Friends Witness for a Pro-life Peace Testimony

member of the Consistent Life Network

Pro-life Friends

Mission Statement

The Friends Witness for a Pro-life Peace Testimony witnesses to the value in each human life, regardless of stage of life or life circumstances. As Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). We deeply feel the call of the Spirit to move away from the violence of war, the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia towards life-affirming approaches. We seek to educate Friends across the wide spectrum of the Religious Society around this concern, and to unite with others inside and outside of the Society of Friends who are responding to a similar call.

On-Site Insight

We would be delighted to receive original writings to consider for publication on this web page, including reflections, documentation, personal experiences, and book reviews. Send inquiries or short pieces to clerk @ prolifequakers.org [remove spaces].

Positions

The Testimonies and Abortion

Positions of Quaker Bodies on Abortion and/or Euthanasia (pro-life, pro-choice, or not-yet-in-unity)

Quaker Quotations

Sister Historic Peace Church: The Mennonites

Reflections

Personal Stories

Videos (women telling their stories, satires, abortion doctors explain, etc.)

Is Abortion Against Peace Principles? Listen to those who do them!

Peace Psychology Considers Abortion (a Power Point presentation given at the Friends Association for Higher Education conference, 2023)

Connections of Abortion with Other Violence (nuclear weapons, racism, the death penalty, and weaponized drones)

The Danger of Bubbles among Friends

Friend Susan B. Anthony

Pacifism 101 for Pro-life non-Quakers

Full-page ads:

Reflections on Abortion and Pacifist Principles (October, 2007)

The Failed Experiment: Abortion and Women’s Rights, Poverty, and Racism (November, 2007)

The Impact of the Abortion Debate on Peace Movement Goals (December, 2007)

Letters to the Editor in Friends Journal responding to ads

Books on Peace-Oriented Abortion Opposition (April, 2009)

AFSC – Time for Further Discernment? (May, 2009)

Quakes Oppose Abortion

Out-of-Site Insight

Book Recommendations

Northern Spirit Radio – A one-hour radio interview exploring a thoughtful dialog between a pro-life and a pro-choice Quaker: Toward Taking Away the Occasion of Abortion

A Lively Concern – Spiritual Diversity Issue, article covering Friends, Feminism & Nonviolence Studies journal

Quaker Reflections

This is a Person! Is This? [captions to a polluting corporation building and then to an unborn child)

If You Can’t Explain the Opposition to Your Case

Web-sites from a peace, feminist, and/or disability-rights point of view:

Consistent Life Network – (see also its blog and weekly e-letter, Peace & Life Connections)

Rehumanize International (see also its blog and its online magazine, Life Matters Journal)

Peace & Life Referendums

Feminists for Nonviolent Choices

Feminists for Life of America

New Wave Feminists

Secular Pro-Life

Rainbow Pro-Life Alliance (formerly the Pro-life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians)

Not Dead Yet

Advocacy from Pro-Life Activists for Public Policies Meeting Needs of Mothers and Children:

PostRoeFuture.com – signed by several prominent pro-lifers. This was published January 19, 2023. Suggested policies include: accessible and affordable health care, expanded child tax credits, paid parental leave, flexible work hours, affordable child care, and prenatal child support laws.

Make Birth Free: A Vision for Congress to Empower American Mothers, Families and Communities is a White Paper by Americans United for Life and Democrats for Life of America. It explains the need for measures to fund obstetrics; one suggestion is to expand Medicare (as a precedent, this was done with end-stage renal disease).

See also this article in The Washington Post: Opinion: We disagree on abortion. Here’s a pro-family agenda both parties can support. by Marc A. Thiessen and Alyssa Rosenberg, September 5, 2023. A pro-choicer and a pro-lifer put forward public policy both support.

Quaker Pro-life Women