Abortion

Lifelines #6

Abortion Basics

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Greetings, dear readers,

This topic could go in so many directions. I will share several links which address some basic questions you may have. While I know this will only begin to scratch the surface, I need to start somewhere. 

First, take a look at this abortion clock that counts in real time the number of abortions in the U.S. and worldwide. Pay particular attention to the "ww since you loaded this page" figure.

Number of Abortions in US & Worldwide - Number of abortions since 1973

This link explains what happens during abortions. Please be warned that, while the descriptions are animated, they are still graphic and may be disturbing.

Abortion Procedures 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Trimesters

Have you ever wondered how someone could commit abortions and not be bothered by what he/she is doing? The doctor explaining the various methods in the link above is Anthony Levatino, MD, a former abortionist who has become a pro-life advocate. Here is his testimony:

A Conversation with a Former Abortionist: Full Interview with Dr. Anthony Levatino | Exclusives

Similar conversations can be found with other former abortionists. No one is beyond the reach of God, who can turn his/her heart to value the unborn. Pray for those you know who are pro-choice.

In this link you will find many testimonies of women regarding their experiences with abortion. Abortion isn't pretty, and it isn't painless.

Testimonies About an Experience with Abortion • AfterAbortion.org

While there are also testimonies of women who say they don't regret having an abortion, I can't help but wonder why they would want to "shout their abortion." How sad.

Finally for now, here are some euphemisms used to hide what abortion actually is: "a woman's right to choose," "health care," "a blob of cells," "my body," "pro-choice," "a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy," "reproductive right," or simply "right." In his article regarding this issue, Michael McCutchen, MD, observes:

Paul Johnson once said, “Euphemism is a human device to conceal the horrors of reality.” Sociopolitical movements often use heavy euphemistic language to push agendas. One of the most prominent of these movements is the pro-choice movement....

As humans, we are very adept at lying to ourselves and others. We do this to rationalize our actions and avoid harsh realities. Calling abortion a reproductive right, health care, a procedure, or a woman’s choice is an attempt to conceal the truth. Abortion is an intentional act that results in the death of a human when it happens to be at its most vulnerable. If abortion is morally and pragmatically OK, why do we need to use alternative terms when describing it? If we remove all the euphemistic language, we are left to confront what is genuinely happening, the end of human life. Maybe we should stop the word games and embrace the uncomfortable. Honest conversations can then begin. Drop the euphemisms and get uncomfortable when talking about abortion

Now that I've opened the conversation, please feel free to respond to this email with your questions and thoughts. While I may not address them immediately, I will use them as guidelines for future Lifelines emails. Thanks for your feedback. 

Growing with you toward the likeness of Christ,

Juanita

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." Ephesians 5:11 (ESV)

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily endorse other links shared on the sites I link.

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Abortion Procedures 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Trimesters

Abortion Procedures 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Trimesters

Preview YouTube video A Conversation with a Former Abortionist: Full Interview with Dr. Anthony Levatino | Exclusives

Lifelines #4

 Recovering from Abortion

Friday, April 25, 2025

Greetings!

Although I don't know who designated April as "Abortion Recovery Awareness Month," since this is an important topic, I'll make use of the designation.

Do you have abortion in your past? Does someone you love? This email may be just what is needed to find healing. Many Christians with abortion stories believe they have forgiveness at the cross, but what they may not realize is that knowing they are forgiven and finding healing from the trauma are often two very different things. 

If you have a loved one suffering from Post Abortion Syndrome, don't assume he or she will find help from a physician, clergyman, or social worker. You may be the one God wants to use to help the hurting one find healing. While this article was written nearly 20 years ago, the counsel is still timely:

Life Issues Institute | Explore Pro-Life Education Materials

In these two podcasts, we hear from several people who had been involved in abortion, moved on, and years later learned that there is a path to healing. They have gone on to be used by God to facilitate healing in others.

