July/August, 1997 Volume XII Number 7 - IN THE NATION

AFLM focuses on chemical abortion

Portland, OR -- There was something a little different about the anti-abortion protest on May 1 in Portland.
Advocates for Life Ministries (AFLM), joined by several other groups and individuals, did not target an abortion clinic or any bastion of pro-abortion supporters -- or even the general public. AFLM targeted the Church with its anti-abortion message. AFLM targeted the National Day of Prayer event in their home town.
"We've been going to the clinics and speaking out in public," said Paul deParrie, one of the organizers. "But we've neglected to confront the abortions in the Church committed with chemicals and IUDs."
About a dozen people joined AFLM at the Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland to pass out literature calling for Church-wide repentance for killing their own children.
"A lot of people don't know that their birth control is aborting their babies," said deParrie. "But we still have to repent of it even if it was unintentional sin."
Christian women are estimated to be just as likely as non-Christian women to be using abortifacient birth control methods. Bo Kuhar of Pharmacists for Life estimates that between nine and 14 million babies are aborted yearly in the U.S. by pills and IUDs.
Two weeks after the National Day of Prayer, on May 17, AFLM and activists from Rock for Life distributed the same literature to participants in the March for Jesus. On May 24, pro-life activists also leafleted at the regional gathering of more than 60,000 Promise Keepers in Seattle, Washington.
Between AFLM and Rock for Life (RFL), about 5,000 pieces of literature were distributed.
"The response was great," said Bryan Kemper of RFL about the Promise Keeper event. "One father of six -- whose wife was just starting on the Pill -- repented on the spot!"
"I talked to a pharmacist who already refuses to fill IUD prescriptions," added deParrie. "He told me he didn't want to fill prescriptions of any kind which killed babies.
AFLM is planning to distribute at least 150,000 birth control fliers at the national Promise Keepers which is supposed to draw a million men to Washington, D.C. in October of this year.
"This is all part of an additional emphasis for AFLM," said deParrie. "This is in addition to our other activism. We hope that this information will spark the beginnings of repentance within the Church for our own bloodguilt."
American Coalition of Life Activists (ACLA) has also decided to devote about half of their activism to the issue of abortifacient birth control within the church and has urged coalition affilliates to demonstrate and distribute literature at Christian events.


National Day of Prayer takes low road

Formerly known for its intent to call God's people to repentance, the National Day of Prayer has taken an apparent downturn. Some Christians were appalled to hear the prayer opened with an official proclamation from President Bill Clinton touting the benefits of prayer for the nation.
"It was so hypocritcal," said Paul deParrie, who was at the event in Portland, Oregon. "Someone at the top of this organization must have actually asked the White House for some words from the adulterer-in-chief, sodomy promoter, and abortion promoter to open this event. There's something really wrong here."
In addition to the presidential proclamation, in Portland, Mayor Vera Katz followed the presidential decree with urgings for all people on "different spiritual journeys -- Christian, Jewish, Moslem, and Buddhist" to join in prayer.
"I don't think a holy God could be sharing the platform with Buddha and Mohammed," said deParrie.




Copyright © 1997 AFLM