I’d love to see actual numbers on this, although it would be an extremely difficult statistic to compile for obvious reasons.
I agree with both - there are plenty of women who’ve had abortions who have swung way to the pro-life side - myself included, to be utterly frank - I am appalled by my decision at 18, which was immature but done with eyes wide open (I’ll explain why I had such clarity, why I believe almost all women do), and as a result, I wouldn’t have another abortion even if it meant saving my own life.
At the same time, there are plenty of women who are still rabidly in favor. We see this evidenced on a reasonably regular basis right here with posted articles authored by women who have a vehement but horribly skewed perspective of morality when it comes to abortion, some who actually seem to brag about their choices, clinging to the notion that their abortions have saved them tons of grief in life rather than the opposite.
From personal experience I believe that those women cling desperately to their viewpoint because they can’t bear to face what’s behind curtain number two, so much so that they keep it all stuffed way down in deep dark places they don’t ever visit, and distract themselves from it by yelling against it. These women are in psychological trouble, but it’s too emotionally dangerous to admit it.
As a woman I can speak to this, because despite the propaganda they’ve been force-fed for decades, women do know that the baby isn’t just a clump of tissue. They have an inherent knowledge of their child and a God-given desire to protect him. I knew my baby was a baby, but I shut my eyes to the reality of it in order to get through to the other side of the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life.
But that’s the thing - you never do really get through. Abortion traumatizes women because their very souls cry out against what society insists is perfectly acceptable. And do those years of pro-choice propaganda have an effect? Absolutely. While it doesn’t eliminate that inherent awareness, it allows women to put it aside.
Don’t misunderstand me - are these women responsible for their own decisions? Absolutely. Abortion trauma for the mother is self-inflicted. But she has accomplices, and they all have to answer one day to the One who gave them life. And if I wasn’t assured years ago of His very undeserved forgiveness, I frankly don’t know how I would get through the rest of my life, and might be in denial as many of these women still are.
I was so relieved to see that you “took it to the Cross”.
Indeed, He forgives, even when you don’t forgive yourself.
The lies of this world are inherently damaging, and those who don’t see the Spirit of Truth will never get over their trauma.
Indeed, it is “emotionally dangerous” for these women to address their guilt, especially when most have turned their back on the one Source of healing available to them.
Thanks for talking about this. I can only imagine how difficult it is. I worked for 4 years in psychiatric hospitals, and met at least 2 women that I know of who had serious depression issues years after an abortion. The worst part of it was that, for all the training we received about “validating” peoples’ feelings, the industry was so deeply mired in liberal dogma that we were not allowed to help them with any sense of remorse; only to reassure them that what they did was perfectly alright. These women were hurting deeply for their whole adult lives, and being told basically to shut up. There are no statistics that I know of on Post-Traumatic Stress (one of the great Liberal Shiboleths) for abortion; I believe the APA doesn’t want to sweep it under the rug; they want to bury it out in the woods under a big rock where no one will ever find it. I weep for the lost children, and weep for the women we have lied to.
Have you ever thought of establishing a group (or maybe there is one I’m not aware of) for people who’ve been through this for mutual support and / or activism? You (and a lot of other people) might be surprised at the numbers.