Last Saturday, on 22 October, pro-lifers from across the UK gathered in central London to attend SPUC’s conference highlighting the horrific phenomenon of coerced abortion. The event, which was “a resounding success”, was a day of optimism as delegates engaged with staff and speakers on how they could help secure a future free from abortion and coercion.
Ideas about “choice” and “autonomy” are central to the abortion industry’s narrative. But many abortions take place because a woman feels she has no choice – as a recent BBC poll revealed, 15% of British women have experienced pressure or coercion to have an abortion that they did not want.
On Saturday, 22 October, SPUC hosted a conference dedicated to unpacking this complex issue. Speakers included Dr Greg Pike and Dr Sharon James, whose wealth of knowledge and decades of expertise exposed to delegates the shocking reality of abortion that pro-abortion apologists have for decades sought to keep from the public.
Highlighting the reality of abortion coercion
Dr Greg Pike, bioethicist and founding Director of the Adelaide Centre for Bioethics and Culture in Adelaide, South Australia, and Senior Research Fellow at the Bios Centre, spoke about how academics have been “enormously downplaying” the very real problem of abortion coercion, even some have even dismissed as a “myth”.
Unpacking the latest research on the broad theme of “reproductive coercion”, coined in 2010, Dr Pike highlighted the “concerning” lack of focus on abortion coercion in current academic literature – and how studies have generally shied away from inconvenient truths about abortion – despite the abortion coercion being shown to account for at least 15% of abortions, and even more in other surveys.
Reasons cited by Dr Pike for the neglect of abortion coercion included academics not wanting to undermine the idea of abortion as a free and fully considered choice, and fears that recognition of this very real problem might lead to restrictions on abortion.
Dr Pike provided delegates with numerous insights and observations, explaining to them the complexities of the issues being discussed, and which have generally been excluded from the “mainstream narrative” on abortion.
One such issue was distressing mental health outcomes for women, “very clear” in cases when a woman was pressured to abort a wanted baby.
Remarking on the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, Dr Pike observed that the speed with which many US states had introduced pro-life legislation clearly indicated that there are “misgivings” about abortion among the general populace – concerns and suspicions that, Dr Pike’s talk showed, were backed up by research.
“Fertility is not a curse, fertility is a blessing!”
Dr Sharon James of The Christian Institute also presented a talk, providing a historical perspective of the cultural shift that has in recent times pitted mothers against their own unborn children.
We are on the “wrong side of the second sexual revolution”, Dr James observed, referring to the disregarding in the twentieth century of the sanctity of life brought about by the first sexual revolution, the rise of Christianity.
Christianity, Dr James noted, confronted the shocking callousness of the pagan world, where infanticide was accepted and even expected in certain cases. But women and their children benefitted massively from the pro-life revolution that came with Christianity, in which every human being, seen to be created in the image of God, was considered worthy of life.
But with the waning of Christianity in the West in the twentieth century, this sanctity was gradually undermined, especially by the likes of Margaret Sanger, the anti-Christian eugenicist, promoting abortion and sexual “freedom” while attacking the family.
Concluding that abortion is “not about choice”, Dr James lamented the rise of a culture that, today, has made children into the enemies of mothers – a tragedy because, she added, “Fertility is not a curse, fertility is a blessing!”
SPUC CEO’s optimism for the future
John Deighan, SPUC’s CEO, reflected on his “exciting journey” after becoming SPUC’s new chief executive last year. In an interview with SPUC’s Margaret Akers, Mr Deighan explained SPUC’s dynamic trajectory, gaining inspiration from the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, showing just what can be achieved when pro-lifers come together to bring about meaningful change, he said.
On the challenge of reasoning with a culture that appears so avowedly anti-life, Mr Deighan was confident that SPUC, too, can bring about a cultural shift and reach a “tipping point” in favour of life in the UK.
Several exciting SPUC initiatives were also mentioned during the interview, including innovative means of telling pro-life stories, such as “Life Voice”, an educational drama for schools. In its first three months, “Life Voice” delivered 13 performances of the play, “Hear Me Out”, as well as 20 interactive workshops to 1,285 students in seven schools.
SPUC’s Michael Robinson, Executive Director (Public Affairs and Legal Services), said: “Last Saturday was a wonderful day of pro-life unity and inspiration, as well as revelation, for SPUC staff and delegates alike.
“There was indeed a true spirit of optimism at the conference, the first since the remarkable overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States. Supporters were in fine form as they engaged with speakers, staff and stalls.
“The prevailing tone of the conference was one of looking forward to the future while working to overcome the undoubted challenges facing pro-lifers in the UK.
“SPUC would like to thank Dr Greg Pike and Dr Sharon James for their informative, engaging and often revelatory talks. While making it clear just what we are up against, our speakers left delegates in doubt of what they were fighting to achieve as well as protect.
“Coming out of the event, staff and supporters felt renewed and ready to take on the anti-life, anti-child and anti-women forces that have for too long held sway over our culture – but no longer.”