VIRGINIA BEACH
A group of abortion rights supporters gathered in Virginia Beach on Sunday evening for a memorial for Dr. George Tiller, the abortion provider shot and killed last month inside his church in Wichita, Kan.
“Not everyone in my church sees eye to eye on reproductive freedom,” said Jenna Randall of Virginia Beach, the organizer. “But one thing we all can agree on is no one should ever have to be gunned down inside what is supposed to be a sanctuary.”
Tiller’s Kansas clinic was one of the few in the nation that performed abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy, when a fetus is considered viable. Police arrested the suspected shooter, Scott Roeder, 51, on a charge of first-degree murder.
Sunday’s vigil, with 15 people in attendance, was held at Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church. It was among a number of similar vigils in different states.
People at the memorial described Tiller as a doctor who showed compassion toward women who wanted their children, but made a painful choice to have an abortion because their babies would have suffered or been stillborn. His clinic offered funeral services after an abortion.
Randall said she previously worked at a fund in Philadelphia that raised money for women who needed abortions. One of the few cases referred to Tiller’s clinic, she said, was that of a 14-year-old girl who had been raped by her uncle, was 24 weeks pregnant, had been kicked out of her house and was suicidal.
Anne Rawley of Chesapeake, a retired Navy nurse, said it is complicated to perform late-term abortion and remembered women who got abortions before it became legal.
"To lose someone who's qualified to do that, it scares me, it scares me so much," she said.
The Rev. Valerie Coe Lowder, the church pastor, prayed for Tiller’s family, his church and for Roeder and his family.
“Surround those who have been shaken by tragedy with a sense of your present love,” she said in a prayer before the group.
Roeder, in a telephone interview from jail with The Associated Press, said more violence would come. He did not elaborate, the AP reported Sunday.
"I know there are many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal," Roeder said.
Most anti-abortion groups denounced the slaying of Tiller.
Patrick Wilson, (757) 446-2957, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
re: keithb64840
You assert: "Every abortion completed is approved by God who has the power to stop/prevent any action by man."
My bible doesn't have that passage or even imply such. Which version are you using?
Even a wax museum character would know that "allowed" & "approved" are not synonymous.
While we agree that God has power to do whatever He sees fit, he obviously permits man to do all kinds of heinous, stupid, dangerous, unkind & immoral acts. Though I wouldn't dare try to speak for Him, perhaps it's His way of showing us how low we can go if we don't try to live according to His word.
psalm 139
you should check out psalm 139:16
Rick Warren author of A Purpose driven life and the pastor that did the invocation at Obamas inauguration has this to say in Chapter 2 of his book.
"Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, "You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!" [Psalm 139:16]"
So if God decided how long you would live, wouldn't that mean he is writing down only months for all of these babies? I thought we had freewill... or maybe your right he is just forcing these people to do heinous things in order to show off his powers. (it would not be the first time: read Exodus 9:12 - "But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses."
The LORD forced the Pharaohs heart to harden so that he would not listen to Moses and Aaron... Wow!
Tim
Can you give me a reason to refrain from murdering *anybody* that does not refer to a moral code of some civilization or religion?
Even many atheists are anti-abortion because it is pretty obvious to them that life begins at conception. Why is it okay to end it in the womb if it is not okay afterwards?
Don't say "mother's convenience" in your answer or I might have to ask why it is not then okay to murder someone blocking your way on the sidewalk if it would be more "convenient" for you with that person dead.
MARY
Mother’s covenience.
Ok so now you might ask “Why it is not then okay to murder someone blocking your way on the sidewalk if it would be more "convenient" for you with that person dead.”
If you did ask, I might answer: There are other alternatives… like going around them. It’s not possible now but I’d put money on it, that when mothers can suck the baby out and let if grow in a test tube instead of chopping it into pieces, Christians will have an issue with it.
Why is it that when a tick is on your neck you pluck it off and kill it? For your convenience?!? That tick is alive, even atheists agree that ticks have life at birth (some might even think they have life before then!) This theoretical tick is a living breathing (some might say God created) organism that is living off of your body. How can you destroy it so easily? You would hardly even notice it unless you saw it on you.
"...besides: God said you are not allowed!"
dennisp says: "Would be interesting to be a fly on the wall when Tiller stands/stood before his Maker."
Every abortion completed is approved by God who has the power to stop/prevent any action by man.
tired
Can't anyone give me a reason not to murder babies besides: God said you are not allowed!
Let's have a moral discussion that does not include... I don't do this because if I do that I will be tortured forever.
The Lutheran Church in America
Don't think I will be visiting or suggesting anyone I know to attend a Lutheran Church anytime soon. Whats the difference between this doctor and the nazi doctors who experimented on helpless humans? Who sat beside this monster in that church and failed to discern his murderous spirit?
choice is the difference
Are you like the Nazis in that you would not allow a woman to choose what happens to parts of her body?
Here's my take, for what
Here's my take, for what it's worth. At this point in time, whether a person agrees or disagrees, abortion is legal. Taking a gun, hunting down someone...regardless of how justified you think you are, is not legal.
So. If you believe that abortion should be illegal, then take it up with your legislators and handle it properly.
Manly men
Does the fact that more men are concerned with abortion issues belie modern societies idea that men should not have control over women?
Or is it that they are now voluntarily owning up and willing to pay their child support?
