Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask how much support Pro-Life believers provide for actual children in need? Texas just banned abortion in the US.

407 replies

thecranberries · 02/09/2021 12:44

AIBU to ask what Pro Life 'supporters' do to actually help living children in need? Sparked by Rachel Maddow Show Podcast on MSNBC - which gives a brilliant coverage on what's going on.

PL seems to want to stop a woman's right to choose, even in instances of rape or incest. That's in Texas, US, but as we know, many of the 'trends' that start in the US migrate over here. And as we know, there are lots of Pro-Life (read anti abortion, anti women) believers over here.

So, my AIBU is to ask - what do these PL do to actually support actual living children in need in this country or the world? How much do they give to UNICEF/Save the Children etc charities? How much do they donate time, money and resources to actual children living in poverty, bad housing, experiencing harm or bad schooling to ensure that these actual living children get the best life possible?

Do these PL, who cite religious grounds, actually enable women to obtain proper contraception when they need it? And speaking about religion, how many religious PL turn a blind eye to religious organisations history of child abuse?

I don't understand anyone, especially men, who does not accept a woman's right to chose what happens to her own body.

So, AIBU to ask Pro Life supporters to tell me in detail what they do - as actively as supporting their 'cause' - when it comes to helping living children in need?

OP posts:
seaandsandcastles · 02/09/2021 12:46

In America a lot of the Christian pro lifers will actually provide and/or find homes for the babies.

Echobelly · 02/09/2021 12:47

Yeah, boils my piss too that these people pontificate about the value of life and then aren't interested in helping people who had very good reasons not to want a child at that point in their life, like, maybe she can't afford it, maybe it'll interrupt education/life plans that will leave her ability to pay for life dragging etc.

I suppose they justify it to themselves that these mothers aren't 'deserving' anyway so having an unwanted child is the price of their 'sin'. Never the father's of course, he can fuck off scott free and there's no moral judgement on him.

MyFloorIsLava · 02/09/2021 12:47

Www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/04/states-divert-federal-welfare-funding-anti-abortion-clinics

Think this about sums it up. Their approach is less 'love thy neighbour' and more 'fuck women, fuck the poor'.

Tubbytenbums · 02/09/2021 12:49

Are these pro life supporters not the first to support the death penalty?????

SusieBob · 02/09/2021 12:50

The vast, vast majority do absolutely fuck all.

To them it's not about life at all, it's about punishing women. They just want to stick the boot in to people they see as immoral.

Summerhillsquare · 02/09/2021 12:50

Minimal of course, and all charity, a few crumbs from the table you must beg for. Women have minimal rights in the US, eg no maternity leave. No wonder they don't want to have kids! There's no support, no real warmth or care for women and babies.

AlternativePerspective · 02/09/2021 12:51

My DP is a Christian and his ire is that these people aren’t pro life at all, they’re pro birth, with little thought to what happens to everyone once that birth has occurred.

Interesting isn’t it that Texas has banned abortion but still supports the death penalty. Hmm

PepsiHoover · 02/09/2021 12:52

I would have thought most of the men legislating on this would be in favour to help their guilty little secrets get brushed under the carpet easier.

But yes this annoys me. No one wants to do anything to address the issues of WHY a woman in her right mind would want an abortion. And they certainly don't think about who will support that child for the next 18 years or how they will do it.

HeartsAndClubs · 02/09/2021 12:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Summerhillsquare · 02/09/2021 12:52

Oh and while I'm here, when are they going to start cracking down on men who cause these unwanted pregnancies?

bananapumpkin · 02/09/2021 12:55

Anti abortion is not anti women. It's clear that many people are both, but many others are pro-life partly because abortion is such a damaging experience for many women.

While it's laudable to help children in need, it's irrelevant to the PL/PC argument - unless you seriously believe that it's better to be dead than living in poverty.

Urghhhhh · 02/09/2021 12:56

@seaandsandcastles

In America a lot of the Christian pro lifers will actually provide and/or find homes for the babies.
Source?
MaskingForIt · 02/09/2021 12:57

I think many see adoption as the ideal outcome for “unwanted” children. By preventing abortion is means there is a steady supply of newborn babies available for childless Christian couples to adopt.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 02/09/2021 12:57

This has never been about the children, it’s about punishing women for being sexually active.

araiwa · 02/09/2021 12:59

I don't think it would ever spread to UK. We have nowhere near the number of religious lunatics they have in the USA.

