Abolishing Abortion: How You Can Play a Part in Ending the Greatest Evil of Our Day

by Frank Pavone

The struggle against abortion in our nation has been going on a long time. Sometimes it seems like an evil that will never go away. People want to get involved in the fight, but it feels futile, and increasingly the culture tells Christians to stay out of politics. Longtime activist Rev. Frank Pavone counters this frustrated mindset with challenge, encouragement, plain facts, and a healthy dose of strategy. He explores biblical, moral, historical, and legal reasons Christians belong in the public square and challenges both churches and individual Christians to full engagement. Pavone argues convincingly that the battle against abortion not only can be won, but must be won. The soul of our nation depends on it.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Frank Pavone is one of the most prominent pro-life leaders in the world. Originally from New York, he was ordained in 1988 by Cardinal John O’Connor, and since 1993 has served full-time in pro-life leadership with his bishop’s permission. He is the National Director of Priests for Life, the largest pro-life ministry in the Catholic Church. He is also the President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, and the National Pastoral Director of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign and of Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry of healing after abortion. He travels throughout the country, to an average of four states every week, preaching and teaching against abortion. He produces programs regularly for religious and secular radio and television networks. He was asked by Mother Teresa to speak in India on the life issues, and has addressed the pro-life caucus of the United States House of Representatives. The Vatican appointed him to the Pontifical Academy for Life and to the Pontifical Council for the Family, which coordinates the pro-life activities of the Catholic Church. He was present at the bedside of Terri Schiavo as she was dying and was an outspoken advocate for her life. He was invited by members of the Class of 2009 at Notre Dame to lead an alternate commencement ceremony for those students who refused to attend the ceremony in which President Obama was honored. Fr. Frank was invited by members of Congress to preach at the prayer service they had in the Capitol just prior to the vote on health care reform. He received the “Proudly Pro-life Award” by the National Right to Life Committee, and numerous other pro-life awards and honorary doctorates.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very inspiring book by Father Frank Pavone. It really fires up pro-lifers to fight for unborn babies. He takes some controversial stands, such as encouraging pro-lifers to show graphic photos and makes a very good case for it. Some of what he wrote about has to do specifically with the Catholic Church that doesn't directly apply to me, an atheist pro-lifer. Overall I recommend this book.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pro-life movement is something I feel very strongly about, and it is something that has been weighing on me especially this year. If you haven't been paying attention to the news, you need to look up the video series that has been released over the last couple months by the Center For Medical Progress, exposing the illegal trafficking of aborted baby parts by Planned Parenthood. The videos are enlightening and disturbing, and they hit me especially hard since they came out during the last couple months of my pregnancy with Clarice.

When I saw the book Abolishing Abortion: How You Can Play A Part In Ending The Greatest Evil Of Our Day by Rev. Frank Pavone, I knew I had to read it, especially in light of everything that has happened with the pro-life movement this year. It is my biggest prayer for this country that abortion will come to an end, and I of course want to play a part!

I have to admit I was nervous to get into this book. I really started reading it after Clarice was born, and even before I started it I had a few days where looking at Clarice made me want to cry for all the babies who never got a chance to see the light, who never got a chance to snuggle against the chest of someone who loved them.

I wasn't sure I could handle reading any descriptions of abortion, because I already know what happens in detail and it hurts to think about while you are holding a newborn, but thankfully that was not the focus of this book. This book is full of solid encouragement and and motivation for those of us who are pro-life to get involved and speak up about this greatest human rights issue of our time.

I loved the first few chapters that addressed why the life issue is central to all the rights and freedoms we experience in America, and why abortion is not just a threat to the most vulnerable among us, but also a threat to the rights of every citizen. And if you have ever wondered if Christians should really get involved in the political arena, Rev. Pavone makes a wonderful case for why Christians should be involved in politics in this book.

There were three chapters in the middle of this book that got pretty detailed about the legal issue of the tax-exempt status of churches, and why church leaders should not be intimidated into silence about political issues such as abortion. I thought those chapters were good for anyone to know, but would be most helpful for pastors and church leaders. Pavone mostly draws from his experience as a Catholic minister, but the information he shares is helpful for any denomination.

