Posted on 02/21/2011 7:25:32 PM PST by marshmallow
Bernard Nathanson, who was one of the leading figures in the abortion industry before he converted to the pro-life cause and the Catholic faith, died on February 21 in New York at the age of 84.
Nathanson estimated that he performed 5,000 abortions personally, and as director of busy abortion clinics he supervised more than 70,000 abortions. He was co-founder of the group now known as NARAL, and helped craft the arguments in favor of abortion on demand. But Nathanson experienced a profound change of heart, and eventually embraced the pro-life cause.
In 1985 the former abortionist produced The Silent Scream, a highly influential film that showed ultrasound images of the unborn child in the womb. Later, in his book Aborting America, he revealed how he and other abortion advocates had distorted facts— notably by concocting false statistics on the number of deaths from illegal abortion—in order to gain public acceptance of the practice. In later years he expressed profound remorse for his participation both in the destruction of unborn children and in the propaganda campaign to promote the abortion industry. “I am one of those who helped usher in this barbaric age,” he confessed.
In a later book, his 1996 autobiography The Hand of God, Nathanson recounted the next step in his dramatic conversion: his entrance into the Catholic Church. He was baptized that year by Cardinal John O’Connor of New York. His godmother was Joan Andrews Bell, who had once spent more than a year in prison—much of it in solitary confinement—for her involvement in non-violent efforts to blockade abortion clinics.
Prayers for the repose of his soul.
He is always who I think of when discouraged over the abortion debate. God showed him the truth and with our prayers others will know it too.
May God have mercy on his soul.
It’s hard to contemplate the mental change involved in going from willingly participating in 70,000 “procedures” to feeling the crushing guilt of 70,000 murders.
Met him at a Human Life International (HLI) conference in Houston in ‘91.
Very interesting to hear a man confess such a radical conversion.
He personally killed more children than Vlad the Impaler.
If this conversion was genuine then the pain must have been incomprehensible.
Grace and Mercy are the greatest balms God uses to heal.
He spent the rest of his life trying to educate others and working passionately for pro-life causes.
What a pivotal person Dr. Nathanson was .. maybe THE pivital person in the change in public perception of the pro-life movement. God, I am sure, has welcomed his soul into the peace of life everlasting.
It is what we all hope for in Christ, is it not?
To be forgiven when truly repentant and to share eternal life with Him?
He is in a better place. RIP Dr. Nathanson.
Prayers for his soul, from a fellow Catholic. R.I.P.
Dr. Nathanson sounds like a latter-day Saul/Paul. Such a dramatic change of heart, and then acting on his epiphany. He risked his lucrative career, all his friends, probably much of his family, his birth faith ... to follow his new-found belief. That takes not only extraordinary courage, but absolute, total, principled belief. His impact is really immeasurable.
I often go on rants about the lack of ‘coverage’ on the passing of Dr. Michael DeBakey as compared to, say, Michael Jackson. I think Dr. Nathanson’s passing will receive the DeBakey treatment, but that really is not important, just a sorry reflection on what/who is important in our society.
He calmly looked at her and said, “Ma'am, I'm an atheist, but abortion is clearly a violation against human life.”
I'm so glad to hear he came to know Jesus Christ as His Savior.
I intend to present his testimony to my catechism class hopefully next week.
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