This from the latest newsletter of one of the U.K.'s most valuable pro-life organizations, Image: Christians Caring for Life...Government figures just issued show the number of abortions in the United Kingdom in 2007 was the highest ever. There were 205,598 abortions in England and Wales, compared with 201,173 in 2006. There were 13,703 in Scotland, compared with 13,163 in 2006. That makes a total of 219,301 in England, Wales and Scotland.
The 198,499 abortions on England and Wales residents were 2.5% up on the previous year. Only one per cent were carried out because of the risk of serious handicap.
Numbers of abortions on all teenagers were up. Abortions on 16-year-olds were up 10 per cent on the previous year.
There were only 135 abortions – less than 0.1% of the total – after 24 weeks. 81% were on single women. Medical abortions – for instance, using the abortion pill – accounted for 35% of the total, compared with 30% in 2006. (In Scotland, 61.8% of abortions were medical abortions.) Some 1,343 women travelled from Northern Ireland for abortions, and 4,686 from the Irish Republic.
Despite the fact that abortions have reached unprecedented levels, MPs are wanting to liberalise abortion law still further. If they have their way – and their proposals are part of a flagship Government bill which the Prime Minister at the moment seems determined to have passed – abortion is likely to become a medical procedure without restriction, like having a tooth out or one’s appendix removed.
Their eyes appear to have been so blinded that they imagine that they can liberalise abortion law and at the same time reduce the number of abortions – by providing more free condoms and more morals-free sex education.
Gill Frances, of the Government's Teenage Pregnancy Advisory Group, said the other day, referring to what they see as the need for more sex education and more contraception clinics in schools, “We know what works to reduce abortion among teenagers.” It never seems to enter the minds of those appointed to provide for the welfare of our children that there has never been more sex education and more free contraception and yet abortion figures – including abortion figures among young teens – have never been higher.
There is a need to contact MPs and the Prime Minister. But in the past 40 years there has never been a greater need to pray. Can we depend on you to lay hold of heaven at this time?
