Something big is happening right now. It goes by two names: 40 Days for Life … or … 40 Days of Hell. The name depends on your perspective. Tomorrow, I will be praying in front of Planned Parenthood on Army Post Road from 10AM til noon. For my Des Moines readers, please join us. We don’t protest in front of Planned Parenthood. We pray.
We don’t shout. We won’t do our bathroom work on their sidewalk. And we won’t take our clothes off. That’s another movement that does that kind of stuff … More…
Tag Archives: 40 days for life
Occupy Planned Parenthood 5
By Tom Quiner
The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement receives lavish attention from the media. Frankly, they deserve it. It is a big story.
There is another big story which receives almost no media attention: the 40 Days for Life movement. The folks participating in this movement are quite a bit different than those in OWS. They’re not asking for anything. They don’t want your money. They are civil and respectful. And they are sad about the ongoing tragedy of abortion-on-demand at Planned Parenthood.
They gather for 40 days outside Planned Parenthood offices around the country and pray for an end to abortion.
In a sense, they are occupying the “spiritual space” of Planned Parenthood with their relentless prayers on behalf of the pre-born, their mothers, and their fathers.
They do something else that might seem pretty strange to the OWS crowd: they pray for the employees of Planned Parenthood. While the OWS crowd reviles the “1 percent” for being overly productive, the 40 Days for Life Crowd pray for the people who profit from the tragedy of abortion. They pray for a change of heart, that they see the harm they’re doing not only to the baby in the womb, but to the mother, the father, and to the very fabric of our society.
I have participated in these gatherings for several years. I receive two types of fingers from passer byes, most of which are thumbs up. And I certainly get some middle fingers from those who angry that I hold a sign that says “pray to end abortion.” (Do they honestly think God blesses abortion?)
Some Quiner’s Diners readers view us as being dreamy-eyed religious nuts. And yet reports are pouring in from around the country on the impact our prayers have had on real people (in the womb and out!).
Shawn Carney, the head of the movement, reports 508 lives have been saved. Here is what happens when Planned Parenthood is “occupied” by prayer, according to Mr. Carney:
In Austin, Texas: A volunteer spoke a teenaged couple approaching the
abortion center and learned that the girl just found
out she was pregnant. She was afraid of telling her
parents and wanted to go behind their backs to get a
judicial bypass — a court order — in order to have
an abortion.Her boyfriend was not in favor of the abortion, but
reluctantly said he supported her because it was her
decision.“I showed them what her baby might look like, based
on how far along she thought she was — six weeks,”
said the vigil participant. “I also discussed
alternatives and resources that I could connect
her with.”The couple walked into the abortion center, but soon
left “with smiles of joy and satisfaction. They decided
to not to have an abortion,” said the volunteer.“Praise God!”
In Overland Park, KS: The 40 Days for Life team in Overland Park had gotten
a call from the 40 Days for Life leaders in Columbia,
Missouri. Planned Parenthood’s Columbia abortionist
had quit, so this office was sending women to Planned
Parenthood in Overland Park for abortions.A volunteer spoke to a couple who had shown up for an
appointment in Overland Park. He asked the couple if
they were from Columbia — they looked shocked — and
said in fact they were. So he shared some pro-life
information with them.They never made it inside the building, however. It
was closed! No one had shown up for work that day
– there was no explanation.Later, another couple showed up, knocked, tried the
intercom — nothing. There was still no one there.
They also took information from the volunteers and left.In Lafayette, IN: A young woman stopped to talk to a 40 Days for Life
prayer volunteer outside the abortion center.“She was pregnant,” the vigil participant said, “and
gave me many reasons as to why she should have an
abortion.” She said the father was not around, she used
drugs and she wouldn’t be a good mother.“I simply reminded her that God had a plan for her and
her baby, and that He would take care of her. I
referred her to the pregnancy resource center a few
doors down from Planned Parenthood.”They prayed, and the volunteer gave the young woman a
hug, after which she said, “I’m out of here.”As she left Planned Parenthood, she rolled down the
window and waved goodbye. “She was crying,” said the
vigil participant. “I’m still praying for her.”
These are but three stories out of 508 from around the country. You’re not going hear about stories like these from the Mainstream Media. They like the rowdy rebels of OWS. They’re bored with the fearless faithful who occupy Planned Parenthood through the power of prayer.
They day is soon coming when America’s golgotha of the modern world, Planned Parenthood, is shuttered and drummed out of business.
The Occupy Planned Parenthood movement, aka as 40 Days for Life, can’t be stopped, because prayer is just that powerful.
Join the movement.
Join me at Planned Parenthood at 11AM Reply
By Tom Quiner
I’m participating in 40 Days for Life this morning at 11. I’ll be praying in front of Planned Parenthood on Army Post Road. My prayer is simple: ”Please, God, touch the heart of the women considering abortion. Allow my prayer to reach them and see the wonderful possibilities, the beauty of life.”