I would imagine this thing in Texas now will get kicked out anyway

Nokyo · 02/09/2021 12:59

‘Find homes for these babies’ that sounds much more empathetic than the reality. They push adoption separating women from babies rather then keeping them together and supporting social support.

shouldistop · 02/09/2021 13:00

Anti abortion is not anti women. It's clear that many people are both, but many others are pro-life partly because abortion is such a damaging experience for many women.

You think abortion is more damaging to a woman than being forced to carry and birth an unwanted child? You're deluded.

Urghhhhh · 02/09/2021 13:01

@bananapumpkin

Anti abortion is not anti women. It's clear that many people are both, but many others are pro-life partly because abortion is such a damaging experience for many women.

While it's laudable to help children in need, it's irrelevant to the PL/PC argument - unless you seriously believe that it's better to be dead than living in poverty.

Actually abortion is damaging to a very small percentage of women. In a recent study 99% of women who had had terminations said it had been the right decision 5 years after the fact. You're going to take away the right to choose for 100% of women just to protect the 1% who regret it? That is beyond stupid.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953619306999?via%3Dihub

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/09/2021 13:01

@bananapumpkin

Anti abortion is not anti women. It's clear that many people are both, but many others are pro-life partly because abortion is such a damaging experience for many women.

While it's laudable to help children in need, it's irrelevant to the PL/PC argument - unless you seriously believe that it's better to be dead than living in poverty.

That in itself is anti women. It is and should always be the pregnant woman's choice.

To take any legal stance on what other women do with their own bodies is anti woman.

We need to keep in mind that removing legal abortion doesnt stop abortions. It just stops safe abortions.

MsMD · 02/09/2021 13:02

@bananapumpkin

Anti abortion is not anti women. It's clear that many people are both, but many others are pro-life partly because abortion is such a damaging experience for many women.

While it's laudable to help children in need, it's irrelevant to the PL/PC argument - unless you seriously believe that it's better to be dead than living in poverty.

Anti-abortion is anti-woman. Just because some people find their abortions traumatic or even regret it that does NOT mean every other woman shouldn't have that option available to then. It is anti-woman to believe you know better than the women in these situations. Support better after care for them and maybe don't stand outside screaming murderer at them or telling them they're going to hell and they might be a little less damaged.
FlumpsAreShit · 02/09/2021 13:02

@bananapumpkin well I do seriously believe it's better not to have been born than to be born into abject poverty, and statistically more likely to be subject to abuse and then end up in jail.

I think it's completely relevant. Banning abortion = more babies, so what are they going to do about it?

There is a worrying PL contingent here in Northern Ireland. In fact, though it's legal here I don't think you can actually practically get a termination here? Women's rights aside, it also amazes me as a vegetarian that someone can be against terminating a 4 week pregnancy, with no nervous system, but eat lamb Hmm...it just doesn't make any logical sense to me.

Knittingupastorm · 02/09/2021 13:02

Anti abortion is not anti women. It's clear that many people are both, but many others are pro-life partly because abortion is such a damaging experience for many women.

Oh so they’re protecting women from abortion by forcing them to give birth. This makes total sense.

shouldistop · 02/09/2021 13:03

My heart breaks for the women and girls who will now be permanently damaged as they will be forced to try dangerous ways of aborting.
It's disgusting and is like something from the Stone Age.

PlanDeRaccordement · 02/09/2021 13:03

It’s a good question. No idea if any prolife organisations do support children.

Went to Prolife Action League website and zero mention of helping the women or babies forced to be born.

Went to Human Coalition, and their website says they have a “continuum of care” program where they provide “financial, job training, maternity housing and healthcare, etc.” Support to the women and children.

So evidently some do and some don’t?

FlumpsAreShit · 02/09/2021 13:03

A bit of my post above got lost. Meant to read in abject poverty to parents who don't want the child.