Image rights: Public Doman

The von Trapp family became famous after their story was shared internationally through the film The Sound of Music, released in 1965. The matriarch of the family — Maria von Trapp — was known for her independence, compassion, and free-spiritedness. After marrying Georg von Trapp, a widower with seven kids, Maria went on to have three additional children. It was when Maria was pregnant with her son, Johannes, that she was faced with the pressure to abort.

In a book written by herself, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," Maria described the situation she faced when she became unexpectedly pregnant with Johannes. The family had lost their fortune due to a bank crash in Europe, causing financial stress and uncertainty. Additionally, Maria was struggling with her health. Severe back pain and kidney issues landed Maria in the doctor's office, where her husband was told, "Your wife cannot have another child, at least, not until the kidneys are back to normal. They are both badly infected … The child has to be removed, of course, immediately."

Maria could be fierce when necessary, and this moment called for an intense response. She told the physician, "What do you mean, of course? That is not of course at all. On the contrary, it is absolutely out of the question—we are Catholics, you know."

Sick or not, Maria was determined to protect the life of her preborn son, Johannes. The doctor did not believe she was making the right decision and informed Maria, "The child won’t be born alive; this much I can tell you." The entire family began regular prayer for Maria, her pregnancy, health, and unborn son, Johannes. Months passed, and Maria gave birth to the baby boy. The physician's predictions had been wrong — Johannes and Maria were both safe and in stable health at delivery.

After years had passed, Maria became aware of the existence of one of the largest abortion providers in the world. It caused her to reflect on her experiences with Johannes. "Many years later I happened to learn about Planned Parenthood and birth control to guard against unwanted children. I must say, Johannes had not been exactly planned for that very moment, and as far as being wanted is concerned, I would have gladly said many times, 'Oh, won’t you please be so kind as to wait for just six months?' … If there is any planning to be done, why don’t we let Him do it? Looking back now, I know that He chose the only right moment for Johannes’ arrival."

Maria von Trapp saw her large family as a blessing — including her son, Johannes, who joined the family unexpectedly during a health scare. To transform our society from pro-abortion to pro-life, we need more women who see the world as Maria von Trapp did — she embraced her family as something that brought joy, and she opened her arms to all the babies she had — whether they were planned or unplanned. If more people valued the gift of children and saw through Planned Parenthood's tactics as the sleazy lies they are, abortion could be eradicated from the world quickly. It's as Mother Teresa wisely said, "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." And certainly, one of the most basic ways we love our families is by recognizing their right to be safe from violence in the womb. Every life is a blessing, and every baby deserves to be protected from abortion the way Maria protected her son, Johannes.

TikTok user @BlackFeministRants, a self-described doula and wellness guru, claimed in a since-deleted video that women who don't have enough money for an abortion should utilize abortion funds. The content creator stated:

"If you're pregnant, but you want to be unpregnant, but you broke — you don't got money for the clinic — you go to an abortion fund and they give you funds for the abortion."

Videos of this nature have become abundant on social media platforms. However, funds given to pro-choice causes are not some kind of helpful philanthropy. In 2023-2024, Planned Parenthood received over $684 million in private donations. Another large pro-abortion organization, Reproductive Freedom for All, acquired $4.5 million in donations in 2023. Contributions that fund pro-abortion causes lead to more killing of living, precious, and valuable human beings in the womb. Not only are corporate offices of pro-choice organizations being funded, though. There is increased interest in distributing funds that specifically go to women who will walk into an abortion facility and end the life of their baby. These are pools of money that pay to crush the skulls of developing babies; to poison healthy fetal bodies until they reach their demise.

There should be laws passed that protect all members of the human species from violence — not just those who are born. We need full legal protection for the preborn. In addition to this, our society needs to ban fundraising for causes that exist to violently oppress unborn humans. Abortion funds rely on manipulative public relations tactics that make them appear supportive and helpful to women, when in fact, many women who undergo an abortion have not received adequate education on the development of the baby inside them. Abortion clinics are notorious for disinforming women by telling them their child is not a human and that the abortion involves no killing. These facilities also fail to inform women of the physical and psychological risks that abortion poses to the mother. This is not informed consent, and it leads to the loss of preborn lives and the harming of women. 

