France is pretty mad at the United States. In fact, the entire European Union is mad, so mad actually, they wrote a strongly worded letter. Earlier this month the EU passed a resolution condemning the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dobbs abortion case, which overturned Roe v. Wade and sent the matter of abortion restrictions back to individual state legislatures.
Parliamentarians said the Dobbs ruling showed that “women’s and girls’ rights” are under attack. The strange part is that the Mississippi law which sparked the Dobbs case restricts abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. That’s one week later than France’s law, which restricts elective abortions after 14 weeks.
It gets weirder: The EU’s condemnation also warns the Dobbs ruling could embolden “anti-gender” groups around the world. But if abortion is about the rights of “women and girls,” that implies we know how to define “woman” and “girl.”
It’s all a silly bit of posturing, but if the EU is worried Dobbs will change the world, I hope they’re right.
Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.
Last week The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported six pro-life activists will stand trial on November 2 for trespassing at Little Rock Family Planning Services.
According to police reports, the trespassing occurred on January 15, 2021.
Little Rock police arrested a group of pro-life activists blocking the entrance at Little Rock Family Planning Services — Arkansas’ only surgical abortion facility.
At least six police cruisers and numerous officers responded to the situation and arrested the pro-lifers while an estimated 30 pro-life advocates prayed and protested from the public sidewalks outside the facility.
Family Council obtained redacted police reports and audio recordings following the incident.
Incident reports from January of 2021 show LRPD arrested Eva Ech, 85, of South Carolina; Chet Gallagher, 74, of Tennessee; Dennis Green, 54, of Virginia; Calvin Zastrow, 60, of Michigan; Emily Nurnberg, 46, of Kansas; Heather Iddoni, 56, of Michigan; and a 14 year old minor. Police reports indicate that the pro-lifers were blocking the front entrance to the abortion facility and did not leave the area when told to do so by law enforcement. As a result, all seven were arrested and charged with criminal trespass.
Below is video of some of the arrests along with audio recordings from dispatch and police.
One of the facility’s owners, Natalie Tvedten, was charged with First Degree Assault for allegedly trying to strike pro-lifers with her vehicle while they prayed on the public easement outside Little Rock Family Planning Services on July 13, 2021.
Although it isn’t very common, this is not the first time that pro-lifers have been arrested for blocking an abortion facility entrance in Little Rock.
On July 8, 1994, Little Rock police arrested 29 people from Operation Rescue. The individuals had traveled to Little Rock, where they blocked the entrance to an abortion facility that Dr. Mose Smith operated down the street from War Memorial Stadium; that facility has long since shut down.
As we said in July of 1994, Family Council agrees with stopping abortion through any legal means. We’ve never utilized the more aggressive tactics that some groups use. The folks from out of state who came to Little Rock last year and Family Council both have a mutual goal of ending abortion. That’s what matters to us.
In the wake of the Dobbs decision, an accusation often levied against pro-life Christians is that they only care about babies until “birth,” but not after.
Even if it were true, it’s a weird thing to say. Is “not killing innocent babies” not a sufficient moral position in and of itself? Even so, as an accusation, it’s simply false. There’s a virtual army of faith-based adoption, foster care, and family support organizations in existence today, all of whom strive to care for vulnerable families.
One example is Safe Families for Children, who support parents on the brink of having to release their kids to foster care. In Ohio is My Village Ministries. They work to reduce, repair, and prevent childhood trauma that results from shattered homes. And a new ministry, Rachel Project supports the growing number of grandparents who are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren.
There’s plenty more to be done, of course, but don’t buy the empty accusation. And, why not pick any one of these groups and support them with your prayers and financial generosity?
Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.
