The Clarion Call to Christians on Abortion
    
November 2022

        In this paper we will be reviewing the pressing call to Christians in Kansas and what we should do to answer this call in the abortion battle, particularly considering recent developments. Kansas finds itself in a unique position among midwestern states. We must respond creatively and effectively to this environment as Christian disciples willing to enthusiastically engage in this battle. We must engage as true Christian witnesses and persevere. We can give up when Christ gives up.

The Current Abortion Landscape
        2022 witnessed a dramatic shift in the abortion landscape in Kansas and our nation. On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs decision which declared that there is no right to abortion in our U.S. Constitution. Increased abortion legislative authority now resides with the states, giving citizens stronger voices in abortion legislation in their respective state. I expect the Dobbs decision to reduce abortions nationwide. Several states have passed restrictions and states will continue to pass more restrictions on abortions, as well as some states will make abortion less restricted. But there have also been attempts to introduce and pass national abortion legislation, both pro and con, since the Dobbs decision. Plus, the current U.S. president and his administration have put a full-court press on aggressively promoting abortion at any stage of pregnancy. So, the abortion landscape will continue to be dynamic.

        While the Dobbs decision was exceptionally good and will reduce abortions in the U.S., it was the result of 50 years of persistent pro-life efforts in our nation to overturn the January 22, 1973, U.S. Supreme Court flawed Roe decision. The Dobbs decision impact in Kansas will be to see increasing numbers of abortions. This is due to the April 26, 2019, Kansas Supreme Court flawed Hodes & Nauser decision (“Kansas Roe”) which “found” a right to abortion in the Kansas constitution. Unfortunately, the Value Them Both proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution failed to pass in the August 2, 2022, primary. The effect of the above is that Kansas now has more liberal laws on abortion than surrounding states thus bringing women residing in other states to Kansas seeking abortions. (Currently, abortions in Kansas are legal up to 22 weeks; the abortion pill may be used up to 11 weeks; surgical abortion methods are used after 11 weeks.)

See interactive map of Ks abortion restrictions compared to other states here .

        It may take years to overturn the “Kansas Roe” decision of the Kansas Supreme Court since Value Them Both (VTB) failed despite the best efforts of Kansas pro-life forces. There were several factors contributing to the VTB failure with a major factor being that the Dobbs decision animated the pro-abortion forces in Kansas (and the United States) shortly before the VTB vote. However, the magnitude of the VTB no-votes also revealed that we need a significant, persistent effort to educate and motivate the Kansas public, especially our church communities, on the need to protect innocent unborn human beings and thus the need to restrict abortion. We must fertilize the ground to eventually overturn “Kansas Roe” while continuing to aggressively do everything that we can to protect innocent unborn human beings.

Our Christian Obligation & Response
       What does God expect from we Christians? First, we know that we will not win this battle by our human efforts alone. Abortion is fundamentally a spiritual battle, and we need God’s help. So, prayer is our foremost weapon in this battle, and we must both beg for God’s help and beg his forgiveness for our nation for the sin of abortion.

        Our prayer must necessarily include putting our faith into action. We are called to be faithful, and Jesus encourages us when he tells us that if we have faith but the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. And when we act on our faith, we become Christian witnesses. As Christian witnesses, following in Christ’s footsteps, we are acting counter-culturally, opposing worldly values as did Christ. We can therefore expect with certainty that we will receive criticisms from society just as Christ did. We must avoid the strong temptation to avoid doing things that we know will bring us criticism.

        If we are not getting criticisms and opposition this is a sure sign that we are not being effective Christian witnesses. So, in preparing for battle, we should prepare mentally and emotionally to deal with opposition, then pick up our cross daily, and respond to such opposition and persecution as did Christ – with love. This is most assuredly not easy. Walking on the path to holiness is a narrow path. But we do not walk alone.

