By Tom Venzor
A quick reminder: Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Don’t forget to vote. Your vote matters!
If you want to learn more about candidates running for office (e.g., Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Legislature) and where they stand on critical issues facing our state and nation, check out the Nebraska Catholic Conference Candidate Survey at www.NebraskaCatholicVoter.com.
With that said, I want to recap our annual Bishops’ Pro-Life Banquet and Conference. Hundreds of pro-lifers from across the state gathered together with our bishops to celebrate the Gospel of Life and learn more about important developments in the mission field of pro-life activities. The two days were filled with joyful solidarity. In particular, I want to summarize the content of our three main speakers for the Saturday morning conference.
Dr. George Delgado & Abortion Pill Reversal. This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. George Delgado. Several years ago, Dr. Delgado—by the grace of God and the courageous desire of a mother seeking to reverse her abortion pill process—discovered the chemical abortion process could be reversed and women could be given a “second chance at choice.”
Dr. Delgado discussed how the most commonly used method of chemical abortion—the two-dose regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol—functions, and how the process can be reversed with a safe and effective medical protocol.
Dr. Delgado described how mifepristone acts as a progesterone blocking agent, making the uterus an antagonistic environment for a preborn child, and how misoprostol, taken 48-72 hours after mifepristone, produces uterine contractions to dispel the preborn child. He also described how the abortion pill reversal process, if begun prior to consuming the misoprostol, can counteract the mifepristone by flooding the mother’s uterus with progesterone to re-establish a hospitable environment for the preborn baby.
Dr. Delgado shared the 64-68% success rate of the abortion pill reversal process. He illustrated the success rates with personal stories, including that of Rebekah Buell whose name might be familiar to those who attended the 2016 Nebraska Walk for Life sponsored by Nebraska Right to Life. Her success story, resulting in the birth of her son Zechariah, was among the hundreds of other success stories Dr. Delgado and others have witnessed through the powerful gift of using medicine for its true purpose: to restore and save human life.
Megan Drapa & Pro-Life Messaging. Once again, Megan Drapa joined us at the conference. Megan works for the Vitae Foundation, a not-for-profit entity that engages in cutting-edge market research to assist pregnancy help centers and pro-life advocates better engage abortion-minded women.
Among Megan’s key insights, from the decade’s worth of Vitae Foundation research, is the fact that abortion-minded women do not think in the same moral framework as a pro-life advocate. Because abortion-minded women are approaching the termination of their pregnancy from such a different mindset, it is critical for pro-life advocates to meet the mother in her experience.
Megan highlighted the need to avoid condemnatory, moralistic language, but instead use positive language that focuses the mother on her own self-preservation and identity, and surrounding her with the immediate resources she needs to overcome any fears that might be driving her to the desperate action of abortion.
Jessica Warner and Legislative Success. Jessica Warner of Ohio Right to Life provided an incredible presentation highlighting the fundamentals that are necessary for being a successful grassroots advocate in the legislative realm.
Jessica conveyed the essential message that the more personal your interaction, the more likely you are to make an impression with your legislator. She noted that legislators are inundated with people and information and stressed the importance of making your interaction unique and personal. She also stressed that while “form e-mails” and petitions are important advocacy tools, she encouraged everybody to go a step further to make your interaction personal, such as calling into the legislator’s office, attending a legislator’s town hall meetings, and interacting with them when they return home to their legislative district.
With every interaction, Jessica urged that our engagements with state legislators always be charitable, kind, and respectful, especially with those with whom we might disagree.
We hope to see you at next year’s Bishops’ Pro-Life Banquet and Conference!
