Life is a charity whose mission is ‘to create a just society which has the utmost respect for all human life from fertilisation.’ It works in many different areas, offering counselling and support to those who are pregnant, education about life before birth, advice on many issues concerning fertility, abortion and euthanasia, as well as running hospices for children with disabilities (Zoe’s Place, in Coventry, Middlesbrough and Liverpool) because it recognises that it’s not enough to campaign on pro-life issues without offering practical help to those who face extremely difficult times if they choose to continue a pregnancy which others would end. The testimonials given on their website from women and families who have found alternatives to abortion remind us vividly that whilst we cannot help everyone, the practical help we can offer to individuals makes a huge difference.
Often, we feel overwhelmed by statistics. 2017 has seen the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act, which legalised abortion in the UK. The statistics about abortion in the UK are almost too much to take in. [1]
- In 2015, 185,824 abortions were carried out on women and girls in England and Wales. That was 1,253 (0.7%) more than the 184,571 performed in 2014, and the largest number since the 189,931 carried out in 2011.
- Only 3,213 abortions were approved because the foetus had a medical condition. In almost half of these cases it was a congenital malformation, for example of the nervous or cardiovascular system, and in 689 cases the foetus was found to have Down’s syndrome.
- 70% of the women who had abortions in 2015 were married or with a partner.
- 40% of the abortions were on women who have had at least one abortion previously.
- 50 women in 2015 had each had 8 abortions.
- In 2015, 1,853 under-16s had an abortion, including 509 who were under 15 and 79 who were under 14.
The challenge for us is to see beyond the statistics to the individuals involved and to work with those who offer practical help, advice and support. At the very least (and I happen to believe this is not ‘least’), we can pray for people: for nurses and doctors, for counsellors, and most of all for the people who feel overwhelmed, rather than overjoyed, by the idea of new life. God takes human life seriously. So should we.
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/17/abortion-rate-england-and-wales-five-year-high