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Showing posts with label rape baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rape baby. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Dear People Who Bullied My Unborn Child, by Paula K. Peyton
Dear People Who Bullied My Unborn Child,
I’m going to call it what it was — bullying. You thought you
were so smart when
In your mind, he was just an extension of his rapist father,
guaranteed to bring nothing but pain and heartache to me and to the world. And
I know for sure you were uncomfortable and sometimes even mad about my decision
to keep a child conceived in rape. You couldn’t imagine why in the world
someone would want a baby you saw as being so worthless and loathsome, and when
you realized I loved him, you eventually bullied him the way you’d been
bullying me and trying to push me into aborting him.
Just like all bullies, you overlooked all the important things
about my son and focused on something that was irrelevant and completely out of
his control — his conception. And like all bullied children, he deserves better
representation than the words you chose for him.
The reality is that this baby makes people smile everywhere he
goes. He’s pretty smiley too! He has brightened the days of the elderly in a
nursing home. Tuesday he dressed up like an elf to attend an angel tree party
our church puts on for underprivileged kids from the elementary school nearby,
and the kids were so excited to see him.
He makes people happy because he is a joyful, radiant light.
This is the child you bullied — this sweet, giggly baby. And I’m the mom you
tried to bully into aborting him.
Many times during pregnancy, I wondered how the Virgin Mary
would’ve fared had she been a single, pregnant teenager in this century. Born
into a poor family in the hills of Galilee and betrothed to a humble carpenter,
Mary’s life seemed like one that would always remain humble and lackluster. And
it was the womb of this poor, unmarried, young lady who God chose to bless with
the life of Jesus.
Mary often comforted me during those late nights during my
pregnancy when I was awake in bed thinking about the the way you treated my son.
I’d think about her faith, the shaming and bullying she must’ve gone through in
her own day and age, and that humble birth we celebrate each December. Her own
son – our Lord and Savior – was the target of infanticide soon after his birth.
We read about this in Matthew: the Magi announced the birth of the real King of
the Jews, angering King Herod (the people’s choice), who then attempted to
preserve his power by ordering the murder of every baby boy in the vicinity of
Bethlehem to make sure Jesus was eliminated.
The Massacre of Innocents, as it is known, is fairly similar to
what goes on today with the targeting of babies for abortion. Babies being born
to poor, single, and/or teenage mothers are bullied by weak minds, like yours,
which can only envision them as inconvenient pulls on already strained systems
of government aid. And I can speak from experience about the bullying of
children conceived in rape. I watched and listened while you berated my baby
boy while he bounced in my womb, his only “offense” being his audacity to
continue living.
I wonder if Mary were living in today’s world, would our modern
Mary’s friends support her and welcome the Christ child with love? Or would
they bully her unborn son the way you bullied mine and pressure her into making
him a statistic through abortion, the same way you “encouraged” me?
Based on my experiences with you, I’m sad to say I believe it
would be the latter. And if Jesus Christ, having been bullied and targeted for
the circumstances of his conception and birth, could be killed before he had
the chance to save the world, what other gifts are we all missing out on when
women are bullied into aborting the babies who would bring them?
The cures for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other devastating diseases?
The ending of human trafficking, the development of nuclear weaponry, and war?
Or, perhaps, all of the above and more.
I don’t know what all the gifts my 2-month-old son has brought
with him to the
When I think of my son Caleb’s own story: conceived in rape,
bullied, targeted for abortion, born, loved… well, he didn’t come to save the
world, but in many ways, he saved me by giving me a reason to continue living
after the devastation of rape. You saw the opposite – the fake news you
invented to avoid facing the truth, which is that a child conceived in bad circumstances
is a child as worthy of life as you.
That’s why you called him horrible names and bullied him before
he could even exit the womb. And it’s why you tried your best to convince me
that he was an “evil,” unwelcome “spawn of Satan,” rather than a gift of God.
Satan’s only offering here arrived through you in the form of
your ignorant statements, and I thank God for the wisdom to have seen that from
the beginning, just as I thank him for giving each person inherent worth and
value. That includes my son as much as it includes anyone else!
And you... well, know that I forgive you and pray for you. I
pray you see your error. I pray you find truth. I pray you get to meet the baby
who changed my life in every good way. I pray you let yourself experience God
through my child — each and every time he smiles, there’s nothing to feel but
the warm love of God.
And I pray you won’t feel compelled to bully another child,
regardless of how he or she was conceived. Because whether we’re talking about
the real baby Jesus or the baby who plays Jesus in a pageant and an elf at a
Christmas party, all babies deserve more than you’ve given my son.
