How Could She Do That? [Abortion and the journey to forgiveness]

CatholicExchange.com ^ | 10/23/06 | Amanda Russell

[Salvation]

I am posting this on the genral news forum in the hopes that the story might help others who have experienced an abortion.

[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

Please ping your lists.

[kinoxi]

The sweetest woman I have ever met did this. (many years before I met her)

[Salvation]

Did she share her story with you at that time?

It seems like there is a huge stigma about sharing the fact that one had an abortion.

[kinoxi]

Many years before I met her. We talk.

[sitetest]

"However, in their zeal to protect the unborn baby, pro-life people tend to overlook the plight of the woman who is often confused, terribly scared and desperately concerned with her own survival."

I think that this is largely a caricature of pro-lifers.

I don't know many like this.

[goodnesswins]

ONE abortion I might understand.....after that...there's BIRTH CONTROL FOLKS!!!!!!!!!

[cpforlife.org]

Two best resources on this:

http://www.RachelsVineyard.org
http://www.SilentNoMoreAwareness.org

IMPORTANT: “Mainstream Media” has been replaced with “Democrat Media”.

Please help spread the word.

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[Shimmer128]

Afterward, I was out one night with a friend and met a man. We had a good time laughing and talking, so we began seeing each other. After the abusive treatment I had received from my first husband the fact that this man was good to me was comforting and I began to trust him and finally feel safe.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

A harrowing story. Should be read by any woman considering an abortion...

[Soothesayer]

It is simply sad that all of this suffering was basically caused by a parent's failure to give a small child a simple hug and I kind word or two when she needed that the most. Their oversite of something so simple and easy led to the oppression of a soul and the death of her babies.

If I ever have kids, they'll be told EXACTLY what I think of them.

[wagglebee]

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This is a definite must read!

[Coleus]

Project Rachel

[grellis]

It seems like there is a huge stigma about sharing the fact that one had an abortion.

Surely that doesn't surprise you. I am certain that you have read some of the vitriol thrown at post-abortive women right here on this forum.

[Zack Nguyen]

As the grace of Christ is sufficient for covering of our sins, I rejoice in stories of women who have had abortions, yet have come to faith in Christ and been forgiven.

[Aliska]

That's why we shouldn't be so judgmental. It can affect people trying to return to and reconcile with God. We don't know whose spirit he will touch. I have one acquaintance who had two abortions. She was raised Catholic; I was not. I have never ever heaped salt in her wounds, but never condoned it either. I have seen her tears. Every day she is sorry about her babies. She has never had a lasting relationship with a man because she has a very serious drinking problem and gravitates sometimes to men who have the same problem, so serious, she is beyond my or any program's reach to help her so far. All I can do is remind her she just has to focus on not drinking today and encourage her to be around people who will not tempt her in that direction. She is an extremely attractive Hispanic woman. Her whole life is ruined, really. She doesn't play on people for sympathy, she needs a lot of healing. Please pray for her. Maybe if she returned to the church of her childhood, she could find peace and the strength to overcome. I believe she told me her Catholic mother paid for one of the abortions and one for her sister, I'm not sure if I got it straight. Catholics have high rates of abortion; part of it is that they are ignorant of Catholic teachings and have not been able to connect with the right people in the church to help them rather than heap coals on their heads. I hope the mother repents, if she is even aware of her part in the sin, before she dies; her health is precarious. Please pray for her, too. She doesn't sound like like a horrible person, just misguided. Sometimes it is even harder for Catholics because the stigma of having an illegitimate child might be worse in the church than in other churches, probably bad in other churches with gossip, etc. We do have a nice program locally for these Catholic girls and their babies, so things are getting better, but I don't know if they dare show their faces at mass with their families and babies. I hope they can just be normal Catholics and families. Oh, and she's here legally as is her family.

This is a beautiful testimony of God's love. Maybe I can share this story with her when the time is right. I don't want to push her or act controlling. I do think the church groups she is involved with are too negative for her, she doesn't understand why God can't instantly heal her. At least I believe He can, but I can't promise her how.

[trisham]

The Church needs to be in the lead again in reaching out to post-abortive women so that we will have the support we need to tell our stories within our parishes. There is a huge, untapped resource in women who have had abortions. Please be supportive of us and help us overcome our shame so that we may speak out. Use us. We can help you. Welcome us into the pro-life ranks with loving arms, because it is our voices that will have a significant impact on stopping abortion.

**************

Thank you for posting this, Salvation. I do believe it is an important message for us to hear.

[Mrs. Don-o]

A lot of women get pregnant on birth control, though. The only really effective ones are the hormonal ones, and they often make women feel bloated and depressed. Nothing is less sexually satisfying that feeling bloated and depressed, so they ditch that and opt for condoms, spermicides, or diaphragms, and that means, eventually, pregnancy.

If the "solution" were birth control, there'd be no problem anywhere, because birth control is everywhere, urged on you from puberty, advocated by everybody, mentioned every time you go to a gynecologist, advertised in all the women's magasines, available at any drugstore, grocery, convenience store or Wal-Mart for less than a pack of cigarettes, or for free at your County Health Department. This woman was not over-fertile, she was under-loved. The solution wasn't to obstruct her body, but to find healing for her soul. She needed Christ, not a contraceptive. I am glad she found love and life. I hope he story will touch many hearts.

[paulat]

Aliska...we will be happy to talk to her...you must remember, however...that there are jerks on FR who will want to hurt her.

Maybe if you have people send FReepmail messages to you, and you filter out the jerks, it might work.