Pope John Paul II’s prayer for the unborn follows. Please join me in person if you can, or pause at 11, wherever you are, and pray with me a few moments.
***
Almighty God, our Father,
you who have given us life
and intended us to have it forever,
grant us your blessings.
Enlighten our minds to an awareness
and to a renewed conviction
that all human life is sacred
because it is created
in your image and likeness.
Help us to teach by word
and the example of our lives
that life occupies the first place,
that human life is precious
because it is the gift of God
whose love is infinite.
Give us the strength to defend human life
against every influence
or action that threatens or weakens it,
as well as the strength
to make every life more human
in all its aspects.
Give us the grace…
When the sacredness of life
before birth is attacked,
to stand up and proclaim
that no one ever has the authority
to destroy unborn life.
When a child is described as a burden
or is looked upon only as a means
to satisfy an emotional need,
to stand up
and insist that every child is a unique
and unrepeatable gift of God,
a gift of God
with a right to a loving
and united family.
When the institution of marriage
is abandoned to human selfishness
or reduced to a temporary conditional arrangement
that can easily be terminated,
to stand up and affirm
the indissolubility of the marriage bond.
When the value of the family is threatened
because of social and economic pressure,
to stand up and reaffirm
that the family is necessary
not only for the private good of every person,
but also for the common good of every society,
nation and state.
When freedom is used to dominate the weak,
to squander natural resources and energy,
to deny basic necessities to people,
to stand up and affirm
the demands of justice and social love.
Almighty Father,
give us courage to proclaim the supreme dignity
of all human life and to demand
that society itself give its protection.
We ask this in your name,
through the redemptive act
of your Son and in the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Do you believe prayers are answered? 1
By Tom Quiner
I participated in an event called 40 Days for Life as recounted in my blog posts on October 7th and 8th.
I stood with others in front of the Planned Parenthood facility where abortions are performed. We quietly prayed for the unborn in Des Moines and throughout America.
I’m a small cog in a huge movement of the faithful who are praying consistently, fervently, and passionately for the pre-born children.
Does it do any good you may ask?
Most of the time we’ll never know how our loving prayers for the pre-born move their mothers and fathers, how they soften their hearts, how they change minds.
I got an e-mail this morning from the national director of 40 Days for Life with exciting, quantifiable results:
• 82,000 people participated in these prayerful gatherings
• 238 cities across 46 states, Canada, Australia Denmark, Northern Ireland and England were involved.
• 788 lives were spared from abortion (imagine how the world can be changed by these lives!).
• 8 abortion workers quit their jobs.
• 1 more abortion facility went out of business
on day 2 of this fall’s campaign.
Here in Iowa, we need prayers more than ever. Planned Parenthood is on the verge of expanding tele-abortions beyond Iowa’s borders with the tacit approval of our state’s Attorney General.
A late-term abortion doctor is attempting to move his practice into Council Bluffs.
Do you believe prayers are answered? I do. I ask for your continuing prayers for the pre-born. Pray that their parents and our politicians realize that these tiny human beings aren’t expendable. Prayers change hearts more than any old blog ever will.
Here’s what happened at Planned Parenthood yesterday 6
By Tom Quiner
The weather was perfect. We prayed. We held up signs promoting life and discouraging abortion.
As a marketing guy, I counted the number of cars going by at certain times so I could extrapolate the number of cars that saw our pro-life message.
I’d guess we reached about 3500 cars in our two hours in front of Planned Parenthood (PP). Yes, we got the finger on occasion. More likely, though, people honked in encouragement. Countless gave us a thumbs up gesture.
I was struck by how many people were happy to see us there, at how many people smiled inside their cars knowing they weren’t the only ones who believe the baby in the womb has a fundamental right to life.
At one point, a security guard drove up and approached us. “Who’s in charge here?” he asked. “We all are” said one of our group. The man seemed somewhat conflicted to have to say what he was about to say. “You know your protest is being photographed.”
“We’re not protesting, we’re praying” I said with partial disingenuousness.
The guard responded, “Now, I’m not the bad guy here, but you’re going to end up with a $180 ticket if the camera records you parking in Planned Parenthood’s parking lot.”
It hit me what an impact we, and others like us, are having on Planned Parenthood’s abortion business. Their parking lot is expansive. I’ve never seen it more than ten percent full. Our presence, our prayers, our purpose is a threat to their profits. So PP is not issuing warnings anymore. They’re going for the jugular. They’re reporting us to the authorities to immediately ticket us “praying protesters.” (For the record, I parked across the street, which is okay.)
I commented to one of my praying colleagues about the 3500 cars we reached and how many hearts and minds we may have affected. He said, “it only takes one.”