Funding abortion is deeply harmful to women. When a woman finds herself facing an unplanned pregnancy, she is not helped by people who seek to destroy one of her closest family members — her own baby in the womb. Rather, real aid is provided to those facing crisis pregnancies by offering them the kind of confidential and free support that pregnancy resource centers provide every day. Things like parenting classes, diapers, baby clothes, single mom support groups, GED classes, and much more. Pro-abortion centers — such as Planned Parenthood — offer none of these. Instead, they claim to empower women by decapitating their child, leaving the mother with grief and trauma, and sometimes physical harm as well.

People with a heart for women should be funding pregnancy resource centers that give women real, life-affirming help for both mom and baby. Funding abortion, on the other hand, destroys preborn women (and men) and damages the mother. There is nothing pro-woman about making donations to a cause to kill a person's close family member — their own child.

On this day three years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The Justices concluded that Roe v. Wade was unconstitutional, overturning the abortion case that had been in effect for forty-nine years, and had led to the deaths of over sixty-three million preborn children.

Today, we remember the millions of babies whose lives were destroyed because of the barbarity of Roe v. Wade. Children were subjected to violent harm by having their skulls crushed, bodies suctioned away, heart attacks induced, and being poisoned to death. No human being should be exposed to the unjust treatment that millions of babies have undergone in the United States. Roe v. Wade is as brutal as other unjust Supreme Court Cases of America's past, such as Dred Scott v. Sandford. Both cases made the lethal mistake of calling some human people "non-persons." But we know that every member of the human family has a right to full legal protection and is a human person worthy of safety and human rights.

American women have never benefited from having their babies killed through legal abortion; instead, abortion has caused severe trauma, grief, loss, and pain in the lives of ladies around the nation. Abby Johnson believed in legal abortion with all her heart and was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic. She had two of her own abortions. Later, she had a change of heart, became pro-life, and recognized that her babies deserved love, not abortion. Abby went on to found her own anti-abortion organizations to advocate towards the end of Roe v. Wade and abortion clinics in America. Cree Erwin underwent an abortion on June 30, 2016, at Kalamazoo Planned Parenthood. She experienced complications such as blood clots and uterine perforation. Despite seeking help in a local emergency department, Cree passed away on July 3. Successful abortions always kill at least one person — a valuable baby — but sometimes the mother is also killed in the process. By advocating for an end to our modern pro-abortion era, we stand with the unborn and with women who have been damaged or even killed through the practice.

Overturning Roe v. Wade is only the beginning of the anti-abortion advocacy of the twenty-first century. Many more pro-life strides will be taken, and more pro-life laws will be enacted. Additional minds will change from pro-choice to pro-life, and the anti-abortion movement will keep educating the public about the unborn and how every abortion is an inhumane atrocity.

Ending Roe v. Wade was just the start — achieving full legal protection for every baby around the globe is our north star that we will continue to pursue with passion and fervor.

We are finally approaching summer days. I don't know about you, but I love to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather with a good book to read. Because there are still over 3,000 abortions every day in America, our advocacy for life is far from over. Therefore, we can use some of our warm summer free time to learn more about how abortion has harmed the world, and how we can continue fighting to make violence against children no more around the globe.

Here are eight anti-abortion books to consider adding to your summer reading list!

1. "Why Pro-Life? Caring for the Unborn and their Mothers" by Randy Alcorn

This book by Randy Alcorn is a classic — it gives a powerful overview of the pro-life position and how anti-abortion advocates should respond to cultural lies about the unborn. "Why Pro-Life?" is a quick read that will inspire you to be more effective in your fight for life.

"Are the older ones more human and the younger less human? Does someone become more human as they get bigger? If so, then adults are more human than children, and football players are more human than jockeys. Something nonhuman doesn't become human by getting older and bigger; whatever is human must be human from the beginning" (p.21)

2. "Abortion Survivors Break Their Silence" by Melissa Ohden

The newly released title "Abortion Survivors Break Their Silence," is a chronicle of several different people who survived abortion attempts on their lives while they were yet in the womb. Every abortion survivor reminds us that the presence of "pregnancy termination" in our society means the lethal oppression of individual babies who have a right to life. I loved this book because it shared stories of abortion survivors I had never heard before, and it gave me fresh hope that our mission to end the killing of the unborn is absolutely possible.

