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Time for NZ to Ask the Hard Questions on Abortion

Time for NZ to Ask the Hard Questions on Abortion

ProLife NZ is launching a nationwide campaign today to encourage New Zealanders to ask the hard questions on abortion. Over 10000 pamphlets have been delivered to lecture desks across the nations universities today as part of a major campaign called ‘Just Think’.

ProLife NZ spokesperson Mary-Anne Evers says abortion is a debate which is often considered taboo, but which has some important ethical and moral questions which must be asked, and she hopes this campaign will help to create a more honest dialogue in New Zealand on abortion.

“Questions such as whether abortion is morally and ethically permissible in the cases of rape or incest, or whether a women should be able to abort a disabled child are just some of the tough questions this campaign is asking people to consider” says Ms Evers.

“We don’t apologise for the fact that this campaign will be controversial, of course it will be. Abortion is a highly politicised and emotional subject, however that is not an excuse to ignore some of the central ethical questions which must be considered.”

“Too often the abortion discussion is silenced by slogans and cliches that don’t have a lot of basis in science or sound logical thinking. Our hope is that people engaging with this campaign will move beyond such a simplistic approach, and instead think more rationally and critically about the question of whether abortion is truly ethical or not.”

“We are quite honest in our perspective, and we know that there are other perspectives which must also be brought forward as part of this dialogue and look forward to the debate on the subject which we are promoting on university campuses across New Zealand.”

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“Universities are the place where the big issues and ideas should be debated and challenged. No society ever benefits from stifling, or refusing to engage in open and honest dialogue about important ethical issues, and with almost 15,000 abortions taking place in this country in 2012 the abortion debate remains more pressing than ever” says Ms Evers.

ProLife NZ has launched the campaign on five university campuses across New Zealand in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Palmerston North. Campaign material is available at our website http://justthink.co.nz.

ENDS

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