Healing Stories of Abortion Recovery

Redeemed and Restored After Abortion

The above podcasts also include links to abortion recovery materials that may be helpful to you or someone you know.

Here is a podcast and resources for pastors and churches to help in this vital ministry of abortion recovery:

No Woman Stands Alone - Life Issues Institute

Abortion isn't the unpardonable sin. May you or someone you love find the healing that Jesus offers.

Praying for you,

Juanita

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 (ESV)

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily endorse other links shared on the sites I link.

Lifelines #7

The "New" Abortion Frontier

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Greetings, fellow soldiers,

Just when we thought we knew where the abortion battle is raging--abortion clinics--the enemy of souls has found a "new" battleground in which to destroy God's image. In the 1980s after Roe, the pro-life movement put pressure on hospitals to stop doing abortions and effectively pushed most abortion business into doctor's offices and abortion clinics. Even as pressure is closing down many of these abortions clinics, however, especially in pro-life states, a medical training program has been advancing across the nation that trains doctors to perform abortions in hospitals, called the Ryan Residency Training Program. According to the website:

        Abortion is one of the most common reproductive health care experiences in the United States, with one in four women* having an abortion in their lifetimes. Nearly all obstetrician-gynecologists have patients that need abortion care, making it a critical skill that they must be trained to provide. Also, in the United States, 46 million women* use a method of contraception, making skills in contraception care a core requirement for all practicing obstetrician-gynecologists.

        To help programs meet the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandate for routine abortion training in obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn) training programs,  Dr. Uta Landy created the Kenneth J. Ryan Residency Training Program in Abortion and Family Planning in 1999. The Ryan Program works directly with ob-gyn residency programs to integrate training in abortion and contraception care (family planning) as a required rotation. All programs establish or expand abortion services in their teaching hospitals and may also create new partnerships with local clinics to train residents. About the Ryan Program - Ryan Program

A careful reading of this description raises several red flags. They refer to women that "need" abortion care. (Women never need an abortion.) Contraception care is a "core requirement for all practicing obstetrician-gynecologists," (In case you're not familiar with the concern about contraception, most contraception methods also act as abortifacients when fertilization isn't prevented.) They "integrate training in abortion and contraception care (family planning) as a required rotation." (Why are these required?) "All programs establish or expand abortion services in their teaching hospitals and may also create new partnerships with local clinics." So we see that the Ryan Program is returning abortion to hospitals and legitimizing abortion clinics.

On Straight Talk on Life Issues, Victor Nieves and Brad Mattes interviewed Carole Novielli, Author at Live Action News and Mike Seibel (a private malpractice lawyer who has dedicated his time and effort to the pro-life community) about the Ryan Residency Training Program. As they discuss this program, they raise numerous concerns. This conversation can be heard here: Late-Term Abortions and the Training of Abortionists. Just a few concerns they raise include:

•  Where does the funding for the program come from since teaching hospitals are often tax-payer funded. Are you funding this program with your tax dollars?

• There is an opt-out option, but wouldn't it be more appropriate for residents to opt in? 

• Doctors who go through this program become desensitized to abortion, so they subconsciously view it as legitimate even if they don't perform abortions later in their practice.

• When these doctors later serve as expert witnesses in trials or before congressional discussions, they will deem abortion as needed healthcare.

You can listen to a shorter version of the interview that focuses more on late-term abortions here: Late Term Abortions and the Training of Abortionists. 

As people who value every human life created in God's image, how can we sit back and do nothing for these eternal souls who cannot speak for themselves? Consider also the parents and the abortion providers who are being deceived in this ungodly practice. Please pray for an end to abortion, and ask God if there's something else He wants you to do in this battle.

 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

In the battle together with you,

Juanita

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily endorse other links shared on the sites I link.

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Greetings, fellow "pray-ers"!