"My mere existence, plus that of my fellow survivors, is a flaw in the arguments of so-called pro-choicers. Our births, our fights for survival, our collective voice, are a huge shout-out to the world: 'We are more than the choice of others! We are humans in our own right, and we choose to live!' Even as an injured newborn, whether I realized it or not, I chose to live. I arrived in this world fighting to breathe, fighting to survive. It was instinctive. This book describes others like me whose instincts to hold on to life, even by a thread, only add to that unified chorus: 'I choose to live!'" (p.22).

3. "The Case for Life" by Scott Klusendorf

A pro-life professional who has been involved in the fight to end abortion for years is Scott Klusendorf. Having trained thousands of high schoolers, college students, and professionals to defend life, Klusendorf has a wealth of practical experience in guiding individuals to make a case for the anti-abortion position that is persuasive and compelling. I enjoyed Klusendorf's conversational style of writing and the numerous examples the book included of how to respond well in conversations where pro-abortion claims are made.

"Although humans differ in their respective degrees of development, they are nonetheless equal because they share a common human nature that bears the image of their Creator. Humans have value simply because they are human" (p.205).

4. "Redeemed: My Journey After Abortion" by Toni McFadden

Anti-abortion advocate Toni McFadden has shared her story of choosing abortion to audiences through speaking for years, but more recently, she made her testimony available in print. In "Redeemed," McFadden tells about her experience of becoming pregnant while still in high school, and how those around her failed to provide pro-life support. A few years after having an abortion, McFadden had a change of heart and came to oppose abortion. Her story gives insight into how the pro-life movement can reach young women facing crisis pregnancies and reminds us that our world needs God's message of redemption.

"Sitting across from my best friend, I blurted, 'I'm pregnant.' 'You have to get rid of it,' was the very first thing out of her mouth. During the next few minutes, she was very much in charge. 'I know what to do. We just call the abortion clinic.'" (p.2).

5. "You Carried Me" by Melissa Ohden

If you are looking for a book that is a personal story and pulls at the heartstrings, this is the right pro-life read for you. "You Carried Me" is the account of how Melissa Ohden was born alive after a saline infusion abortion in 1977. Thanks to the help of nurses who saved her from the abortion room in a hospital, she was taken to neonatal intensive care where she received the support necessary to recover from the physical harm done against her in the womb. She went on to pursue a journey of looking for her birth mother -- eventually sharing her story nationally, and founding her own organization, Abortion Survivors Network.

"Many people think abortion is a discrete act that has no lasting effect. They are so wrong! Abortion can't be compartmentalized and is never forgotten. And its effects ripple through generations" (p.165).

6. "Stuck: A Complete Guide to Answering Tough Questions About Abortion" by Justina Van Manen

"Stuck" could be compared to a short textbook on pro-life apologetics. With stories from real anti-abortion outreaches, and research from top pro-life experts, this book will enable any advocate to better engage pro-choice people with the truth about the unborn.

"The dependency of another human being heightens our responsibility towards them, even if it places us in difficult situations. That is the reality of living in a just society: rights and responsibilities go hand in hand" (p.119).

7. "Tearing Us Apart" by Alexandra DeSanctis and Ryan Anderson

Alexandra DeSanctis and Ryan Anderson utilize this volume to explain how abortion damages women, the unborn, society, and much more. The world is worse off because babies are killed daily, and "Tearing Us Apart" describes the specific ways havoc has been wrecked through the abortion industry. Read this book to more thoroughly grasp how our globe is suffering because preborn lives are being destroyed.

"Abortion is a grave moral evil, an act of violence against the most vulnerable members of the human family. Every abortion ends the life of an innocent human being in the womb, and child who, because he is human necessarily possesses intrinsic worth and dignity and thus deserves to have his life protected. Parents, in particular, bear special responsibilities to their children, and thus abortion strikes at one of the most profound human relationships" (p.20).

