How the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform UK is working to make abortion unthinkable.
Editorial introduction: Despite the legalisation of abortion in Britain and the US several decades ago, debate about this issue is far from over. Now, a new and vibrant generation of pro-lifers on both sides of the pond are determined to make history by changing hearts, minds and laws.
This week Alabama became the latest US state to pass pro-life legislation, in anticipation of Roe vs. Wade being overturned one day in the Supreme Court. In both the US and the UK, the March for Life is gaining momentum with each passing year.
And in the UK, pro-life organisations are being set up to reach the public about this vital issue. One such group is the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform UK, which we heartily commend to you and are pleased to introduce with the article below. N.B. Contains one graphic image of abortion.
Social Reform, Abortion and Images
A brief journey through history shows that wherever civilisations have been established, human beings have committed great injustices against one another. Sadly, today is no exception, and one people group in particular is systemically targeted. Every working day, 800 unborn children are killed in the UK through abortion, provoking little outcry.
Worth a Thousand Words
Picture, if you can, the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Imagine the plight of natives in the Congo Free State in the late 19th Century, where terrible atrocities were being committed against them. Hands were cut off for the crime of insufficient rubber collection; children were eaten by soldiers, in full view of their fellow villagers to terrorise them. Think of how, in the early 20th Century, American children were forced to labour in dangerous mines and factories, suffering malnutrition and a host of other health conditions.
What do these events have in common? Yes, they were systemic injustices that took great effort to overturn. But did you know that these atrocities were all ended by exposure through the use of images?
Lewis Hine's images helped to change public attitudes towards child labour. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the history of social reform has proven this to be true. Wilberforce could not have abolished slavery without Clarkson’s tireless campaign to turn the tide of public opinion through visual aids. The introduction of the Kodak brought an end to the crimes committed against the Congo natives. Thanks to investigative photographer Lewis Hine, child labour in the US was halved by 1920 from what it had been in 1910.
Even the Civil Rights Movement was largely sparked by a single image: that of teenager Emmett Till, whose mother deliberately held an open-casket funeral to expose his horrific murder to the world. Sometimes, merely talking about injustice (especially systemic, state-approved injustice) just cannot trigger the emotional response necessary to instigate change.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the history of social reform has proven this to be true.
Exposing Injustice
Time and again, society couldn’t see the injustices being committed against fellow human beings without being forced to look. And today, our blind spot is abortion. The Centre for Bio-ethical Reform UK (CBR UK) is a pro-life organisation intent on bringing this injustice to an end. CBR UK believes that if abortion can be seen for what it really is, it will become unthinkable.
CBR UK has a singular aim: to make abortion unthinkable simply by showing it for what it is. CBR UK does not protest abortion. Rather, the organisation argues, when revealed - abortion protests itself.
Using graphic imagery to expose abortion has a bad reputation – some consider it crass and sensationalist. Even some Christians view those who use images as a nuisance or a menace. It’s a comfort to those who do such thankless work, then, that historically, people reacted similarly when exposed to the hidden injustices of their time. When Lewis Hine shocked America with his series of photographs, some people were more upset with his work (which was bad news for factory owners!) than with the realities of child exploitation itself.
An 8-week-old aborted baby.Why do we react so strongly to abortion imagery? It’s true, of course, that the images are shocking and unpleasant. Yet we expose ourselves to all kinds of graphic content; some of us may not balk at TV dramas or movies featuring graphic sex, violence and other disturbing themes. And in case we argue that this is different because it’s fiction, let’s not forget that many of us happily watch medical procedures on television, some of which are bloody and gross.
The gore is not our deepest objection to images of abortion. Rather, it’s the pinprick of our consciences when we are forced to acknowledge that these are innocent human beings.
When we are forced to look at an injustice that is tolerated by society for the convenience of its citizens, we are forced to acknowledge that we might just be a little bit responsible.
But such discomfort is necessary to shift us from denial to action, and CBR UK has many examples of the effectiveness of this strategy.
Why do we react so strongly to abortion imagery? It’s the pinprick of our consciences when we are forced to acknowledge that these are innocent human beings.
Taking a Stand
Not long ago we celebrated Easter weekend, reminding ourselves that Jesus Himself died a very public death, being beaten and crucified for the whole city to witness during the biggest festival of the year.
It is not un-Christlike to take a stand for those who are rejected and considered least by today’s society; in fact, it is a command of God – to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed” (Prov 31:8-9).
On 23 May, CBR UK is showcasing its journey so far at London’s Emmanuel Centre. Whether you’re convinced of their strategy or on the fence, come and hear powerful stories of lives saved, minds changed and groups impacted. Book your free place now at cbruk.org/showcase. Or head to their website to see if you can support the work in anyway.