May you do better in 2018. May you build up instead of bullying
and tearing down. May you love yourself enough to begin loving others.
Sincerely,
The elf’s mom
BIO: Paula K. Peyton is a writer, mother to Caleb and now a pro-life blogger for Save The 1. She resides in Memphis, TN.
Dear People Who Bullied My Unborn Child,
I’m going to call it what it was — bullying. You thought you were so smart when
In your mind, he was just an extension of his rapist father, guaranteed to bring nothing but pain and heartache to me and to the world. And I know for sure you were uncomfortable and sometimes even mad about my decision to keep a child conceived in rape. You couldn’t imagine why in the world someone would want a baby you saw as being so worthless and loathsome, and when you realized I loved him, you eventually bullied him the way you’d been bullying me and trying to push me into aborting him.
Just like all bullies, you overlooked all the important things about my son and focused on something that was irrelevant and completely out of his control — his conception. And like all bullied children, he deserves better representation than the words you chose for him.
The reality is that this baby makes people smile everywhere he goes. He’s pretty smiley too! He has brightened the days of the elderly in a nursing home. Tuesday he dressed up like an elf to attend an angel tree party our church puts on for underprivileged kids from the elementary school nearby, and the kids were so excited to see him.
He makes people happy because he is a joyful, radiant light. This is the child you bullied — this sweet, giggly baby. And I’m the mom you tried to bully into aborting him.
Many times during pregnancy, I wondered how the Virgin Mary would’ve fared had she been a single, pregnant teenager in this century. Born into a poor family in the hills of Galilee and betrothed to a humble carpenter, Mary’s life seemed like one that would always remain humble and lackluster. And it was the womb of this poor, unmarried, young lady who God chose to bless with the life of Jesus.
Mary often comforted me during those late nights during my pregnancy when I was awake in bed thinking about the the way you treated my son. I’d think about her faith, the shaming and bullying she must’ve gone through in her own day and age, and that humble birth we celebrate each December. Her own son – our Lord and Savior – was the target of infanticide soon after his birth. We read about this in Matthew: the Magi announced the birth of the real King of the Jews, angering King Herod (the people’s choice), who then attempted to preserve his power by ordering the murder of every baby boy in the vicinity of Bethlehem to make sure Jesus was eliminated.
The Massacre of Innocents, as it is known, is fairly similar to what goes on today with the targeting of babies for abortion. Babies being born to poor, single, and/or teenage mothers are bullied by weak minds, like yours, which can only envision them as inconvenient pulls on already strained systems of government aid. And I can speak from experience about the bullying of children conceived in rape. I watched and listened while you berated my baby boy while he bounced in my womb, his only “offense” being his audacity to continue living.
I wonder if Mary were living in today’s world, would our modern Mary’s friends support her and welcome the Christ child with love? Or would they bully her unborn son the way you bullied mine and pressure her into making him a statistic through abortion, the same way you “encouraged” me?
Based on my experiences with you, I’m sad to say I believe it would be the latter. And if Jesus Christ, having been bullied and targeted for the circumstances of his conception and birth, could be killed before he had the chance to save the world, what other gifts are we all missing out on when women are bullied into aborting the babies who would bring them?
The cures for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other devastating diseases? The ending of human trafficking, the development of nuclear weaponry, and war? Or, perhaps, all of the above and more.
I don’t know what all the gifts my 2-month-old son has brought with him to the
When I think of my son Caleb’s own story: conceived in rape, bullied, targeted for abortion, born, loved… well, he didn’t come to save the world, but in many ways, he saved me by giving me a reason to continue living after the devastation of rape. You saw the opposite – the fake news you invented to avoid facing the truth, which is that a child conceived in bad circumstances is a child as worthy of life as you.
That’s why you called him horrible names and bullied him before he could even exit the womb. And it’s why you tried your best to convince me that he was an “evil,” unwelcome “spawn of Satan,” rather than a gift of God.
Satan’s only offering here arrived through you in the form of your ignorant statements, and I thank God for the wisdom to have seen that from the beginning, just as I thank him for giving each person inherent worth and value. That includes my son as much as it includes anyone else!
And you... well, know that I forgive you and pray for you. I pray you see your error. I pray you find truth. I pray you get to meet the baby who changed my life in every good way. I pray you let yourself experience God through my child — each and every time he smiles, there’s nothing to feel but the warm love of God.
And I pray you won’t feel compelled to bully another child, regardless of how he or she was conceived. Because whether we’re talking about the real baby Jesus or the baby who plays Jesus in a pageant and an elf at a Christmas party, all babies deserve more than you’ve given my son.
May you do better in 2018. May you build up instead of bullying and tearing down. May you love yourself enough to begin loving others.
