Fifty Years - Abortion History with Dr. Bernard Nathanson

Terry Beatley is founder and president of Hosea Initiative, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to fulfilling a pledge she made to the co-founder of NARAL, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, after his conversion to the pro-life cause. Author of "What If We've Been Wrong?" Keeping my promise to America's "Abortion King", Terry, a home school mom, travels the nation keeping her promise, and is working on a feature film about Dr. Nathanson's legacy -- from death to life to life in Christ. In Terry Beatley's words:

In a 2009 interview, I promised Dr. Bernard Nathanson that I would equip Americans -- including pastors and legislators -- with truth about the 8 point propaganda strategy he used to deceive America into believing abortion is "women's healthcare." After witnessing an abortion in real time with an early sonogram machine, Dr. Nathanson, instantly reversed his position on abortion and became a leading advocate for life. (In 1984, Nathanson produced a short video documenting an abortion via sonogram that shook America -- The Silent Scream. (Warning -- NOT FOR CHILDREN).

In my Manhattan interview, Dr. Nathanson, then 83 years old and terminally ill, confided in me the tactics he used to deceive America into believing that abortion is "women's healthcare." Known as America's "Abortion King," he was the surviving co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). But Dr. Nathanson deeply regretted unleashing the "abortion monster" onto our nation. He instructed me to teach America the eight points of propaganda he used to promote abortion. He was thrilled by the possibility of his personal parting message being delivered. He was deeply encouraged by the hope that the truth would one day be preached from pulpits everywhere; that pastors who recognized the intrinsic evil of abortion would put an end to the shedding of innocent blood by boldly defending God's gift of life. That day I promised him that I would teach America both his eight-point strategy and his message of love. Dr. Nathanson died on February 21, 2011, desperately wanting Americans to be liberated from his lies and to respond to his personal parting message.

First, Dr. Nathanson admitted what [he and NARAL] knew to be true -- that abortion kills an existing human being. Therefore, they framed the debate around "choice." This approach would pivot from advocating for legal homicide, knowing "it" was a baby and "it" was not the mother's body. (Dr. Nathanson's statement to South Dakotans; NYT: Fetal Tissue Gray Zone)

Second, Dr. Nathanson, with the help of a public relations firm, invented many slogans reflecting the messaging "My body, My choice." Such slogans focused solely on the woman, completely ignoring and dehumanizing the unborn child. (Bernard N. Nathanson, Aborting America, Doubleday & Company, 1979, p. 171).

Third, Dr. Nathanson used the media which nursed on every word he spoke. His authority grew as he became personally responsible for the death of 75,000 babies. (Bernard N. Nathanson, M.D., The Abortion Papers, Frederick Fell Publishers, 1983, p. 7-109).

Fourth, Dr. Nathanson divulged that he spun the numbers. In other words, NARAL lied to the public. "We aroused enough sympathy to sell our program of permissive abortion by fabricating the number of illegal abortions done annually in the U.S. The actual figure was approaching 100,000 but the figure given to the media was 1,000,000. The big lie, repeated often enough, convinced the public. The number of women dying from illegal abortions was around 200--250 annually. The figure constantly fed to the media was 10,000." (David Kupelian's Jan 2019, WND Interview with Dr. Nathanson)

Fifth, Dr. Nathanson admitted to using false polling numbers and quoting them to the media. He told them that 60% of Americans wanted abortion-on-demand legalized -- a number he "pulled it out of thin air" knowing that he needed to quote above 50% in order to sway public opinion. According to his book, The Abortion Papers, the real statistic was 1/2 of one percent of Americans wanted legalized abortion. (Bernard N. Nathanson, M.D., The Abortion Papers: Inside the Abortion Mentality, Frederick Fell Publishers, 1983)

Sixth, He repeated the lies in the media, knowing that if they were repeated often enough, they would begin to sound like the truth. It worked. (Ibid. p. 7-109)

Seventh, Dr. Nathanson justified his demand by claiming that women who want abortions would procure them whether they were legal or not. He ignored the fact that as soon as anything is legalized, demand for that product or service normally increases. After Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion spiked ten-fold from under 100,000 to well over 1,000,000 per year and has hovered there ever since. (Terry Beatley, What If We've Been Wrong: Keeping my promise to America's "Abortion King", Guiding Light Books, 2016)