The last few chapters were a summary of the two issues that must be addressed when addressing abortion - the idea that it is not a child that is destroyed by abortion (it is), and the idea that abortion benefits the mother (abortion harms the mother). The last chapter was especially powerful and explained why the pro-life movement embodies love toward the child and the mother.

This book was full of great information and encouragement to be more passionate and active in opposing abortion. I also loved that this book was full of biblically-based examples and arguments to mobilize the Church to take action. The life issue is not a partisan political issue, and we cannot "agree to disagree". If we claim to follow Christ we must do everything we can to stop this travesty, and this book provides a great argument to why that is so important while urging Christians to speak out. I highly recommend it.

Note: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I begin my review of Abolishing Abortion, allow me to share a quote with you from the Introduction. "I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?" This profound quote is from the Blessed Mother Teresa, and it speaks volumes to the pro-death culture we currently live in. In it, she equates abortion to murder, which it is. She also likens it to war, though, which is a way I never saw before. The only part of the quote I disagree with is that she only blames the mother for this crime. The father is nowhere to be found in her quote, but he too is equally guilty.

After the introduction, the book begins by talking about the public square, separation of church and state, Roe v. Wade, and how the political landscape has changed over the past 200 years. We went from life being an inalienable right to all men, to babies never even having the chance to that right. Chapter Three was a bit of a troubling read to me. Fr. Pavone talks about how people ask him what their first spiritual duty is on the abortion issue. Instead of answering prayer, he instead responds with repentance. He says we are all responsible for abortion becoming so rampant. Even if we have never had an abortion or aided someone in abortion, he still sees us as guilty, because we could have spoke out more strongly against it, but we chose not to due to cowardice. I respectfully disagree with assessment, and I think it feels over-scrupulous.

Subsequent chapters discuss what individuals and churches can do to combat abortion. He goes into speaking on the issue from the pulpit and tax-code and how it relates to whether a church can or cannot lose their tax-exempt status for speaking out against abortion. Churches cannot be afraid to stand up for the rights of the unborn over a matter of tax dollars. Chapter 9: Collision Course is one of the more interesting chapters. He points out the gap people seem to experience when they see a difference between killing a child outside of the womb and inside the womb. There isn't one! He also defends the use of graphic images on the Pro-Life side.They are disturbing and haunting to look at, but they are reality, and people need to have their eyes opened to the reality that what they are doing is murder. It is easy to ignore something if you don't have to see it as it really is, but it's hard to ignore the cold reality of images.

The book ended talking about the "Foundation of Love." "Abortion is the exact opposite of love. Love says, 'I sacrifice myself for the good of the other person.' Abortion says, 'I sacrifice the other person for the good of myself.' And isn’t it amazing that the very same words used by the culture of death to justify abortion are the words used by our Lord to proclaim life and salvation and love: 'This is My body!' " There were absolutely brilliant points made in this book, and there were parts of this book that got bogged down and were dry to read. However, I do believe it is a book all Christians, not just Catholics should read. If you are looking for a book to give to someone to talk them out of the abortion, this is not it. The aim of this book is not one to convince people that abortion is wrong or explain why it is wrong. Instead, the aim seems to be a calling to arms all Christians to fight in this battle for life and death, not just of the innocent unborns but of society and civilization. If we continue down this path, it will only lead to destruction. May we turn the tides before it is too late!

[Joshua Chipchase · Rating 3 out of 5]

STRENGTHS: The author is passionate about protecting life and the book is helpful in showing the importance of the abortion issue and our need to do something about it. He also boldly proclaims the clergies need to make this issue a priority in the pastoral ministry. People need to speak out.

WEAKNESSES: since I am an evangelical (not a Catholic) the author's tendency to quote popes and Catholic documents and his long descriptions of politics within the Catholic Church were not very appealing or helpful to me. His chapters on some of the legal issues surrounding government issues also seemed to get a bit repetitive.