Since my newsletters are usually about things of concern in the pro-life arena, I decided that I should share some good news that I read recently. To appreciate the import of this news, you will need a little background. Among several diagnoses of genetic disorders in pre-born and new-born infants are those with "chromosomal syndromes associated with a range of congenital anomalies and universally severe neurodevelopmental impairment," known as trisomy 13 (T13) and trisomy 18 (T18). For many years doctors have labeled these as "incompatible with life" and encouraged parents to abort or allow their infants to die, receiving only comfort care without life-saving intervention. In a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics issued on July 21, 2025, the standard guidance was modified. "Once it was recognized that surgery for congenital heart disease, mechanical ventilation, airway stabilization via tracheostomy, placement of gastrostomy tubes, and treatment of other surgical conditions could prolong survival for months or years for some infants with T13/T18, attention shifted away from a simple futility claim." You can read the details at the following link: Guidance for Caring for Infants and Children With Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18: Clinical Report | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatric While there are still concerns with these guidelines and with whether physicians will put them into practice, this report carries good news indeed!

Parents of children with T13/T18 are rejoicing. According to the SOFT (Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13, and Related Disorders) Facebook page from July 22 at 5:39 p.m.: 

HUGE News in the Trisomy Community!

We are thrilled to share that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released updated clinical guidelines that mark a monumental shift in how infants and children with Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18 are viewed and treated in the medical community.

For decades, T13 and T18 were described as “incompatible with life” — but this new report challenges that narrative. It recognizes that these children are not defined solely by their diagnosis, but by their individual medical needs, their family’s values, and their right to compassionate, informed care.

The AAP now affirms:

T13 and T18 are not uniformly lethal

Life-sustaining treatment should not be denied based on diagnosis alone

Shared decision-making and respect for family-centered goals are essential

Children with Trisomy deserve equitable and individualized care

This is a moment we’ve all been working toward — changing the narrative, one truth at a time.

To all the fierce families, determined providers, and brave children who have shown the world what’s possible: this progress belongs to YOU.

Let's rejoice with those who are rejoicing and pray that many lives will be saved as a result of this change. Pray, too, that doctors will courageously and conscientiously do the right thing for parents and their children with T13 or T18.

Thank you for your prayers,

Juanita

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

    sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

For I know that the LORD is great,

    and that our Lord is above all gods.

Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,

    in heaven and on earth,

    in the seas and all deeps... 

Psalm 135:3, 5-6 ESV

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily endorse any other links shared on the sites I link.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Hello, friends!

The following is the headline of an article in "The Washington Stand," a news and commentary outlet of Family Research Council.

Woman Sues Marine Who Allegedly Poisoned Her Drink with 10 Abortion Pills

Read the full article here: Woman Sues Marine Who Allegedly Poisoned Her Drink with 10 Abortion Pills (Accessed Sept. 26, 2025)

What is the abortion pill? Originally approved for use up to 7 weeks gestation by the FDA in 2000, Mifeprex (mifepristone) is the first in a two-pill regimen used to terminate an early abortion. Rigid guidelines for use included an in-office visit for an ultrasound to rule out an ectopic pregnancy and determine the age of the fetus as well as learn various elements of a woman's medical history that would put her at risk with its use. The second pill, misoprostol, was to be taken 24-48 hours after taking mifepristone at an appropriate location (her home, a friend's home, or even sometimes a hotel room.) She was also required to follow up with the provider 7-14 days after the procedure was begun. The FDA extended approval to 10 weeks gestation in 2016, and in 2019 the FDA approved the generic version, mifepristone. Over the years since then, the FDA has modified the rules and continued to monitor the health care providers that prescribe and the pharmacies that legally distribute the drug. Questions and Answers on Mifepristone for Medical Termination of Pregnancy Through Ten Weeks Gestation | FDA (Accessed Aug. 23,2025) In 2001 6% of abortions used the abortion pill procedure, and in 2023 63% of abortions done in the US healthcare system used this procedure. Medication Abortion Accounted for 63% of All US Abortions in 2023—An Increase from 53% in 2020 | Guttmacher Institute (Accessed Sept. 16, 2025) What we don't know is how many women are using mifepristone and misoprostol at home after purchasing it online, many times in states that have outlawed abortion since the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Dobbs decision. These women are using it with no medical oversight, bypassing the safety regulations established by the FDA.

