortion on demand.” The editor of the Cape Argus, Chris Whitfield, believed such obituary notices were “offensive.” Although other newspapers such as Die Burger and The Citizen had no problem accepting the Christian Action obituary notices under their deaths sections, the Cape Times and Argus steadfastly refused to accept this paid classified. Several participants of the Salt and Light radio programme commented on the hypocrisy of the press decrying external censorship, but practicing internal censorship. Freedom of speech seems to be undermined when newspaper editors censor obituary notices and refuse to give appropriate media coverage to the hidden holocaust of 600,000 South African babies killed by abortion. Although the Argus editor chose not to join in the radio debate, there were many callers who phoned in to express their opposition to abortion.

Nationwide Protests Save Lives
By God’s grace, numerous other Pro-life events were held throughout the country including placard demonstrations and Prayer Vigils in Johannesburg, Springs, Pretoria, Stanger, Durban, Bloemfontein, and Kimberley. Early reports praise God for individuals who had planned to have an abortion being persuaded by sidewalk counsellors to rather carry their children to full term and offer them for adoption instead. We praise God for mothers, doctors, nurses, politicians and parents reached, for minds challenged and for lives saved.

Dr. Peter Hammond

Christian Action Network
PO Box 23632 Claremont 7725
Cape Town, South Africa
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.christianaction.org.za

Africa Christian Action now has even more pro-life resources available including an audio CD of a Sanctity Life Service and Sermon by Dr. Peter Hammond: “Do Christians Care?”; a DVD and CD on “The Right to Life” (R20) and a DVD: “God’s Miracle of Life.” (35)