The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children held its annual silent witness in Dundee City centre on Thursday the 30th of October to commemorate the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act. Despite the rain and wind, the vigil was well attended. It was nice to see a big group of families from Lochee Baptist Church who had come along to support the event. We were also joined by Richard Lucas, Leader of the Scottish Family Party, who brought lights to represent the 18,071 lives lost to abortion last year in Scotland. The Scottish Family Party ‘affirm[s] the value of human life in the womb’ and ‘oppose[es] the introduction of assisted suicide and euthanasia’.
Although it can be difficult to take a pro-life message out into the streets, it is important to acknowledge publicly the damage that abortion does in our society. Without a voice for the unborn, Scotland will become a place where abortion is ‘normal’. While over 18,000 abortions in one year is horrific, there are moves in Holyrood and Westminster to decriminalise abortion completely. This means that there will be no legal protection for babies before birth, it will be easier for abortion providers to get a foothold here and the abortion rate will increase.
It is important to note that the vigil is just one event in a raft of pro-life initiatives that attempt to build a culture of life in Dundee. SPUC also run a family friendly pro-life stall in the city centre three Saturdays a year. Dundee Pregnancy and Parenthood Support offer practical help to mothers in crisis pregnancies and families in need in our city. We also signpost to organisations offering help to those suffering after an abortion experience.