To really want to say something to these abortion protestors?

[Crocodileclip]

Firstly, I know I will probably never say anything as I appreciate that the protestors have the right to protest but it really pisses me off.

A small group of people have been protesting outside the Marie Stoppes clinic in Belfast since it opened in 2012. They stand outside the door on the days it is open holding anti abortion posters and trying to gather signatures for a petition. I pass them on my way to get to the station at home time and every time it annoys me. I can't imagine how offputting they would be if you were young and scared and just wanting some advice. Lots of pics of aborted foetuses etc. I find it intimidating enough myself and I am just walking past. I actually put my head down and walk quicker so that nobody asks me to sign the petition.

I'm currently pregnant with my second and am lucky never to have been in a position where abortion was an option but am of the opinion that there are situations in which it may be the best option available.

The clinic itself operates within NI law so only offers abortions up to 9 weeks and as far as I know is the only such clinic in Northern Ireland. I think I would be ok with the protestors doing their stuff elsewhere in the city centre it is the fact that it is just outside the only entrance to the clinc that makes me irrationally angry. Does this happen at other Marie Stoppes clinics elsewhere in the UK?

If I am anything I am pro life but accept that is my opinion and I totally respect and support any woman's choice. No one should be intimidated for making what must always be a heart breaking choice.

I read about an abortion clinic that offered "sponsor a protestor" - the idea being you could donate money to the clinic and you would "adopt" a protestor. Said protestor would receive a leaflet to that effect. It stopped the picketing pretty quickly.

I don't think there are two people there bumblemumny. a body amd a collection of cells that will become a person.

I believe in souls, I think they happen at birth not conception. A developing fetus is not separate from its mother, why should their soul be? Surely it makes more sense that it develops amd becomes separate in birth not conception, as does the body. Views I came to and have held throughout my Catholic upbringing, and developed at my convent school.

And I think the Catholic Church is a bit fucking rich to declare that the removal of a collection of cells is murder but that we can but hope that unbaptised and stillborn babies don't go straight to hell.

It fucks me off royally suburban. That's one of the tamest things i'd write lol.
I'd go as far as to say that, provided i didn't have my own children with me, in some cases (Like the school one up thread) I'd destroy their vile posters for them.

They aren't pro life. They don't care about anything except targetting vulnerable women. They are nasty little pieces of scum. If they actually wanted change they would be hassling government officials etc.

In fact, Dare isay it, They fucking LOVE abortion because it gives them an opportunity to attack women, To intimidate them in this manner, to spout abuse everywhere online and to spread vile false imagary. They would be bored an probably at home beating up their elderly parents or abusing their spouse or something if they didn't have this. They're sad, pathetic little individuals.

They have a right to their opinion, But there is mine, in all it's glory.

Suburban, I asked if she thought that's what we were. I wouldn't describe us as that although you could say that, technically, that is all we are.

I believe life begins at conception. However I believe in some cases that life is better off ended.

These people believe it's better for a mother who's life is threatened by continuing the pregnancy to die along with the baby they supposedly care about. Look at what happened to Sinita here in Ireland and the multitudes who still felt the doctors were right to refuse to abort her baby. How do these so called Christians reconcile the lose of two lives instead of one with their belief in right to life? She could have had many more babies, instead her family lost a daughter, a sister, a wife. And for what? The protection of a life which was doomed to end anyway.

How do they reconcile the trauma caused to an abused teenager by carrying and giving birth to a baby with their beliefs?

How do they justify saying a woman is better off having a baby that will damage her life, her families life and which won't have a decent quality of life itself?

Even if you believe as I do that life begins at conception it is possible to understand that the life of the woman has priority over that of a barely developed fetus... Or embryo as in the case of the Belfast clinic.

If a woman feels she can not continue with a pregnancy, can not raise that child for whatever reason then she has the right to make that choice.

And let's not forget, it's not always just the woman who's making the decision. I know it's our body so the ultimate decision is ours, but if there is unsupportive partner or no partner or a family who are ashamed then there isn't much 'free choice' going on.

Nobody has abortion in their life plan and it's impossible to judge the actions of another until you've been in their position.

Exactly flock they have no issue abusing women under 18 going into abortion clinics in a bid to protect children, the irony is stark. It is disgusting.

Whispers, you may not think that but they do.

I do think that they are separate entities even while the baby is still inside its mother.

Really bumbly, you know that do you?

Flock, don't be ridiculous. You really think that people protest against abortion because they would be bored/abusing their partners/beating up their elderly parents? Get a grip.

limbo apparently whispers

Know what whispers?

I'm with you on all of that, flock.

If we are hoping to help the OP find something to say to these odious, self-important windbags, perhaps asking which one of them has adopted a child that was the result of a woman being pressured into giving birth might be a start.

YANBU. I worked at a clinic that provided abortion services for a very long time. I had two children during my employment at the clinic. During each pregnancy the protesters standing at our door shouted at me that they hoped my baby would be born dead to teach me a lesson. Happily, I gave birth to healthy babies despite their ill wishes :)

Ah, I apologise bumbly, I misread the tone of your previous post - I see that you meant 'they think that' , I read it as 'you might not think that a fetus has a soul at conception but it does'.

But in answer to your point that you did make, they may believe that, but I am not trying to force them to have a child they don't want, may not be able to care for and which may kill them on top of any other pressures and trauma they may already have suffered, based on that belief. I simply want their nose out of my uterus.

bumbely I think they picket abortion clinics to get their vile kicks, yes, and i think if it weren't women and children they were targetting it would be someone equally as vulnerable.

If they want change why are they sat on a street targetting random women and kids?

Why aren't they actually doing something?

And Limbo is the edge of hell, not a separate place like purgatory.

Secret that is awful. Not surprising if there was a heaven I doubt those evil wishers would get in with their complete inability to show empathy.

Oh fuck, secret, that's just awful.

I think if anti-abotionists were just sad about abortion, I could understand that because it is sad.

But the fact that they would wish death on another human being shows them for what they truly are.

This article from last year expalins a little about the Belfast protest. The journalist clams to have been pursued down the street by one of the protestors so they didn't lmit themselves to just giving out leaflets.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/woman/life/the-marie-stopes-clinic-one-year-on-29669259.html

Bumbley o have no idea. I suspect it would relate to neural development. I still maintain that until the baby is born the mother's life takes priority.

I spent a lot of time thinking about how these protesters could reconcile their beliefs whilst screaming for my child's death. I could never come to a reasonable conclusion.

If anti-abortionists claim it's not the mothers right to terminate the pregnancy, why do they think it's their right to prevent her terminating?

Sorry you had to go theough that. All very well feeling morally superior but you must have felt vulnerable heavilu pregnant