Pro-life group sends a message
In an effort to protect the lives of people who cannot speak for themselves, the Lethbridge and District Pro-Life Association joined hundreds of other organizations across North America for the annual International Life Chain on Sunday.
Apart from their other demonstrations and protests, the Life Chain event is a peaceful and prayerful public demonstration to address the need to protect all human life and to acknowledge those who have been hurt as a result of abortion.
“It is done all across Canada and the United States with all different pro-life groups and the idea is that we stand silently and pray for the pro-life movement,” says Duane Konynenbelt, president of the Lethbridge and District Pro-Life Association. “The purpose is that the people here believe that all people have value from conception until natural death and this is just a loving way to show the people of southern Alberta that we believe that.”
Around 300 people lined up along the busy street to bring attention to people driving by who either support or are against the movement. Educating the public and governments about their beliefs is the goal of the protest and is something the group says they won’t stand down from.
“This movement isn’t political in nature but we would like to see the government make rules,” says Konynenbelt. “It is an unfortunate right that we live in a day and age where often times politicians refuse to talk about the things that are very important to the people. Today we just want to give the message that this is where we stand.”
Taking a stand for the unborn, Amanda Oudshoorn says the difficult conversation is something that needs to be done, not only for unborn children who have no say, but also for the women who need options when they are faced with the difficult decision.
“I think that it is important to protect these innocent lives,” says Oudshoorn. “I have talked to a lot of people who are pro-choice, and I can understand where they are coming from in a lot of difficult situations such as rape, they are hard conversations that we need to have and if our governments are not willing to have that debate and acknowledge that these women need help and that abortion may not be the only answer, what are some other options.”
Creating more options, the Lethbridge and District Pro-Life Association has announced they will be opening a home on Oct. 14, where women who find themselves in crisis pregnancies can go to get room and board, along with services to help them along the way. The goal of the new home is to allow women to have more options, support and gain valuable skills for them to keep their child successfully.
For more information on what the pro-life group does and the new woman’s home, visit lifelethbridge.org.