Jan 21, 2010 / 00:22 am
The 40 Days for Life Campaign has announced that 2010’s first campaign of prayer, fasting, pro-life outreach and vigils outside abortion clinics will take place from Feb. 17 to March 28. The effort aims to save women and children from the “tragedy” of abortion and to keep abortion out of U.S. health care legislation.
The Campaign says there will be participants in 156 cities across the U.S. and in four Canadian provinces and three Australian states.
Past campaigns reportedly have attracted more than 300,000 participants and are known to have saved 2,168 children and their mothers from “the tragedy of abortion.”
40 Days for Life also says five abortion centers have closed following its participants’ prayer vigils and 27 abortion industry employees have quit their jobs. These include Abby Johnson, a director of a Texas Planned Parenthood center who has now spoken out against the organization.
"While many see a time of darkness this week as the United States marks the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that imposed abortion on America, and as the U.S. Congress deliberates legislation that could lead to dramatic increases in taxpayer funding for abortion, I see a time of great hope," commented David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life.
“The fact is that even as proponents try to encourage more abortions –and as they try to encourage government funding of abortions—more women are realizing the truth about abortion and rejecting it as an option, and more people are simply saying 'Enough!' and taking a stand against these efforts to promote a culture of death,” Bereit continued.
He added that the campaign dates coincide with the Lenten season, noting that the season presents “a call to sacrifice” that he thinks is central to 40 Days for Life.
“Standing in prayer outside an abortion facility is indeed a sacrifice -- particularly in northern locations where cold temperatures and snowy conditions are often part of the weather landscape in February. But people know their efforts have a profound impact, and so they overlook the inconvenience and their personal discomfort to stand in peaceful witness."
Referring to health care legislation currently in the U.S. Congress, Bereit added that local campaigns will help reinforce the message that “abortion is not health care.”
The 40 Days for Life website lists participating communities at www.40daysforlife.com/location.cfm