Eighth, Dr. Nathanson named this point "The Catholic Strategy." NARAL knew that in order to secure and sustain an abortion law victory in New York, a significant portion of Catholic voters would have to be persuaded to support pro-abortion candidates. Because of the nearly 1,900-year-old magisterium declaring abortion to be an intrinsic evil, NARAL was faced with a problem -- How to convince enough Catholics to support abortion -- politically. They needed a plan. (Bernard N. Nathanson, M.D., The Abortion Papers: Inside the Abortion Mentality, Frederick Fell Publishers, 1983, p. 179)

Dr. Nathanson and Lawrence Lader devised four tactics known as "The Catholic Strategy." These tactics aimed to shift Catholic voters to support pro-abortion candidates by:

First, Blaming the Pope, bishops and priests anytime a woman died due to complications of an illegal abortion,

Second, Emphasizing Catholic politicians who were softening their position against abortion,

Third, Supporting Catholic candidates who were in favor of decriminalizing abortion, and

Fourth, Implementing the "Catholic Straddle" which persuaded Catholics, politicians and voters that they remain "personally" against abortion, but vote with the idea that every woman deserves the right the choose [to abort her baby] and make this decision with her doctor... fathers excluded. (Bernard N. Nathanson, M.D., The Abortion Papers: Inside the Abortion Mentality, Frederick Fell Publishers, 1983, p. 179). This is how and why over 60 million babies had been slaughtered on the altar of "choice" and often their body parts sold on the secondary market in the name of "research." (60 Million Abortions as of 2018; Abortion Tissue Trade)

On January 22, 1975, on the second anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Dr. Nathanson resigned from NARAL stating in his never-seen-before resignation letter, "...And what if we've been wrong? -- if the Court should soon reverse itself on the abortion issue in the light of changing times and/or new scientific evidence? What an incalculable injustice will have been perpetrated. What an immeasurable irretrievable loss will have been suffered. The annual dues of NARAL are ten dollars and the hubris of certainty. Regretfully, I can no longer afford those dues. Sincerely, Bernard N. Nathanson, M.D." (See video interview with Terry Beatley; see What If We've Been Wrong? Keeping My Promise to America's "Abortion King")

Bernard Nathanson Converted to Roman Catholicism -- The Catholics were faithful to call abortion a serious sin, call men and women to repentance, and pray and advocate for the lives of unborn before most Protestants. Nathanson came to grips with his sin. Key leaders in the pro-life movement prior to and after Roe v. Wade were motivated by their Catholic faith (with exceptions, of course). Protestants were slow to come to the active defense of the unborn. Now Catholics and evangelicals are working together and supporting one another in the war for the life of the unborn. But far too many pastors, Catholic and Protestant, fail to lead by preaching, teaching, and motivating their congregations to be active in supporting the cause of life. Yet it is extremely important that churches and believers not only assent to the belief that abortion is wrong and that the God-given sanctity of human life must be honored and the lives of the unborn preserved, but to put our faith into action in the cause of life, in our prayer lives, our caring service, our financial giving and in our advocating for and voting for serious pro-life candidates for elected office.

The sanctity of human life, and the sinfulness and evil of the shedding of innocent blood are highlighted throughout Scripture. In our repenting of our sins between now and the National Day of Prayer, the Call2Fall, and the National Solemn Assembly (the Return) planned for September, we must take into account our shared national sin of abortion -- whether we have been involved or not.

"Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?" Proverbs 24:11-12

We who pray must be front and center in paving the way for the advance of life, both nationally and in the states. We must also act on our stewardship responsibility to vote in the local and state elections, in the primary and general elections, and in the elections for Congress (every seat in the U.S House of Representatives, one third of the Senate seats, and the White House are in contention this year).

Dear friends,

Dr. Bernard Nathanson, the "Abortion King," admitted after committing 75,000 abortions that the entire movement of which he was a major leader was a lie, born of the father of lies. Scripture teaches that God is not mocked -- whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. The same applies to entities and nations. This year is a decision year. May Americans flee from the sins that have brought consequences to our land.

Our nation's moral foundations were built upon biblical truths. Yet we have been abandoned truth and the moral and spiritual foundations upon which our nation was built, piecemeal throughout our lifetimes. But before that we were already abandoning our relationship with God -- the God of the Bible. This is our year to return to Him.

Please study the book of Joel this week. In it we see the nation of Israel nearly destroyed by a plague. But when plainly challenged by God via the Prophet Joel, the people responded and self-consciously repented and returned to God. They were not only received and saved but experienced spiritual reformation and a restoration of national prosperity. Moreover, God promises to pour out His Spirit on "all flesh" promising that their sons and daughters would become ministers of His word -- amazing promises that clearly extend to future generations -- if we will follow their example.