8. "The Hand of God" by Bernard Nathanson

At the prime of the sexual revolution in the West, OBGYN Bernard Nathanson joined forces with pro-choice campaigners in an attempt to persuade public opinion about abortion, with the intent of seeing abortion legalized everywhere in America. Nathanson killed tens of thousands of babies with his own hands. But one day, Nathanson began to rethink his promotion of abortion. Was it truly morally acceptable to destroy embryos and fetuses? Nathanson went on a journey of reconsidering what he had done and what he believed.

"As I look back across the twenty-five years separating me from that revolting extravaganza playing itself out on the bodies of pregnant women and their slaughtered babies, I am struck by the uncritical nature of the task we had set for ourselves, by the moral and spiritual vacuum at the core of this fantastic operation, by our unquestioned certainty of the high level of moral rectitude on which we operated. And yet, the thing was so obviously sordid. Why couldn't we make the link between the ethical and the moral, between the shoddy practices and the shabby practitioners, the evident greed and callous motives, between the crassness of the enterprise and those involved in it, between all these ethical indicators and the grotesque immorality of the act itself?" (p.106)

If you decide to pick up one of these books, let me know what you think!

 

TikTok user @AbortionGurl posted a video alleging that she had seen the body of an aborted 6-week-old child while working at an abortion facility, and that the embryo looked like a "piece of snot." She claimed that pro-life advocates value the preborn child more than those who are born. The TikTok user's assertions are wrong on multiple accounts, which we will examine in this post.

When we consult the field of science dedicated to the study of life in the womb — embryology — we find that these experts never refer to the developing human as a "clump of cells" or "piece of snot." Instead, the preborn child is seen as a physiologically complex individual human who is reaching important developmental milestones. The claim that the unborn at six weeks is a "piece of snot" is, in fact, medically inaccurate information, and promoting this line of thinking is disinformation.

The Developmental Milestones of the Six-Week-Along Embryo  

At six weeks, the embryo is capable of spontaneous movements and responds to touch. It also becomes possible to see the difference between the child's upper and lower arm with the formation of their hand plate and elbow. The development of the 6-week-old baby's hand plate also leads to the clear formation of fingers. Four to five days after the upper limb has formed, the embryo's lower limbs also develop. Week six is also the time at which early ear structures begin to form, such as the auricular hillocks, a structure that later becomes the external ear canal. Because the child's retina has formed, this is the week of development at which the eyes become obvious. Additionally, the preborn child's digestive system is growing steadily, with rapid development of the intestine [1].

Clearly, the embryo at this stage is not a "piece of snot" but a physiologically complex member of the human species who only needs time, safety from violence, and proper nutrition to make it to birth. The specific embryo the abortion worker referred to in her TikTok most likely had all of these signs of growth and development, and he or she deserved to be safe from abortion. Tragically, the little one's life was unjustly ended, and even the memory of their life is used by this abortion worker to attempt to further convince people that preborn lives are not worthy of safety. Nothing could be further from the truth — every baby, from the moment of fertilization, has a right to be free from oppression and murder.

Do Pro-Life Advocates Value the Preborn More than the Born?

The other claim made by the abortion worker in the TikTok was that "anti-choicers value a piece of snot [6-week-along embryo] more than us." Being that abortion facility staff come up close and personal with this issue daily, it makes sense why this woman would examine the value of the embryo to her and to those who do not hold her view. She determined that pro-life advocates must value women very little and embryos very much. However, this is not an accurate representation of the pro-life movement's position on the value of women or preborn humans. Anti-abortion advocates value mother and child equally. 

At fertilization, a new human being comes into existence [2]. At the moment this occurs — with sperm and egg fusion — a brand new person comes to be who is worthy of protection from violence like any other member of the human race. Both the mother who is supporting the development of the child and the baby in the womb deserve to have their human rights honored by defending them from injustice.

It's basic knowledge to all people that it is wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being. Abortion is an act that intentionally kills an innocent preborn human, and therefore, abortion is wrong. Although the preborn child is small — such is the case for the 6-week-along embryo we are examining in this post —they are no less worthy of life. A just society makes an effort to protect the vulnerable, but tragically, in today's day and age, it is legal in many places to kill humans in the womb. This is a grave injustice that must be stopped. That is why, here at Embryo Advocates, we advocate daily to stop the killing of defenseless lives in the womb.

