"The most important thing to remember- If pro-lifers were successful at educating people on a national scalewe would see a reduction in the number of abortions. If we were successful in evangelising our nation we would see an end to almost all abortion and other unchristian behaviour. This is obviously what we dream of and work towards. But the most important point to remember as pro-life activists, seeing things in both their temporal and eternal contexts, is that we are called to be faithful, not victorious! As a materialistic, consumer society, we have been conditioned to win (`Nobody remembers who finished second`). So when the results of our efforts are not immediately evident we tend to lose interest and give up. Realistically, we must recognise that victory is in God's hands, not ours. Trusting in Him will make us more durable and focused. 'Never give in then, my dear brothers, never admit defeat;keep on working at the Lord's work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain.' - 1 Corinthians 15:58 A Balanced Life- Keeping in mind the temporal and eternal context of our own lives will help us to acheive balance and discipline. These things are essential if we are to be effective pro-life activists. Christian activism can be difficult and stressful if we do not maintain a balanced personal life. This means we are looking after all aspects of our bodies and souls. We should try to keep our minds alert through regular reading or study; our bodies healthy through exercise; our souls refreshed and joyful through daily prayer; and our hearts open to family, friends and all those to whom we give or receive love. It is also important to keep our pro-life mission compatible with our other missions. Pro-life work should never come before our faith or our family. But just as too much activism (if not properly balanced) can hurt those we love, too little may also affect them. Did you know that 80% of children whose parents integrate faith with action stay in the Church? only 20% of children whose parents pray, but do not act, remain true to the practice of their faith. 'Faith without works is as a body without breath.' - James 2:17 Rug up to face the cold hard facts- Once we've seen the reality of abortion we know we simply must act to stop more babies dying and more women and families hurting! But to be truly effective pro-lifers we also have to acknowledge certain other realities regarding our society and how it works. There are six elements that govern our society. They are: 1) God 2) The Church* 3) Culture* 4) The Pro-life Movement* 5) Individuals* 6) The Anti-life Movement* Each of these elements influeneces each of the others marked with an asterisk. One of the keys to effective activism is understanding how they affect one another. Another key is to recognise several rules which govern our temporal society. These include... - Pro-lifers have been spoiled by Western Culture just as much as eveyone else - All evils are inextricably linked to other evils, eg. birth control leads to abortion - Christians must reconvert the teachers of morality - family, Church, schools etc - The term 'Christian' has been diluted to the point of meaninglessness - Prayer and action are both required to convert the world (Matthew 25:34-40)" "The source & nature of the anti-life mentality- If those who work to defend human life are pro-life, then those who disregard it might justifiably be called anti-life. `I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me ... But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul; all them that hate me love death.` - Proverbs 8:17, 36. Satan is the original anti-lifer, therefore, because he hates all things that come from God, especially human life. `The devil is a liar and a murderer from the beginning.` (John 8:44) and `Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.` (2 Corinthians 11:15) The anti-life philosophy sees human life as less than sacred and inviolate because it ignores or neglects the spiritual aspect of the human being. So anti-lifers rank people according to physical characteristics, which leads to the belief that some groups of human beings may be exploited for the benefit or convenience of other humans. This mentality is human-centred, not God-centred - it is truly `Humanistic`. Life & Love get trashed! The devil cannot create anything; he can only twist and pervert God's creation, so he tries to pervert Love for God into blasphemy, sacrilege, indifference, agnosticism and atheism. He perverts Love of Life into genocide, murder, euthanasia, suicide, chemical and surgical abortion, and artificial birth control. Love of Self he turns to overindulgence, addictions to drugs, alcohol, money, food, power, pornography and sex. And Love of Neighbour becomes racism, theft, cheating, slander and lies. Finally, he perverts natural Sexual Love into a rainbow of aberrations including homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, rape, incest, adultery and fornication. In this way the devil accomplishes his ultimate aim of destroying, corrupting and preventing human life and human love. There are many people who have been taken in by the devil's plans. These include pro-abortionists, radical 'gay' activists, radical feminists, euthanasiasts, population controllers, pornographers, animal rights activists who believe animals and humans are morally equivalent, and radical environmentalists who believe humans have 'infected' the planet. The anti-life agenda is to destroy the family & religion- The anti-life mentality is revolutionary. It ultimately seeks to undermine any institution that prevents it reaching its goals. Two of its biggest obstacles are the Church and the family because these institutions exist to defend and protect human life. `We have to abolish the institution of marriage ... By the year 2000 we will, I hope, raise our children to believe in human potential, not God ... We must understand that what we are attempting is a revolution, not a public relations movement ... it is humanism that is the goal.` - Gloria Steinem (feminist author) `I would like to see religion abolished as an institution ... Atheists have kept saying that they want 'separation of state and church.' That broadly defined and interpreted slogan has been a cover for what we really want, which is to see religion wither and die on the vine.` - Jon G. Murray, former president of American Atheists, 'The Goals of Atheism'. Anti-lifers believe that if they do away with religion and the family, they will have complete freedom of action to live as they choose. Silencing those who disagree with their views will thus free them from the guilt associated with immoral behaviour."