        Our society is in desperate need of more Christian witnesses. Our culture is strongly pushing back against Christian witness and Christian values. Radical secularism is replacing our Christian values and there are efforts to keep our Christian voices, values, and witness out of the public square. This radical secularism is creating a void that is filled by moral relativism which denies objective moral truths and replaces these objective truths with individual subjective values (or by the subjective values of those in power) where an individual’s values are determined and governed by how each person thinks and feels. Eventually, the result of moral relativism is utter chaos because everyone cannot participate in a peaceful, civil, organized society acting on their own moral values. Our society is devolving into values that embrace “my will, not God’s will” – which is man’s temptation in every generation.

        At the same time as we need more Christian witnesses, we see a declining percentage of individuals in U.S. society who self-identify as Christians. A recent Pew Research Center report estimated that 64% of Americans were Christian in 2020; this compares to 90% in 1972. The  on-going sexual revolution is playing a significant factor in this declining trend of the number of Christians. Since 1972 we have witnessed an alarming increase in abortions, with abortion now considered a form of “contraception” (approximately 80% of abortions occur among the unmarried). The sheer magnitude of the number of abortions is almost incomprehensible.

No shrinking violets
        How do we reverse this trend? Christians must live our faith. This requires us to stand up as Christian witnesses and not be “shrinking violets” . We must not merely call ourselves Christian – we must live as Christians. This requires us to be courageous in our society today. We should recognize that we will be subject to criticisms, ridicule, and intimidation. This is part of the spiritual warfare that  is inherent to the human condition. Yet if we do not stand up now, our sufferings and persecutions will only increase. Our Christian values are under vicious attacks today – tomorrow these attacks will be on Christians directly. As Christians living our faith, we will inspire others to become Christians.

        So how should we Christians live in this abortion culture which Pope Saint John Paul II called the “culture of death”? His pressing call is…”What is urgently called for is a general mobilization of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life. All together, we must build a new culture of life.” (Evangelium Vitae)  No shrinking violets in his urgent call to get involved.

        The Christian values that derive from our Christian faith are legitimate values to compete with other values in our pluralistic society. But opposing forces want to silence us and restrict our expression of our values to within the walls of our churches. Yet, our constitutional republic is founded upon freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the inalienable rights endowed by our Creator as expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, we are free to take our values into the public square (by this we are not suggesting imposing Christian dogma or doctrine on others, rather, simply promoting, and living the values embodied by our Christian faith). And as Christians, Christ asks us to “make disciples of all nations” with our Christian witness. Christ compels us to compete with our Christian values in the public square.

Taking our Christian Witness into the culture of death in KCK
       Planned Parenthood Exposed is focused on fighting the culture of death in Kansas City, Kansas (KCK) specifically with our Stop Planned Parenthood in KCK campaign. Annual abortions in 2021 in KCK increased 23% over 2018 per Ks Dept of Health & Environment. This substantial increase occurred before Planned Parenthood opened its KCK abortion clinic in July 2022. This increase in abortions is also before the Dobbs decision and Kansas Roe decision referenced earlier. Alarmingly, KCK will experience pressures on increased annual abortions. This includes abortions from women coming to KCK from other states. How will we Christians respond? How will you respond?

Refining our pro-life messages
        The size of our loss of the Value Them Both vote demonstrates the need to further educate Kansans on abortion. We need to continue to put forth messages that educate the public with simple but powerful messages that penetrate the noise and penetrate the conscience of the public. I am suggesting two messages specifically. The first message is “Choose Love” . This concise message conveys what should be the primary consideration whenever we are talking about an unborn child and the child’s mother. It explains why we should Choose Life.

Let us first consider this short, impactful message from the viewpoint of the pregnant woman. It is a positive, thought-provoking  message to the woman considering abortion. It is impossible for a mother to properly reason that killing her unborn child is to choose love. How could killing an innocent human being ever be love? It is simply not possible with proper moral reasoning. Hopefully, Choose Love would help her overcome her fears or other motivations causing her to consider abortion. Love conquers fear. Choose Love  provides the fundamental value on which she should base her choice. This same reasoning obviously also applies to the father of the child and others involved.

