Abby Johnson Ignites Prolife Audience

Abby Johnson Ignites Prolife Audience
Staff Writer

Nearly five-hundred came to Driver’s Village in Cicero on September 19 to hear Abby Johnson, one of the nation’s leading prolife speakers. Johnson captured the audience’s attention for over an hour with her story of how God led her out of a leading role in the abortion industry and into a leading role in the prolife movement.

Johnson’s first exposure to Planned Parenthood came during her college years. She unstintingly gave herself to that organization with the mistaken belief that it endeavored to reduce the number of abortions. As explained in her best-selling book “Unplanned”, the fallacy of that organizational mantra was exposed while she worked as the director of a Texas-based PP clinic. As Planned Parenthood increasingly pushed for more and more abortions, it became abundantly clear that their motivation was purely monetary, not humanitarian. Johnson learned that there is a monthly abortion quota at every abortion clinic, and that there is a dollar amount attached to each woman that comes in. Concurrently, Johnson was trying to cope with a growing internal struggle to reconcile her pro abortion activism with her own sense of distance from God. The faithful witness, love, prayers and picketing by the founders of 40 Days for Life (40daysfor life.com) helped her see there was far more to the prolife message and movement than the folks at PP had led her to believe.

The entire bundle of conflicts came to a head when she was asked to assist in an ultrasound abortion. The baby was 13 weeks along, the same age Abby’s daughter was when she had an ultrasound to monitor the progress of her baby. As the doctor jabbed the infant with a probe, it recoiled in protest against the intrusion. Once the suction procedure began, the baby suddenly jumped, tried to flee away, and frantically fought for its life, but to no avail. “As the technician turned on the suction, I watched this little body twist and turn like you’re wringing-out a dish cloth. I watched this tiny body be ripped apart in its mother’s womb, this place where it should be safe. I just stood there and did nothing as I watched a child struggle, fight and die.” This was a defining moment for Abby as she suddenly realized just what abortion really was, the unequivocal murder of a living human being. She raced back to her office, composed a resignation, and then immediately sped off to the nearby local headquarters of the 40 Days for Life organization. Once there, she completely broke down, only to find the forgiveness and inner peace she had so desperately sought and needed. In a short time, she found herself fully immersed in responding to invitations to speak about her prolife conversion experience.

Abby’s delivery was spiced with frequent anecdotes which provided comic relief that balanced the intense nature of a gripping and sobering topic. During her speech she minced no words. “Don’t be fooled, the work of the abortion industry is evil.” Johnson closed with a strong five-fold challenge.

“First we need to individually and corporately repent of our apathy. Dr. Bernard Nathanson (founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League but now avid pro-lifer) said, ‘We knew that abortion would catch on if we could just get the churches to remain silent.’ And he was right. We as Christians have to repent because 72% of the abortions taking place in this country are taking place by Christian women. If we turn from our wicked ways, Jesus will heal our land.”

“Second, we have to pray. If there was ever a time to pray, now is the time because we are fighting a spiritual battle. This is not just about politics, this is a spiritual battle. This is not about being a red or a blue state, or whether you’re a donkey or an elephant. I don’t care. This is about getting on our knees and praying to God.” (loud applause) “I was not converted because people voted the right way. I was converted because people prayed the right way. And that’s one of the most important things that we can do.”

The third thing we have to do is to get involved. There’s a place for every single person in the prolife movement. I don’t know what you think about immigration, taxes or anything else. But without the right to life, nothing else really matters (applause). This is THE issue! 33% of our population is missing because of what, a choice? I became prolife because there were prolife people who were willing to make a sacrifice, that were out there in front of my clinic praying every single day. They prayed for me for eight years. We need good, holy, godly men in this movement. Real men don’t lead the women they care about into those doors of the abortion clinic. There are men in here that have stories of abortion decisions you have been a part of, and you can change the lives of young men you know. We need you, we need you now, and these women need you. This is not a women’s issue, it’s an issue for everybody.”

“Fourth we’ve got to bring it to our church. The Christian churches can no longer stand silent on the issue of abortion. Apathy on the issue of abortion is a sin in itself. Pastors tell me, ‘I don’t want to offend anybody or make them feel uncomfortable.’ I look them in the face and I say, ‘Your silence on the issue of abortion is one of the most offensive things that you can do to your congregation.’ We need clergy of courage. We need a congregation of courage. God is very, very clear on the issue of life. There is no grey, it is black and white. There are a lot of things I’m not sure about, but I am SURE about how my God feels about the issue of life. We need leadership in our churches, we need healing in our churches, to men, women and families. We’ve got groups in our churches for everything under the sun … but we won’t talk about the most pervasive epidemic in our churches, and that’s abortion, and shame on us. It is time to change that.” (vibrant applause)

“The fifth thing we need to do is to be loud. If you have a story of how abortion affects you or affects your family, you need to share it. Don’t be silent because your story can save a life. And you’ve got this amazing center (New Hope Family Services) right here. I’ve never been to a center where it’s actually a pregnancy center and an adoption center. You have a gem. You should tell everyone you know about this center. If you’re a business owner what’s the best way to advertise? Word of mouth. But you’ve got to use your mouth. Do it now.”

New Hope Executive Director Judy Geyer states, “It was a very exciting banquet. Our office has had a lot of emails and calls coming in from people saying their hearts were touched by Abby’s message. Many went home realizing they can’t just sit by and let abortions take place, that they have to get involved in the fight against abortion, and I think that’s a wonderful outcome. We praise God that she was able to come. She’s a courageous person, and God is using her for such a time as this, to bring this message across the nation.”
The annual banquet is sponsored by Hew Hope Family Services (www.newhopefamilyservices.com). This year’s event featured worship music courtesy of Calvary Chapel Syracuse, special music by Mark Hard of W.M.H.R. and a moving testimony from this year’s Life Choice Award recipient. For further information log on to www.AbbyJohnson.org.