Prayer Campaign Update for June.
It’s been a year now since our small but dedicated group began to pray that abortion would not be decriminalised in New South Wales. We have been praying especially that there won’t be an introduction of buffer zones similar to those enacted in Tasmania.
And that desire seems to have hit a nerve with the forces of darkness: there has never been such a concerted opposition to sidewalk advocates throughout Australia, with exclusion zones also being proposed for the ACT. (News story from March 2015 here.)
Two groups of Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, the Helpers in East Melbourne and also in Albury are particularly under attack.
Melbourne: Fertility Control Clinic vs the Helpers.
The East Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic has been attempting to have the Helpers shut down by applying a council ‘nuisance law’, usually aimed at enforcing rubbish removal etc, to the sidewalk advocates.
It appears that although the court can’t force the council to act, it may be able to determine that the council has somehow failed in its duties, in which case the law may be applied to the Helpers. The whole premise is such a stretch of the law, and because it is between the FCC and the Melbourne Council, is a very underhand way of legislating for a buffer zone. It shows how desperate the abortion providers have become, and how effective is the witness of the Helpers. Babies are regularly saved at this facility, and the mothers are cared for throughout pregnancy, childbirth and beyond as well. Please pray for these amazing, dedicated Melbourne Helpers.
Susie O’Brien, columnist for the Herald Sun, has been writing in favour of the introduction of buffer-zones in Melbourne. O’Brien had an abortion many years ago and is in favour of terminations on demand for any reason - even because an unborn child is the wrong gender. I can’t help but think that if having an abortion makes someone an expert on abortion, then equal space should be given to women who have had an abortion but now regret it.
Albury FCC vs the Helpers
The situation in Albury is critical, with the abortion facility engaged in a smear campaign against some prominent pro-lifers there. Abortion advocates have engaged politicians and even a church leader to join them in their fight to decriminalise abortion and shut down the Helpers. It appears that they don’t have the numbers to support a decriminalisation bill at present, but they are still making life very difficult for our wonderful Albury friends. Please keep the Albury Helpers in your prayers.
Tweed Heads Victory
Thanks to Tanya from the Melbourne Helpers for this story:
A Helper from Tweed Heads was arrested last year after being given an order to move-along from an abortion facility by police. The case was made difficult through the complainant not appearing, and after 1 1/2 hours in court, the pro-lifers and their solicitor thought they had lost.
“After a draining 2 hours in court, the Magistrate finally dismissed the charges and awarded costs against the prosecution. It was a huge victory for justice and the pro-life cause. In the end it became quite apparent that the Lord rescued us from the jaws of defeat. His right hand routed the enemy because it was through no human intervention on our part which gave us victory.”
The Thorn in the Side of Tasmania’s Buffer-Zone Law
Legendary pro-life activist Graham Preston appeared in Hobart’s Magistrate’s Court yet again this week, and yet again, wasn’t charged under the very evil and unconstitutional abortion-provider exclusion-zone laws. My friend and faithful pray-er from Hobart tells me that the prosecution is awaiting more evidence. It is very likely that there is simply no more evidence and that abortion advocates are trying to wear Graham down by repeatedly having him arrested with no hope of a charge being made, but also then incurring interstate airfares and the stress of travel and court appearances.
Perhaps they are waiting on a fresh and brilliant law-school graduate to find a way to make an unconstitutional law magically become legitimate.
If you have the means, please consider donating to help Graham’s family - he pays for his airfares personally and he hasn’t yet received the court costs which were awarded to him from a previous Tasmanian case. (Visit Graham’s website.) He receives no assistance from Tasmanian churches or pro life groups, and although the moral support he does receive from his loyal friends and supporters can’t be underestimated, it is a sign of the unhealthy state of things in Tasmania that his public witness is scorned by most within prolife and Christian circles there.
Police taking details from peaceful protesters, Chris and Graham, outside the Hobart abortion centre.
Join our Prayer Campaign!
If you would like to commit to praying that there will be no further loosening of abortion laws in New South Wales, or any other state, please join our Prayer Campaign. We call it a ‘national’ campaign because there are members in several Australian states who pray every week for this intention. Catholics are invited to commit to a weekly Holy Hour or Rosary.
We know that God our Father hears our pleas to end abortion: this is a cause so dear to His heart; please join your fellow Australians as we #PraytoEndAbortion.
Email me at [email protected] if you would like your name added to our roster.