For many years the mantra "the abortion pill is safer than Tylenol" has been touted by abortion proponents although no evidence exists to verify the claim.  Actual evidence proves otherwise. According to Jamie Bryan Hall and Ryan T. Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, "Insurance Data Reveals One in Ten Patients Experiences a Serious Adverse Event." They report the findings stating, "This largest-known study of the abortion pill is based on an analysis of data from an all-payer insurance claims database that includes 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017 to 2023. ...Our key findings: 10.93 percent of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion, far greater than the summary figure of 'less than 0.5 percent' in clinical trials reported on the drug label." The Abortion Pill Harms Women - Ethics & Public Policy Center (Accessed Sept. 11, 2025) In an article by Bradley Mattes of Life Issues Institute, he observes that this means "women are at least 22 times more likely to experience serious complications of chemical abortion pills than the FDA’s label claims." Life Issues Institute | New Study Highlights the Dangers of Chemical Abortion (Accessed Sept. 16, 2025) So we see from the report cited above, no basis exists for claims about the safety of the abortion pill for women.

Indeed, chemical abortions are subject to abuse. The description of a "Straight Talk on Life Issues" podcast states, "As pro-life states like Texas pass laws protecting women and children from abortion, there is a dangerous loophole that abortionists are exploiting to kill babies. This week we are joined by Abby Johnson, Gabriella McIntyre and Dr. Jayaprabhu to discuss the dangerous mail order distribution of chemical abortion drugs." The Dangerous Mail Order Distribution of Chemical Abortion (To listen to this conversation, click the link.)(Accessed Sept. 16, 2025) Another abusive use of mifepristone's companion pill, misoprostol, is the encouragement to use misoprostol by itself. Already widely used in this way in developing nations, it is waiting in the wings in our own country in case mifepristone is banned.  Life Issues Institute | Battling a Chemical Coat Hanger  (Accessed Sept. 16, 2025) Additionally, the opening headline is not an isolated incident of someone forcing a woman to ingest abortion pills. (Do a search on "women forced to take the abortion pill.") Certainly, women are being harmed by chemical abortions.

As grievous as the harm abortion pills are doing to women is, however, there's an even greater injustice--abortion pills kill babies, God's image-bearers. Please pray for the saving of these precious lives, and speak up for them as God gives you opportunity.

Prayerfully,

Juanita

Rescue those who are being taken away to death;

    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

    does not he who weighs the heart perceive      it?

Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,

    and will he not repay man according to his        work? (Proverbs 24: 11,12 ESV)

• If  someone you know takes mifepristone and immediately regrets the decision, call 1-877-558-0333 to find a doctor who can help potentially save the baby's life. Abortion Pill Reversal - Home (Accessed Sept. 16, 2025)

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily endorse any other links shared on the sites I link.

Monday, January 26, 2026

Fellow life-advocates,

January 22, 2026, marked the 53rd anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion across the United States. Since that fateful decision, over 63 million babies have been sacrificed in our land. Disabled at age18 and now in her seventies, Joni Eareckson Tada rightly states, "The Bible declares that every human being regardless of gender, heritage, ethnicity, or ability is an image-bearer of God." Additionally, she asserts, "And while our culture commends itself for its advances in human rights, it nevertheless continues the eugenic logic of the 20th century that believes mankind will become stronger by killing its weakest and most vulnerable members, including divine image-bearers with disabilities. By refusing to accept all human life as a gift, our society rejects the disabled as burdens and tragedies." Joni's powerful statement on abortion can be heard at this link:  Abortion | Joni Eareckson Tada Shares Her Thoughts on Abortion  (Accessed Jan. 26, 2026)