It's Not Too Late for @AbortionGurl to Change Her Heart on Abortion

Although TikTok user @AbortionGurl has dedicated her account and content creation to the promotion of abortion, it is not too late for her heart to change. At some point in her life — and maybe currently — she has been employed in an abortion facility where the execution of tiny humans takes place. Even so, AbortionGurl can have her perspective transformed from pro-abortion to anti-abortion. We've seen God move in the hearts and lives of abortion workers before — such as in the cases of Abby Johnson and Anthony Levatino — and it is possible for this woman to be set free from the industry of death, too. Will you take a moment today to pray for AbortionGurl to see the value of 6-week-old babies in the womb and all preborn humans? 

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[1] Moore, K.L., Persaud, T.V., & Torchia, M.G. (2020). The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology (11th ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier. [1] pp. 210-211.

[2] Ibid, p.57.

 

Image Credit: Nicholas Kamm /AFP Via Getty Images

Tomorrow, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America. As Trump begins to enact policies and decide how this administration will be run, how should he approach the issue of abortion?

Trump has taken various different stances on abortion throughout his lifetime. Before running for President for the first time, he claimed to be pro-choice. Later, while campaigning for the presidency, he said he was pro-life. Now, recently, he has taken the position that “Exceptions are very important” and has said he would veto a national abortion ban.

We have yet to find out what exactly Trump will do during this presidency, but here is my take on how he should approach the abortion issue this term.

Let’s begin with the basics. What is abortion? Abortion is the direct, intentional killing of an innocent human being in their mother’s womb. We know that it is wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being; abortion does that; therefore, abortion is morally wrong.

It is the responsibility of every nation on the planet to protect its most vulnerable members. Countries around the world have passed laws banning the killing of born human beings. If you were to kill someone, you would be held accountable. But, due to disinformation campaigns from NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and other abortion propaganda giants, our culture began to change how we view life in the womb. Instead of championing the protection of life, many countries around the world, starting as early as 1920 in the USSR, abortion was decriminalized. Eventually, with the passing of Roe v. Wade in 1973, the US followed the lead of many other countries that failed to protect their babies. Ultimately, thank God, on June 24th, 2022, Roe v. Wade was, alas, overruled.

However, this one action is not the end of the federal government’s responsibility regarding abortion. Approximately 3,000 preborn people die daily through abortion. This is the most significant human rights atrocity of our time. And, yet, many times, our nation’s politicians and presidents have FAILED to extend basic protections for the tiniest humans in our country. And thus, more than 63 million United States children have been executed in their mother’s wombs because there have been no legal protections for unborn humans.

As Donald Trump enters his Presidency, it is time to act on behalf of life.

Basic Biology teaches that when two human beings reproduce together, the species of their offspring is indeed human. So, our humanity does not start at birth, viability, or heartbeat — rather, at fertilization, a new life has started and deserves FULL legal protection. 

I call upon Donald Trump and his new administration to act on behalf of the unborn by defunding all federally subsidized abortion funding programs. And by enacting legislation that protects every preborn human from the moment of fertilization. This is not an extreme proposal. This is what it means to treat our preborn neighbors with basic justice and decency. This is not advanced ethics, this is doing the bare minimum to stop violent discrimination against babies in the united states.

So, Donald Trump, as you enter the White House once again, let the weight of 3,000 abortions per day in your country weigh heavily on your shoulders. You have the power to act, and you will answer to God for how you wield your power and how you respond to an injustice you have a legal ability to stop.

Act on their behalf, and millions of pro-life Americans will stand behind you in the decision.

Image Credit and Copyright: howmanyarethere.net

The abortion industry and pro-choice advocates claim abortion is an issue that is extremely complex and difficult -- if not impossible -- to discern. But abortion is actually an incredibly straightforward issue. This is because of the basic knowledge we have as human beings about the importance of protecting people from violence. A simple syllogism breaks it down this way:

(1) It is wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being.

(2) Abortion intentionally kills an innocent human being.

(3) Therefore, abortion is wrong.

Although there are a lot of unique circumstances that surround each mom and baby during a crisis pregnancy, the truth remains that violence is never a solution.