        Let us consider Choose Love from the viewpoint of pro-abortion (so-called pro-choice) supporters. It is difficult to construct a well-reasoned argument opposing the Choose Love message. Certainly, it may provoke an emotion-only based response from abortion supporters. This response may well become angry by the pro-abortion supporter because, at least subconsciously, they will feel trapped by being unable to offer any well-reasoned response. Thus, Choose Love will penetrate their conscience. It destroys the My Body, My Choice argument by properly bringing another body, the unborn child, into consideration (whom pro-abortion forces continue to ignore).

        Choose Love is also a powerful argument for pro-life individuals to use. And it is easy to use - one does not need to be an excellent debater. Choose Love is also effective to use in arguments involving rape, incest, and life of the mother arguments. It brings into proper consideration the question of how should we love the unborn child? Is killing the child ever love? Even in rare, life of the mother situations there are always loving, life-affirming options available. (It bears stating that ending an ectopic pregnancy is not an abortion.) More in-depth moral discussions on life of the mother situations are beyond the intent of this document. Suffice it to state again, there are always loving options available.

        The second message that I suggest is to educate the public on the D & E surgical method of abortion typically used after 12 weeks gestation. A simplified message, such as, “Stop Ripping Apart Living Unborn Babies” is effective. This gruesome D & E method involves ripping off the arms and legs of a living unborn baby, snapping the spine and crushing the skull. This is necessary because the baby is too large to remove from the birth canal without dismembering it. Body parts must then be reassembled after the abortion to ensure that all parts have been removed. People are repulsed when they understand this barbaric abortion method.

We must not refrain from educating about the specifics of D & E abortions. Such education will help the public better understand abortion and build upon public opposition to abortion, especially at this later stage of pregnancy where there is already significant opposition by the public.

A Clarion Call from God - Christian Sidewalk Witness
        God is calling Christians to engage in one of the greatest battles for human rights in the history of civilization. LifeSite News reports that one to two billion children have been aborted worldwide in the last 50 years. Abortion clinics are at the heart of the culture of death. These killing centers must not exist in our neighborhoods, conducting their evils without Christian witnesses calling attention to our adamant opposition to this evil presence and to stand in witness to women considering abortion. No abortion clinic should be able to exist as though it is merely just another business with cars simply passing by. Christians are called to stand in prayerful, peaceful witness to the horrible, atrocious evils of an abortion clinic. We must be lights shining into the death and darkness of what takes place within the walls of these killing centers. We must take our light out from under our bushel basket as Christ commands.
(Mt 5:15-16)

        Our sidewalk witness serves as light to society. It serves as light to many: to those women entering the abortion clinic seeking abortion and those who are encouraging/supporting/coercing their decision; to those entering for other “services”; to abortion clinic staff and volunteers; to the lives of those children being slaughtered;  to pro-abortion individuals including those on the sidewalks; to others contemplating abortion in our communities; to businesses serving the abortion clinic; to those passing by including those who are apathetic; to nearby businesses and their customers; to nearby residents; to Christians and non-Christians; and to pro-life individuals including other sidewalk witnesses. We have all seen how light penetrates darkness and bright lights penetrate darkness to a much greater extent. Plus consider how Christ multiplies/intensifies our light. Sidewalk witness is indeed highly effective and powerful.

        Our Christian sidewalk witness is even more important because of the current abortion landscape of increasing abortions in KCK. Additionally, the sidewalk may be our only opportunity to witness to many women coming from other states seeking abortion. As a result of this landscape, Planned Parenthood Exposed has established our Christian Sidewalk Witness sidewalk schedule. The current schedule is on our website at http://www.PlannedParenthoodExposed.org and in our enewsletter. We desire to increase our presence on the sidewalks over time. Currently, we have a presence every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. We also have an ad hoc presence at other times during the week. There are many times available for expanding our presence.     