Sincerely,
The elf’s mom
BIO: Paula K. Peyton is a writer, mother to Caleb and now a pro-life blogger for Save The 1. She resides in Memphis, TN.
Dear People Who Bullied My Unborn Child,
I’m going to call it what it was — bullying. You thought you were so smart when
In your mind, he was just an extension of his rapist father, guaranteed to bring nothing but pain and heartache to me and to the world. And I know for sure you were uncomfortable and sometimes even mad about my decision to keep a child conceived in rape. You couldn’t imagine why in the world someone would want a baby you saw as being so worthless and loathsome, and when you realized I loved him, you eventually bullied him the way you’d been bullying me and trying to push me into aborting him.
Just like all bullies, you overlooked all the important things about my son and focused on something that was irrelevant and completely out of his control — his conception. And like all bullied children, he deserves better representation than the words you chose for him.
The reality is that this baby makes people smile everywhere he goes. He’s pretty smiley too! He has brightened the days of the elderly in a nursing home. Tuesday he dressed up like an elf to attend an angel tree party our church puts on for underprivileged kids from the elementary school nearby, and the kids were so excited to see him.
He makes people happy because he is a joyful, radiant light. This is the child you bullied — this sweet, giggly baby. And I’m the mom you tried to bully into aborting him.
Many times during pregnancy, I wondered how the Virgin Mary would’ve fared had she been a single, pregnant teenager in this century. Born into a poor family in the hills of Galilee and betrothed to a humble carpenter, Mary’s life seemed like one that would always remain humble and lackluster. And it was the womb of this poor, unmarried, young lady who God chose to bless with the life of Jesus.
Mary often comforted me during those late nights during my pregnancy when I was awake in bed thinking about the the way you treated my son. I’d think about her faith, the shaming and bullying she must’ve gone through in her own day and age, and that humble birth we celebrate each December. Her own son – our Lord and Savior – was the target of infanticide soon after his birth. We read about this in Matthew: the Magi announced the birth of the real King of the Jews, angering King Herod (the people’s choice), who then attempted to preserve his power by ordering the murder of every baby boy in the vicinity of Bethlehem to make sure Jesus was eliminated.
The Massacre of Innocents, as it is known, is fairly similar to what goes on today with the targeting of babies for abortion. Babies being born to poor, single, and/or teenage mothers are bullied by weak minds, like yours, which can only envision them as inconvenient pulls on already strained systems of government aid. And I can speak from experience about the bullying of children conceived in rape. I watched and listened while you berated my baby boy while he bounced in my womb, his only “offense” being his audacity to continue living.
I wonder if Mary were living in today’s world, would our modern Mary’s friends support her and welcome the Christ child with love? Or would they bully her unborn son the way you bullied mine and pressure her into making him a statistic through abortion, the same way you “encouraged” me?
Based on my experiences with you, I’m sad to say I believe it would be the latter. And if Jesus Christ, having been bullied and targeted for the circumstances of his conception and birth, could be killed before he had the chance to save the world, what other gifts are we all missing out on when women are bullied into aborting the babies who would bring them?
The cures for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other devastating diseases? The ending of human trafficking, the development of nuclear weaponry, and war? Or, perhaps, all of the above and more.
I don’t know what all the gifts my 2-month-old son has brought with him to the
When I think of my son Caleb’s own story: conceived in rape, bullied, targeted for abortion, born, loved… well, he didn’t come to save the world, but in many ways, he saved me by giving me a reason to continue living after the devastation of rape. You saw the opposite – the fake news you invented to avoid facing the truth, which is that a child conceived in bad circumstances is a child as worthy of life as you.
That’s why you called him horrible names and bullied him before he could even exit the womb. And it’s why you tried your best to convince me that he was an “evil,” unwelcome “spawn of Satan,” rather than a gift of God.
Satan’s only offering here arrived through you in the form of your ignorant statements, and I thank God for the wisdom to have seen that from the beginning, just as I thank him for giving each person inherent worth and value. That includes my son as much as it includes anyone else!
And you... well, know that I forgive you and pray for you. I pray you see your error. I pray you find truth. I pray you get to meet the baby who changed my life in every good way. I pray you let yourself experience God through my child — each and every time he smiles, there’s nothing to feel but the warm love of God.
And I pray you won’t feel compelled to bully another child, regardless of how he or she was conceived. Because whether we’re talking about the real baby Jesus or the baby who plays Jesus in a pageant and an elf at a Christmas party, all babies deserve more than you’ve given my son.
May you do better in 2018. May you build up instead of bullying and tearing down. May you love yourself enough to begin loving others.