Vietnam Protesters Support Baby Killing
For disciplinary spanking, and society is improving so much without it, we jail parents. For dealing in death half the country applauds. The choice is made at conception, except for those 2-8% of abortions which include rape, incest and health issues combined. Yes, 92-98% are done because someone gets inconvenienced. Like saying oh well to the hungry, we throw away our nation's babies like leftover doggy bags. Judgment finds all, karma returns to all and all who reap get what they sow (unless we cry out for forgiveness and change). A nation dealing in abortions for convenience is no better than ancients sacrificing babies to the fires of the Molech statues. The amazing thing is that there is even an argument in support of murder, oh "abortion." The gunman was wrong as well, so relax before you let one specific distract you from the entire message. BTW, since when can any of you, pro or con, speak as to what all anti-murderers, oh pro-lifers, believe in. That's ironic since you're defending a man who claimed Christianity, which conjures up images of "pro-lifers." The social justice promoters, who cried against baby killing 35+ years ago, now become baby killing's biggest supporters.
re: beetle-juice
"Maybe a future serial killer was saved by a pro-lifer. Have you ever given that any thought?"
Admittedly, I have not. You've started me wondering now though.
Hmmmm. Lets see . . . . wonder how many mindless Leftist automatons we wouldn't have screwing things up nowadays if it weren't for those nosy Pro-Lifers? Man, the crooked politicians we wouldn't have to suffer from! No gangsta rappers. Bye-bye neighbors with their constantly barking dogs. That rat who took me parking place . . .
So, who would decide which ones needed killin' way back when? (If ya got rid of all of 'em - then ya wouldn't have to worry about any bad ones coming along, eh?)
Note: for those who struggle with discerning satire in these posts
(& you know who you are!) pls be advised that is my intent.
Beam me up, Scotty
Is there a lamer argument than the one raised by the pro-abortion/eugenics crowd: "you pro-life hypocrites can't stand it when babies are terminated but most of you support capital punishment!" ?
I'll willingly stand before God & defend my support for ridding society of demented, premeditating, self-appointed executioner slimeballs who have consciously decided they will shorten someone else's time on earth & don't wanna live by society's rules.
To equate those kind of cockroaches (whom have also been tried & found guilty by a jury of their peers!) with innocent babes is rather barbarian in itself.
Maybe a future serial killer
Maybe a future serial killer was saved by a pro-lifer. Have you ever given that any thought?
As far as a doctor doing late term abortions that had nothing to do with a life or death situation, I find that reprehensible. Be that as it may, it is equally disturbing to think that once can play God or take the law into their own hands.
Look out
Would be interesting to be a fly on the wall when Tiller stands/stood before his Maker.
My posts on the dearly departed doctor...
I submitted three separate, articulate and well-written posts analyzing (and criticizing) this doctor's actions; all three were removed by the uber-censors of the Virginian Pilot! Needless to say, there is a strong, liberal bias on the staff of the local newspaper, and apparently they LIKED this doctor. Guess this post won't make it either...
as a pro lifer
i'am prolife, and feel little or no remorse for tiller,but the fact remains,he was murdered and the person who did it,now must pay.and i believe the same thing as others here. where are vigils for the millions of aborted babies in this world.abortion is for lazy,disconcered,ignorant,fools,for the most part in this country.which in this day in age,there are so many different types of birth control,that any individual who can not take a little time out of there pathetic lives to ensure some method of birth control,are as criminal as tiller was.but the fact remains abortion is legal,and the only thing as sensable people can do is teach there children and guide them through life,so god willing they will never be a victim for someone like tiller to exploit for profit.
Seriously?
http://aheartbreakingchoice.com/kansasstories.html
These are stories of women who needed Dr. Tiller's services.
These women were not "lazy,disconcered,ignorant,fools" - they were given the news that their child would not live much longer in utero, or out. These MEDICAL issues that were slowly killing the child that these parents wanted are to blame for the life lost, not Dr. Tiller. Dr. Tiller gave these parents the peace of mind that their child would no longer be in torment, or be forced to "live" on life-support after birth for days/weeks/months.
Shame on you for judging these people who want nothing more than to be parents. Shame on you for sitting with your nose held high as you judge, when you do not know.
FYI - late term abortions are upwards of $5,000, incredibly painful (both emotionally and physically), and in no way treated as a means of birth control.
A tragedy, and yet...
The cold and calculated murder of ANYone is a tragedy, and yet...Planned Parenthood doesn't seem to think he committed any murders by performing late-term abortions. HMMMmmmmm...Soo-o-o, over the course of his 'career' (what a testimony to his 'life's work'!) he purposefully destroyed over 60,000 tiny, helpless human beings, and Planned Parenthood wants you to believe that's OK; it's 'OK' to decide to terminate the life of an infant which, at 21 weeks or more, is viable and can live outside the womb. I'm real sorry this guy was murdered--clearly, that is a wrong. But where's the equal sorrow and consideration for the holocaust he perpetrated on 60,000 innocent victims because of this purported (from a previous Pilot article) 'passionate and generous' doctor??? I thought the Hippocratic Oath included the exhortation that a doctor should 'Do no harm'??? This 'passionate and generous' doctor literally sowed the seeds of his own destruction.
vigil?
"I would hope people in Virginia Beach will have a vigil for the millions of children who were killed by abortion, as they are the victims of state-sponsored extermination and widespread inhumane atrocities."
Please show us all the vigils held by the supposed pro-lifers for Sun Hudson, a living baby who was killed against the mother's wishes because he was an inconvenience to the state of Texas.
Where were the advocates in the supposed pro-live movement for him?