New Year’s resolve

Often, New Year’s resolutions are broken almost as soon as they are made.  This year, the pro-life movement needs solid commitments from supporters – the kind of commitment that is followed faithfully all year long.  The need, both for financial support and for active volunteers, has never been greater.  Everyone has talents that can be put to good use.

Funding is a major problem for every pro-life organization across Canada.  As regular readers of The Interim know well, these organizations do not have the benefit of large government subsidies to enable them to speak to the general public.

Alliance for Life, to give just one example, is planning a massive campaign in 1986 to increase public awareness of the need for legal rights for the unborn.  Such a campaign will only be successful if Alliance can raise the money needed to send their information across the country.

Service organizations like Birthright, devoted to helping women carry their babies to term, always needs money for clothes and equipment.

Pro-life educational and political groups, such as Campaign Life, are always desperately short of money.  While many pro-lifers do contribute monthly, many do not donate on a regular basis.  Many believe that our pro-life organizations are funded by churches, but this is simply not the case.  If every pro-lifer in Canada gave regularly to educational and political organizations, the results would be tremendous.

Apart from financial needs, the pro-life movement needs volunteers.  Many groups need help distributing newsletters or with emergency mailings, or writing and visiting politicians, or monitoring and protesting “media bias.”  People are needed to picket hospitals and abortion clinics, to join political pickets and to stand up and be counted every time there is a major march.  People are needed to offer sympathetic, non-judgmental counseling to pregnant women faced with difficult situations.

In addition to financial and active support, a pro-life goal for this year should be to ensure that every city and town across Canada has an organization devoted to caring for women faced with a crisis pregnancy.  When such women can be assured that their needs will be met, abortion will not be the inevitable recourse.

Working in pro-life has been called God’s work.  Yet the road is not comfortable to travel: it can be awkward and embarrassing when confronted by active opposition.  It is often exhausting when there is so much to do, so little time to do it in, and so few people willing to offer their help.  However, for sincere pro-life activists, the alternative (sitting by and doing nothing) is intolerable.

The harsh reality is that they are killing babies out there.  In 1986, we should all resolve to do more than ever before to help those who are trying to stop the killing – now.