Sincerely,
The elf’s mom
BIO: Paula K. Peyton is a writer, mother to Caleb and now a pro-life blogger for Save The 1. She resides in Memphis, TN.
Read her prior
From Victimhood to Motherhood, I Chose Joy
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
My Daughter Is Truly the Rainbow After The Storm, by Shalyn McGuin
I was 19 and living on my own, working as a nanny. An ex-boyfriend of mine who I was still friends with was going to come over to visit, as I had just recently moved into my new apartment. He came in and we visited, and before long he was kissing me and trying to initiate intercourse. I said "NO!" numerous times, and then my "freeze" reaction kicked in.
For four years of my childhood, I was sexually assaulted almost daily by a family member. I told a few different people, but nobody believed me. I realized quickly that it wasn't going to end, so I learned to freeze because it stopped quicker if I pretended it wasn't happening.
So back to the night my ex-boyfriend raped me -- I froze, and he took advantage of me. After he left, I cried on my bathroom floor for hours, wishing I had put up more of a physical fight. I didn't report it, because I knew it would be like the abuse of my past -- my word against his.
A few weeks later, I realized that I had been having period cramps for a couple of weeks, where normally I would only get them for a day or two before my period. That's when I thought I might be pregnant. I ran to Shoppers Drug Mart and got a test. When it said "yes," I went back and got another. Of course it said the same thing.
I was fairly close to my boss at the time, so I told her about my pregnancy a week or so later. She told me she didn't want her kids to see me "in that condition," so if I wanted to keep my job I had to abort -- it was my child or hers.
I went to the Pregnancy Resource Centre, and asked the pregnancy counselor if she thought I should get an abortion. She wasn't allowed to give me a direct answer, but she assured me that I was capable of raising my baby, and pointed me in the direction of helpful programs around the city. When she estimated the baby's due date, I knew it was a sign because she was due on my birthday!
I kept her, lost my job, got a new one before I started to show, When I gave birth to my daughter, I felt scared because because she was so small and fragile, but I was so in love, and the emotion only grew from there!
During my pregnancy, I also met the love of my life who is now her Daddy. The only father she has ever known -- he is the greatest father. He plans to adopt her once we marry.
My daughter's biological father knows about her, but has chosen not to have any relationship with her, which is best for her and of course, a huge relief for me.
My little girl is now three years old and she is the most beautiful girl in the world! We are (age appropriately) honest with her. She knows that her Daddy didn't make her, but he chose her.
She is not a "rape baby." She is MY baby. She is the baby of a rape victim, and she is worthy of life. Children like her should not be punished for the crimes of their fathers.
My daughter is truly the rainbow after the storm.
BIO: Shalyn McGuin is a Stay at Home mom, a pro-life blogger for Save The 1, and resides in Ontario, Canada. She hopes to make a positive difference for babies conceived through rape and their mothers. Wednesday, May 13, 2015
She Was "Sad and Skeptical About Rape Babies" by Rebecca Kiessling
Why should I have to prove my worth and my right to life? When I first learned at the age of 18 that I
was conceived in rape, I instantly felt targeted and devalued by our society
because I’d heard what people said about pregnancy “in cases of rape.” Right away, I felt I was in a position where
I would have to justify my own existence – that I would have to prove myself to
the world that I shouldn’t have been aborted and that I was worthy of living.
BIO: Rebecca Kiessling was conceived in rape and nearly aborted, but legally protected by law in Michigan pre-Roe v Wade. She's an attorney, pro-life speaker and blogger, and President of Save The 1. Her own website is www.rebeccakiessling.com
I’ve since found my own value, identity and
purpose in Christ, being created by God, in His image, and for a purpose, so I
no longer feel I need to prove my worth to others in order to feel worthy. Instead, I share my worth out of gratitude
for my own life being spared and in order that others may see the value of those
who are still at risk – those who are in harm’s way as yet unborn and being
targeted for abortion in the clinics, in legislation, and in people’s hearts
and minds.
Whenever I speak, I share this aspect of my
journey, but people are shocked to hear that I actually do get challenged to
prove my value, to demonstrate my positive contribution to society and to justify my right not to have been aborted. This recent e-mail is a
case in point. It was a tough inquiry to
receive, but you’ll see my hopefully patient (and prayerful) responses below,
and the ultimate outcome of the exchange:
I’m feeling sad and
skeptical about rape babies. I’d love to
consider myself pro-life due to biblical reasons, but I just don’t really see
what good can ever come out of a rape baby.
I still think that it sometimes furthers the victimization of a rape
victim. And it’s also because I’m very
sad and disturbed by your blog.
