When it comes to abortion, there is one topic that many pro-lifers disagree on, which is abortion in the instance of rape.
In a series called “Pro-Life Replies,” Live Action answered the controversial question: “Is abortion ever justified in cases of rape?”
In their latest video, they addressed the frequently used statement: “Abortion is justified in cases of rape. You can’t force a rape survivor to carry a pregnancy to term.”
As Live Action points out, there are many differentiating opinions when it comes to a child conceived in rap. While some believe that having a baby as a result of rape is injustice, others believe the opposite, that terminating a pregnancy because of rape is an injustice.
“One thing on which we all agree is that rape itself is a horrific injustice, and that survivors need and deserve resources for help and healing — and those who assaulted them must be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Kelli, an author at Live Action wrote.
In the video, Stephanie Reynolds, who was conceived in rape, answers the question, whether or not babies conceived in rape should be aborted.
Reynolds shares in the video that her mother was a victim of rape, and that she is grateful that her mother chose to keep her.
“When someone says that children conceived in rape should be aborted, they’re talking about me,” she said.
“My mother saw that my life was not worth any less than anyone else’s simply because of the way that I was conceived,” she said. “And that I shouldn’t be put to death for the crimes of my father.”
Reynolds continued to point out that abortion is not a solution to the problem of rape.
“Abortion does not give the women the healing that she needs, and deserves,” Reynolds pointed out, adding that it doesn’t erase the rape or undo the violence.
“Instead abortion subjects the women and her child to another act of violence that cannot be undone.”
She pointed out that abortion is not a healing method, following rape, but just adds “trauma to trauma,” while taking the life of another innocent victim.
“It’s never fair to punish an innocent child with what amounts to the death penalty because her father considered a heinous crime. Under our current laws, we don’t even give rapists the death penalty. So to put the child to death is to give rapists more rights than we give to innocent, pre-born children.”
The video shares the testimony of Jennifer Christie, a woman who was raped on a business trip and chose life instead of death for her baby.
“I was told, ‘If you just abort, everything will be okay, and you’ll forget. If you just abort, then you can move on,'” Christie testified.
“There is no forgetting,” she pointed out. “No woman is ever going to forget what happened to her.”
Christie testified that over and over again she was told that if she just had an abortion, then the reminder of what happened to her would be gone.
“Is my son a reminder?” she asked. “He absolutely is. My son is a reminder, every single day, that as women we can rise above our circumstances.”
“My son is a reminder that love is always stronger than hate, and that who we are as human beings is not determined by how we were conceived.”
Opposingly, Ashley Sigrest, another woman who was raped, had an abortion following the tragic incident. After being encouraged that it would allow her to deal with her rape, she realized it did exactly the opposite.
“I could never, ever deal with my rape, because I was so focused on what I had done in choosing abortion,” she said. “And that’s what people don’t understand.”
“When they tell rape victims, ‘Oh yes, have an abortion, so that way you can go on, and deal with your rape.'”
She pointed out that having an abortion made dealing with her rape 1,000 times worse because instead of one horrific event, you now have two to deal with.
“Abortion is not the loving course of action for a woman seeking healing after sexual assault,” Reynolds said in conclusion.