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By Steve Weatherbe
PRO-LIFE groups in southern B.C. are gearing up for the
second annual March for Life in Victoria, hoping to mass 3,000 –
5,000 people May 14 for a trek from City Hall to the Legislature.
That’s a big jump from the 1,000-plus who
participated last year. Co-organizer John Hof, president of the B.C.
Campaign Life Coalition, said he believes it’s possible. “The
enthusiasm is really building. But this kind of event takes six to eight
years to build.”
Catholic schools and parishes are chartering buses to
attend the rally, along with pro-life groups. Hof lamented the lukewarm
response from many Protestant churches, but said he expected at least one
Seventh-Day Adventist congregation to send a contingent.
Dan O’Hara, head of the B.C. Knights of Columbus,
said the feedback he’s received from Protestant churches is that the
issue is divisive – and therefore, church leaders are reluctant to
raise it.
He said the rally is important to “remind
our politicians this issue is not dead for many Canadians. It is not going
away.” The March for Life has been going on for 11 years in Ottawa
and now draws 8,000 there.
O’Hara said the rally also raises the issue with
the public, who are largely unaware that there are no legal restrictions on
abortion in Canada, making it virtually unique in the world. “Our
hope is to educate people,” he said.
Hof said he looks for inspiration to William
Wilberforce’s long battle to abolish slavery in the British Empire.
“I sure don’t expect to see a bill to end
abortion in the next Canadian Parliament,” said Hof. “But I do
see possibilities emerging from these difficult times. People tend to draw
together to fight for . . . what’s really important to
them.”
Retired physician Jack Krayenhoff, a member of the
Church of Our Lord, said interest among Protestants has fallen off since
the original fight over the legalization of abortion.
“I think most evangelical Protestants who were
interested at first didn’t like that the pro-life movement was so
‘anti’ – that it was anti-abortion, rather than for something. And then they
became discouraged when the Conservatives got elected and did nothing about
abortion. I never hear anything about abortion in church anymore.”
Organizer Natalie Hudson agreed that Protestants take a
different approach to pro-life activities.
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“Protestants are more likely to be involved on
the ministry side – in pregnancy crisis centres, for example.
Catholics are more involved with educational or political
activities.”
Michael Green, head of Victoria Right to Life, called
the rally “a small step, but a significant one.”
Green said that, at a practical level, the rally
won’t convince many politicians – who likely won’t be
listening, given that the provincial election will take place only two days
before the rally.
However, he stressed: “This event will raise
awareness and inspire supporters. It is one link in a chain of things we do
– the life chains, the retreats, the pregnancy counselling and so
on.”
Green said Canada’s former culture of life had
been destroyed swiftly; but it would be a much slower task to rebuild.
“A house can burn down in minutes – but take months to
rebuild.”
Speakers at the rally will include Victoria Bishop
Richard Gagnon; natural family planning advocates Robin and Rachel Daniels;
Vancouver Archbishop John Miller; American rabbi Daniel Lapin; and Senator
Gerry St. Germain.
The march will be preceded by a mass at St.
Andrew’s Cathedral and a service at Emmanuel Baptist Church. The
rally will begin 2 pm at Centennial Square. It will be followed by a
Victoria Right to Life dinner, 6 pm at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Call:
250.383.1782.
May 2009
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