In light of Saint Patrick’s day, I would like to bring attention to a wonderful group of young people from Ireland that I met last year . . .In 1992 a group of 7 college age students stood up against Ireland’s version of Roe v Wade, and they were successful. This group is called Youth Defence. They were made the leaders of the pro-life movement in Ireland by organizing events and creating awareness to fight to keep Ireland abortion free. 20 years later, Ireland is still abortion free! Because those 7 college students saw the truth of abortion and rejected apathy and rallied their country to stand for life people live today and families are not broken because of the destruction abortion brings emotionally and physically.
Commitment to the cause, strength in conviction, trust and motivation in God, and having courage to take necessary risks is what has kept abortion illegal in Ireland. This movement does not need a bunch of people; it needs a group of people to take a bunch of risks. All these risks are nothing when we consider what we are fighting for!
Abortion needs to not be illegal; it needs to be unthinkable and this week the Irish government once again rejected the legalization of abortion. Constant activism, outreach, and education are the keys that have helped keep Ireland abortion free to this day, and graphic images have been a huge part of conveying what abortion truly is to the people of Ireland. When these courageous Irish advocates came to America last year for the International ProLife Youth Conference, one speaker broke my heart. Bernadette Smyth shared that she was terrified being in America because we kill babies here. She literally felt unsafe in the United States because the government and the people allow for the murdering of babies. I found this unbelievably profound.
While we currently face the biggest civil rights issue of our time in the United States (HHS Mandate), I see how millions of Americans are standing up and saying enough is enough! We will be educated and we will educate others, just like the Irish who reject abortion because they are taught the truth and see the truth. Saint Patrick, we ask you to pray for our country, for the courageous people who speak truth, and for the apathetic to step out and do something.
“I cannot stand before God when I die, look Him in the eye, and say to Him that I was too busy to do this or it just wasn't my thing."
~ Ide Nic Mahthuna, Youth Defence ~
Happy Saint Patrick’s day!
For the
Dignity of the Born and Unborn,
Timmerie
Great article Timmirie? Isn't it terribly sad that as Americans, since R vs W we have become immune to hearing about abortion. This poor girl fears being in our country because of this! God have mercy on our country, what shame when those in favor of abortion stand before the Lord on that day....
ReplyDeleteYouth Defence, while great are not the only pro-life group in Ireland. Pro-Life Campaign were a group that campaigned for the constitutional amendment in 1982 which banned abortion.
ReplyDeleteWhilst Youth Defence do a LOT of great work, they did campaign AGAINST a 2002 pro-life referendum aimed at closing the loophole which allows women to travel to England for abortion, whilst they claimed it opened the door for embryo research they managed, in effect, to split the pro-life vote and we failed to pass a very important referendum which would have closed the "right to travel" loophole.
I do admire their commitment, but feel, as do many others in the pro-life movement, that their tactics leave a lot to be desired.
Timmerie,
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with the previous 'anonymous' and you have not properly researched the situation in Ireland. I'm Catholic and of course pro-life but distance myself from Youth Defence for a variety of reasons.
This is the second article I've come across today about Ireland that only refers to Youth Defense. It's unusual not to mention the Pro-Life Campaign in the context of the Irish pro-life movement given their significance and influence over the years. Anyway, let's hope Ireland stays abortion-free.
ReplyDeleteGreat article Timmerie! I'm very proud to be both a YD volunteer and to be Irish!
ReplyDeleteSome of the above comments are a little begrudging - if we would like to achieve unity in the pro-life movement, then these comments certainly don't help.
In 2002, I voted Yes to the amendment that would have banned abortion, but left the pre-implanted embryo open to abuse - and in hindsight, I'm so thankful that it didn't pass, because if it did there would be embryo research taking place in Ireland right now.
There's a comment that mentions a split in the pro-life movement above - every year Youth Defence and Precious Life organise the Rally for Life - an event which invites all pro-life people to come together and celebrate Ireland's pro-life laws, I sincerely hope that I will see all these commenters there!
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteCan you outline which comments are a 'little begrudging'?
Sure; "I do admire their commitment, but feel, as do many others in the pro-life movement, that their tactics leave a lot to be desired." and "I'm Catholic and of course pro-life but distance myself from Youth Defence for a variety of reasons." Feel free to elaborate if you wish.
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca...I'm the first anonymous :-) I think you're right, the pro-life movement here need to unite. I have huge respect for the work YD do, not just "Rally for Life" but the Street Sessions, their Campus outreach and they are always on the ball, so fast to act on any situation.
ReplyDeleteBut, it is bizarre the way the 2 major pro-life groups in Ireland simply don't acknowledge each other, let alone support each other.
Whilst I do have huge respect for YD, as a gay man, I can't support them, as they have often (but to be fair to them, not recently) campaigned not only against abortion, but against gay rights...but lets be honest, their links to Life Institute are very strong. PLC is a secular organisation who campaigns one abortion alone.
So I'm sorry if you thought I was begrudging YD, I wasn't. I have huge respect for them, but yes, I do think often their tactics (anti gay marriage, being pro Catholic etc) leave a lot to be desired for me. ED x
Hi Ed, your fist comment is actually wrong though. The 2002 amendment was not pro-life - it stated from implantation rather than conception; since when has the pre-implanted embryo not been deserving of our protection as well? So Youth Defence were being consistently and uncompromisingly pro-life. Although they received an awful lot of flack, and many's an untrue, nasty comment, from others in the pro-life movement, they have never taken the bait and publicly criticised others, which, to their shame and the detriment of the real cause here - the protection of the unborn - so many others have, and continue to do so, even here on this blog today.
DeletePlease let go of the egos and the pride people, there's bigger fish to fry here. The second anonymous is probably the most petty quote I've ever seen, so I suppose it doesn't even deserve a reply. But everybody else, keep up the good work lads, we're not going to win this by bickering and being petty. I have to say Ed that in my experience YD have always been more than welcoming to any and all kinds of people; it may be conincidental that a lot of their members are catholic (you would generally find that people who are in these kind of causes for the long haul tend to have some kind of religion), and nobody should deny those as individuals to practice their faith, but their street work, materials, events etc tend to be quite secular. All the best.