At a time when many Pro-life organizations are struggling to obtain charitable status, the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association (SPLA) took a most unusual step. It wrote to Revenue Canada to surrender it’s charitable status.

For years SPLA restricted itself to educational activities in the belief that if people were better educated on foetal development, the law would change. In the process, we firmly established the Teen-Aid Program that currently employs six teachers. The Teen-Aid Program teaches foetal development and the benefits of waiting until marriage before engaging in sexual activity.

By 1987, however, not only was there little hope on the horizon that the present law would change, but the provincial government cancelled all financial support to our organization – thereby moving from a government that sympathized with our cause to one that wished to be perceived as neutral on the issue. Is was a time to repraise the direction in which the SPLA was moving.

The most basic function of the Pro-Life movement is to end abortion. To do so, would take a change in the law. There was little hope of that happening. One could not help but notice, however, that the Americans have been tremendously successful in passing pro-life legislation. The following is a list of their most recent successes in the legislative and administrative areas:

-In 1986 alone, ten States passed Pro-Life legislation.

-Only seven states voluntarily pay for elective abortions, while five others only pay because of court orders.

-All public funding to International Planned Parenthood has ended because of their abortion policy.

-Federal funding has all but stopped to abortions, thanks to the passage of several Bills at the federal level over the last ten years.

-Ronald Reagan’s appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States are all asked their opinion on the pro-abortion case Roe v. Wade, and only those who disagree with the decision are appointed judges. Of 750 judges appointed to the federal courts and federal appeal courts in the U.S., Reagan has appointed some 29 per cent of them.

In Canada, we have yet to pass any legislation that could remotely be called Pro-life on any province in any year. International Planned Parenthood continues to receive funding ($5.3 million in 1983), our federal government is actively funding pro-abortion advocacy groups, and we are more likely to pass legislation that will further the cause of homosexuals than assist the unborn. The Mitges’ motion saw only 62 of our 282 MPs vote in favour of the Pro-life legislation.

The United States has clearly developed national strategies and are progressing towards to the goal of ending abortions. The key to American success has been string state offices that are able to co-ordinate large computerized membership lists and some for of political action.

In Saskatchewan the Pro-life movement decided to implement both of the latter American strategies. Of course, there are no guarantees that American strategies would work in Canada. Yet, a movement cannot stand still, but must remain open to change and the risks that accompany it.

Thomas Schuck, a Weyburn lawyer, is president of the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association.