Praying outside Marie Stopes Clinic

I work near one.

Every day, there are a few people holding rosary beads and clutching a bible, while mumbling.

Who, or what are they praying for?

Do they also pray outside the military enlisting offices? ICUs? I’ve been to ICU a few times, but I’ve never seen them outside one.

anti-abortionists?

I said a silent prayer before going into a Marie Stopes clinic, but that was another thing.

I assume they are Christians against abortion and are praying for the unborn lives being terminated.

You could always ask them, I suspect they’d be delighted to tell you what they’re doing there.

They are praying for all the souls going to hell.

Regardless of your belief in the power of prayer, i’m pretty sure that location is irrelevant.

Surely they’d be equally effective if they were sat praying in Starbucks or the pub?

Only thing worth praying for in Starbucks is better coffee

Only thing worth praying for in Starbucks is better coffee

On a completely unrelated note, am I the only one who insists to the staff in Starbucks that my name is Costa so they need to write it on the cup.

I’m not even Greek.

Isn’t it rude to interrupt people in prayer?

Probably ruder for those standing outside an abortion clinic to force beliefs and judge others, TBH…

DrP

Morons, It is not a back and white issue, there are conditions which are diagnosed in-utero which can lead to a short but painful life if carried to term. Which is better no suffering or a short but painful life having been carried to term by a mother aware that her child will have a short but painful life? dicks.

Tell em to move to Utah and all their dreams will come true..

dicks

I’m not sure that assuming they’re dicks is altogether fair if all they’re doing is praying outside on the street. And just because they’re praying doesn’t mean that they all see abortion as a black and white issue.

I would agree if they were acting inappropriately by in any way harassing or distressing anyone, but beyond that I think you might be being a bit harsh.

Not much Googling gets you the answer[/url]

While we can’t assume what they think about abortion, I’ve always thought that prayer was a private thing. As perchypanther has already pointed out, you could pray for unborn children at home or in church or on top of a hill. Doing it right outside an abortion clinic could be interpreted more as a political rather than prayerful message which is a bit disingenuous, I feel.

its intended to intimidate.
they used to hold demos but this got banned so now its prayer meetings

its intended to intimidate.
they used to hold demos but this got banned so now its prayer meetings

This ^
Just a low-key version of the Westboro Baptist Church, without the provoking people to violence so they can be sued.

Yay! Another religion bashing thread.

awesumz.

I’ve been to ICU a few times, but I’ve never seen them outside one.

Not sure prayer can help on ITU, unlike noradrenaline.

Do they just stand there praying out loud? Each to their own, but that just strikes me as slightly demented. I think it was Bill Hicks who said “if you’re so pro life, go and pray outside a cemetery” and I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment.

I don’t hang around churches telling them how stupid believing in a Sky man is. I doubt they would like it if I did either.

neal – when they do reprehensible things they deserve it and a campaign of intimidation outside abortion clinics is reprehensible

telling them how stupid believing in a Sky man is

😀 😀 😀

And we’re off!

sad people trying to enforce their ignorance on others

I didnt notice any when I went in to get my tubes tied b4 xmas

after all….

Well said tj.

It’s these sort of people that give religion a bad name. I’m not religious, but have nothing against people believing whatever they want to believe. What I don’t like is people using their beliefs in an attempt to intimidate or undermine others.

Somebody above described them as dicks. What they are doing is really dickish, so yes they are dicks. Same as I’d be a dick if I spent my Sunday’s outside the local church clutching a copy of the God Delusion and muttering about the ludicrous nature of religion.

when they do reprehensible things they deserve it and a campaign of intimidation outside abortion clinics at legally operating hunts is reprehensible

when they do reprehensible things they deserve it and a campaign of intimidation outside abortion clinics a political party conference reprehensible

Does it only apply to certain a certain category of “campaign of intimidation”?

Praying certainly seems less reprehensible than spitting at, punching, ripping shit up and wearing balaclavas.

telling them how stupid believing in a Sky man is

Could be worse, could be a Sky woman. People believing in Kay Burley need help.

(I’ll fetch my coat 😀 )

Nope. Hunts are breaking the law continuously thus are fair targets. they also regularly attack hunt sabs. Poor example. You could put it as protesting outside military bases as a better equivalent but even then its not as you are not intimidating people in a fragile state of mind

Religion is like a penis. Its fine to have one or not have one. Its fine to be proud of it and to enjoy it. Its not acceptable to attempt to stuff it down the throat of everyone you meet

breaking the law continuously

Hyperbolic rubbish is Hyperbolic.

Religion is like a penis. Its fine to have one or not have one. Its fine to be proud of it and to enjoy it. Its not acceptable to attempt to stuff it down the throat of everyone you meet

Or to get it out in public and wave it around 🙂

when they do reprehensible things they deserve it and a campaign of intimidation outside abortion clinics at legally operating hunts is reprehensible

when they do reprehensible things they deserve it and a campaign of intimidation outside abortion clinics a political party conference reprehensible

Does it only apply to certain a certain category of “campaign of intimidation”?
Praying certainly seems less reprehensible than spitting at, punching, ripping shit up and wearing balaclavas.

Sorry man but you are a mile away from a decent analogy here.

To suggest that women having abortions are legitimate targets for protest is mind-boggling.

While we can’t assume what they think about abortion

I think we can

Praying certainly seems less reprehensible than spitting at, punching, ripping shit up and wearing balaclavas.

those boarding day years were tough werent they.

TBH I think they have the right to protest the problem is they often stray into just abusing people at a very difficult time and this means that their right to protest has to be slightly curtailed as it will cause GENUINE distress

Very few folk will see abortion as a clear cut black and white issue

CFH – there is no doubt at all the vast majority of hunts break the law deliberatly and continuously and the hunt sabs have a good record of exposing them. From assaults on sabs to cubbing to killing foxes with a pack of hounds to allowing their hounds on land they have no right to be on to hounds attacking family pets.

want chapter and verse?

I’ll tell you what – you name a hunt and I bet I find good evidence of illegal activity ( you will probably find one that doesn’t break the law 😉 – there must be some)

I think they have the right to protest the problem is they often stray into just abusing people at a very difficult time and this means that their right to protest has to be slightly curtailed as it will cause GENUINE distress

Very few folk will see abortion as a clear cut black and white issue

Yep, that’s about it. If it’s just prayers, as per the OP, I fail to see the problem.

those boarding day years were tough werent they.

And just when I was agreeing with you, you have to say something pointlessly shit. 😐

Ok, Devil’s advocate time.

If you really really believed that babies were being murdered somewhere, wouldn’t you want to do anything you could to try and stop it?

CFH – you may fail to see the problem but many of us can see it. Prayer is inherently offensive to some hence it should be a private affair not public and the only intention here is to intimidate and upset people. If the prayer is to save the lives of the fetuses then it does not have to be outside the clinic does it – god listens everywhere

Only thing worth praying for in Starbucks is better coffee

That’s going to need a miracle, not just prayer.

And just when I was agreeing with you, you have to say something pointlessly shit.

it was meant in humour [apologies] but you did bring up hunting in a debate about abortion which i would also consider a pointless sidebar

Fair enough, Junky! 🙂

TJ, if we stopped doing everything that’s “offensive to some” we’d never leave the house. On the scale of offensive, someone praying is hardly offensive. It’s just a way of expressing a point of view. As before, stepping beyond prayer is where it becomes a problem, but prayer per se isn’t.

I find brown shoes with a suit offensive. Should we ban that?

Reductio ad absurdum, but the point is, where do we stop stopping things?

Or to get it out in public and wave it around

Yes keep it tucked away and play with it on your own or like minded folk.