I just think
sometimes that it would be better if these babies never existed -- that every
single one would naturally be miscarried by God’s will, so no one could bully
them for their skeleton in their closet. Like I said, the subject manner disturbs
me to the point where I vomit. I wish that every child was conceived in love
and not violence because that's the way it should be. And I'm sad to say that the only way I could
fully believe all of you rape mothers and children is if you were to pray for
the peace of God that transcends all my futile understanding and my volatile,
overly-sensitive emotions.
There is no story in
the whole world that can fully change my mind. The only way I could ever is if
I were to befriend a victim or become the Bride of a man whom was the product
of abuse. I'm so sorry to be brutally
honest; it's just that my heart grieves to the point where I feel the struggle
to overcome the sin of prejudice. I'm so
angry at God that he allows this to occur.
Dear __, I appreciate
you going to our blog and taking the time to reach out to us. Your
concerns are the most common, but research shows that rape victims are four
times more likely to die within the next year after the abortion vs. giving
birth. Dr. David Reardon's book Victims and Victors:
Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions and Children Resulting
From Sexual Assault explains this: http://www.amazon.com/Victims-Victors-Pregnancies-Abortions-Resulting/dp/0964895714.
So it's a myth which gets perpetuated -- that a rape victim would be better off
after an abortion, that her child would be a reminder of the rape, and that she
would even see her child as a "rape baby," as you put it.
I understand a lot of what you're saying. You would definitely feel differently if you
knew someone personally. I wished I wasn’t
conceived in rape, but I do believe now that God definitely bring good out of
evil, and uses tragic situations to bring healing. He doesn't intend the evil of course, but his
trademark is redeeming really awful situations.
-- Rebecca
Her reply (again, challenging for me to read,
but I think she candidly articulates a lot of what most people really wonder or
think):
What has God done in your life personally besides this blog
that has made your tragic family life worth the pain? Tell me what you have been doing: like
marriage, dating, children, jobs, friendship, volunteer work; any of that. I am curious to see how God has given your
life joy and purpose. I'm sorry if I
have ever been difficult to handle. I'm
emotionally impulsive when I hear something sad.
First of all, my birthmother
and her husband legally adopted me 3-1/2 years ago because my adoptive family
was really screwed up (long story of abuse and abandonment.) My own
adoption by my birthmother was our fairy-tale ending. She says I'm a
blessing to her, I honor her and I bring her healing! I love adoption -- my two oldest are adopted
(very open adoption,) and we adopted a baby with special needs -- Cassie -- who
died in our arms at 33 days old. It was an honor to take care of her and
was definitely one of the most important things I'd ever done in my life.
She died because of medical malpractice.
Married for nearly 17
years, we have 5 children now – two adopted sons and our three biological
daughters. Here's my son's story: http://www.lifenews.com/2014/08/29/my-teen-mom-was-a-convicted-drug-user-should-i-have-been-aborted/
He wrote it last September at 12 years old.
Besides being the
president and founder of Save The 1, I also co-founded Hope After Rape
Conception. I'm a family law attorney, though I closed my law
practice to have my children and to home school until 2-1/2 years ago.
I make baby quilts which
I donate to pregnancy resource centers and I give to moms in unplanned
pregnancies. My birthmother taught me to sew! I also taught
my children to quilt, as well as many of my friends and their children.
I've volunteered with orphan care, Sunday school, feeding the disadvantaged, free
legal work, volunteer work for a maternity home, and helping in various ways with
pregnancy resource centers. I changed the hearts of Gov. Rick Perry and
Newt Gingrich on this issue during their presidential campaigns!
A large part of what I do is helping others to understand their
value, identity and worth because lots of people struggle with these issues --
not just those conceived in rape. I hope
this helps! -- Rebecca
Her final response – from someone who said “there is no story in
the world that can fully change my mind”:
Dear Rebecca, thank you so much for your time to
straighten out my emotional acting out -- I'm really glad you told me about
your life. I really think I'll be okay
now. I still wish that men wouldn't
rape, but at least the world knows a lot more than they used to and I can say
that I'm pro-life to my college professors without paranoia or anxiety. I even
talked about helping people like you with my mom and dad. They told me I'm too sensitive in personality
to be involved directly in domestic politics; yet, I'm praying about being a
free English tutor for troubled families as well as being an anti-pornography informant
or activist. After all, the porn
industry has been statistically linked to the sexual violence pandemic. I'm so glad that you are living life well and
to the best of your ability; keep telling people that just because your birth
father was an evil scumbag doesn't mean that you are. Thanks Rebecca, you have
really touched and strengthened my heart. With much sincerity.
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