I should have a soft spot for Dublin, it’s where my wife is from! Whilst there’s lots to enjoy in Dublin, it is just a bit too crowded, give me the beauty and peacefulness of Donegal any day. Perhaps it’s because most of the times we go down to Dublin are for hospital appointments, but I can’t wait to get back to Donegal.
Often those living outside of Dublin feel that the people in Dublin don’t really understand what life is like in rural Ireland. It’s not helped by comments from the former Taoiseach suggesting that rural Ireland do not contribute as much as those in the city. He once said in a podcast that “people in Dublin pay all the bills.” Hard-working farmers feel intense pressure from rising costs and increasing red tape.
But the thing that troubled me most last week were the celebrations in Dublin for International Safe Abortion Day. Public buildings including Trinity College Dublin and The Mansion House were lit up green to celebrate the provision of safe abortion.
No doubt some women do face immense pressure and wonder how they will cope, but it is surely misleading to call abortion safe. It may be safer for the mother than the illegal abortions that may have been previously performed, but to call something safe where the life a human being is taken is surely not right.
Abortion is certainly not safe for the baby, and it’s also not safe for the mother. A 2023 paper in BMC Psychiatry, reviewing 15 studies involving more than 18,000 participants, estimated a 34.5% prevalence of depression among women following abortion.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín suggested what is needed is not better access to abortion, but rather “greater support for women experiencing crisis pregnancies, improved maternity care, better disability services and practical assistance for families facing difficult circumstances. These are areas where society can unite rather than divide.”
But how are we going to get such provision? How can we become a society that cares for all people no matter what their gender or age, or ability or disability? Perhaps we can learn from history. In the Roman world, not only was abortion practiced, there was also exposure of infants who were unwanted, they were simply left to die. The early Christians taught that every life was incredibly valuable from conception to the grave, because everyone is created by God and bears His image.
This belief, together with Jesus’ teaching for his followers to be servant-hearted, has led Christians throughout history to care for abandoned children, establish hospitals, schools and charities, and to stand alongside people whom society has sometimes overlooked.
If a woman today is facing a crisis pregnancy, it’s not enough to tell her that abortion is not safe. Christians should be among those asking: “How can we help? What practical support can we offer? How can we make room for this child and support this mother?” How can we help those who have had abortions and need support with the consequences?
The message of the Bible is that God did not just tell us what to not to do, but he came to us in the person of Jesus Christ, and at great cost to himself, gave his life to rescue us from all of the mess we get ourselves into. That is the kind of safety we need, and the kind of safety we should celebrate in Dublin and in Donegal.
If you want to talk or need practical help my contact details are below or you can contact Donegal Pro-Life on 089 2469 599.
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