The 2026 March for Life took place on January 23. Illustrating this year's theme "Life is a Gift," it featured the Friends of Club 21 Choir, a chorus of young adults with Down syndrome, who led the national anthem. They can be heard at a previous event here: Friends of Club 21 Choir at the SBA Pro-Life America Gala 2025 (Accessed Jan. 26, 2026) Unfortunately, babies who would grow up to be like these special young people are now being targeted for destruction. According to Union of Catholic Asian News, "An estimated 70-90 percent of children with a definitive in-utero diagnosis of Down syndrome are aborted....If there can be said to be a vanishing population in the United States, one demographic immediately stands out: people living with Down syndrome." People living with Down syndrome are vanishing in the US - UCA News (Accessed Jan. 26, 2026)

A discouraging diagnosis, however, isn't the only argument pro-choice advocates use to justify destruction of God's image-bearers in the womb. Well-meaning people raise many issues that pro-life warriors would do well to understand and learn to refute. For this purpose, Life Issues Institute has launched its In Defense of Life campaign with sound apologetics education. This can be accessed here: In Defense of Life - Life Issues Institute (Accessed Jan. 26, 2026) Please avail yourself of this resource and join the battle for those in the womb who can't speak for themselves. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines, waiting for someone else to fight. You may be the very one God will raise up "for such a time as this."

Holding the standard,

Juanita

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise ... from another place.... And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 

Esther 4:14 ESV

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily endorse any other links shared on the sites I link. 

Dear readers,

Picture with me a busy restaurant. Servers move from table to kitchen to table, taking orders, refilling drinks, serving meals, checking on diners. In the kitchen the cook reads the orders, puts the food on the grill, fills plates, sets the plates on the counter for the servers to pick up. Who is more important--the servers or the cook? 

Feminism is defined as "the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests." Feminism | Definition, History, Types, Waves, Examples, & Facts | Britannica (Accessed Feb. 28, 2026) The history of feminism is long and multifaceted, with various competing ideologies. Ultimately, however, feminism seeks to eradicate the differences between men and women in society. This has led to calls for birth control and unlimited abortion so women won't be hindered in any of their pursuits by the natural cycles of life and child-bearing. 

While sex-selective abortions are not new, they have typically targeted girls. In a recent twist, some women are now choosing to abort their child if it is a boy while keeping it if it's a girl. Many women who embrace feminism see men as oppressors and traditional values as patriarchal. According to a news article on LifeIssues.org: 

Within certain subsects of the online feminist community, it has become popular to say that if they become pregnant it will be “a girl or an abortion.” Images of celebratory “it’s a boy!” balloons have been circulated with boy scratched out and replaced by “aborted.”

A few comments on a video with over 86,000 likes said:

“Imagine raising your oppressor, absolutely not.”

“I’m not contributing to the patriarchy.”

“I say this sometimes and sometimes people think I’m joking but I am 100% serious.”

The list could go on as that one video has more than 1,700 comments most of which are celebrating the idea of killing unborn boys in the name of feminism. Sadly, the video and comments mentioned are just one example of a larger online trend. Life Issues Institute | Discover the Latest Pro-Life News (Accessed Feb. 28, 2026)

What's wrong with this picture? How did we get to the point where women are terminating their pregnancies to avoid having a boy?

A monumental misunderstanding has occurred. Let's return to the scenario at the start of this newsletter. While the servers and the cook have different roles in the restaurant, neither is more important. Both are necessary to the smooth operation of the restaurant. Although their roles differ, they are of equal importance. Even so with men and women in God's world. While God has designed men to lovingly lead and women to support them, both roles are essential. As God's image-bearers, neither sex is more important. Role does NOT determine value. Also, the failure of some men to properly understand and carry out God's design doesn't negate women's responsibility to follow that design. The feminist ideology that insists on equality for women based on equal roles has missed the complementary design in creation order that God ordained from the beginning. Grievously, as in many situations, ignorance or disregard of God's design proves to be fatal.

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." 

(2 Timothy 2:15 ESV)

Keep thinking biblically,

Juanita

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily endorse any other links shared on the sites I link.