        We would like to invite you to join us on the sidewalk in prayerful, peaceful witness. Please consider making yourself available for God to use as his instrument on the sidewalk. God wills to work through we human beings as we have witnessed throughout human history. We trust that he will multiply the fruits of our sidewalk efforts beyond our expectations. We may seldom see any results directly, but we know that Jesus will produce results and he is pleased when we trust in him. Jesus, I trust in You.

        We should show up on the sidewalks as happy warriors for Jesus, full of peace and joy. And, as Christians, we must persevere through what is likely to be years of effort. Our Stop Planned Parenthood in KCK campaign began in 2019 when Planned Parenthood obtained a lease on a building located at 1854 Minnesota Ave. This campaign included sidewalk witness events. Praise God, that lease was subsequently canceled due to the efforts of the church community and pro-life community.

        After the lease cancellation, Planned Parenthood purchased the facility at 6013 Leavenworth Road, remodeled it and opened this abortion clinic in July 2022. Until then we had successfully held off their evils in KCK for three years. Now our fight must evolve to minimizing their evils at this new abortion clinic. Our Stop Planned Parenthood in KCK campaign efforts are now focused, primarily, on our Christian Sidewalk Witness at Planned Parenthood in KCK. (In the future we will have other initiatives as part of our Stop Planned Parenthood in KCK campaign that will focus on Planned Parenthood’s other plans in KCK beyond abortion which include transgender hormone therapy and bi-lingual sex education.)    

Your Involvement in Christian Sidewalk Witness
Can you give one hour?
        We, respectfully, ask that you commit to be on the sidewalks at 6013 Leavenworth Road. If you would commit to at least one hour per year much good will result and God will reward your efforts. I understand that individuals may be uncomfortable with standing in witness on the sidewalks. But we must overcome this temptation from Satan. We must live our Christian faith.
                “So, you could not watch with me for one hour?” (Mt 26:40)

        Each year we should get hundreds or thousands of Christian witnesses on the sidewalks at Planned Parenthood in KCK. This will make a positive difference in the abortion battle in KCK, minimizing Planned Parenthood evils, and lives of unborn children will be saved from abortion.

        Please consider bringing your family and friends to the sidewalks with you. You can
 Make a Difference. Encourage your church, school, Knights of Columbus, and others to select a date to be present. Imagine the joy that this brings God when you are helping to save his children.

I hope to see you on the sidewalks !!

Ron Kelsey, President
Planned Parenthood Exposed
ronkelsey10@gmail.com

Christ Has No Body but Yours
Sidewalk Witness Reflection

Christ has no body on earth but yours.

Yours are the legs that stand in peaceful, prayerful Christian witness on the sidewalks in front of abortion clinics, bearing marvelous fruits; fruits including helping women turn away from the abortion clinic due to your presence.

Yours are the eyes that must see the beautiful baby hidden in the womb that will help others to see.

Yours are the ears that must hear the silent cry for help of the unborn child.

Yours are the lips that must speak the truth with the love of Christ about the sacredness of unborn human beings especially those threatened by abortion.

Yours is the heart that must burn with the love of Jesus, motivating you to willingly endure small mortifications, sacrifices and sufferings while standing on the sidewalks, uniting your small sufferings to the redemptive sufferings of Jesus thereby elevating your sufferings to infinite value and merit. 

Yours are the hands that direct women at risk of choosing abortion to life-affirming pregnancy clinics, offering them hope, love and support. 

Yours are the feet walking the path to holiness and perfection while on the sidewalk as God desires. 

Yours is the body that will be insulted and persecuted for Christ’s sake because you are counter-cultural, as was Jesus. Yours is the body that should rejoice and be glad because as Jesus tells us, your reward will be great in heaven. 

Your body you make available as an instrument for God to use to accomplish his holy will.

Christ has no body on earth but yours. You are the Body of Christ.
   
                     Adapted from St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church