I'm sorry, but I think this poster is so cold and ugly. I get the message - but it's ugly: for Christmas and for pro-life purposes.
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The poster is part of a 'put Christ back in Christmas' campaign in the UK, but the image is obviously being promoted elsewhere as a pro-life image as well. People are free to do as they wish of course, I just don't like it - it looks like a bad Easter Seal stamp to me. I know a lot of Catholics think it is an effective image. Perhaps for them. For me, the most effective pro-life images I have ever seen were photos of the remains of aborted babies at various stages of development, laid out on a towel. Unfortunately, many people feel such images are offensive and much too disturbing.
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Anyway, a good alternative image to the ultra-sound facsimile? An icon of Our Lady of the Sign - the image says it all and so much more. It is pure and modest and holy, and represents sound theology and devotion. That said - regular ultra-sound images of any baby in the womb ought to be enough to convince people that life begins at conception.
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Ultra-sound image source.
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Icon: Our Lady of the Sign
I agree with you, Terry. I found the ultra-sound image oddly gimmick-y. I worry that people will soon be sporting this on tee shirts.
ReplyDeleteThe tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe always hits the mark for me.
"Our Lady of the Sign" is a lovely icon, and makes the point in a good way.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about the ultra-sound image. It just is a little weird. But I think it is more effective than the gory images. Sometimes people are so repelled by those that they turn away without really thinking about the implications.
The first time new mothers (and fathers) get to see their babies are in images such as this, and therefore I would guess that moms and dads would not be horrified or find it distasteful, but have memories evoked of a happy time. I know I did, when I saw a poster at Mass. I also thought about if Jesus were entering history at this point, He too, would have a scan photo, it made me feel close to Him, as an unborn infant, something I had never thought about before. His vulnerability in the womb.
ReplyDeleteI can see how perhaps not everyone would get this identification ofcourse.
I think my problem with it is its cartoon quality--with the drawn halo.
ReplyDeleteI mean, thank goodness there's no "smiley face" also.(Shudder.)
I quite like it :)
ReplyDeleteI don't like it either Terry..I find it a bit weird,,
ReplyDeleteI think it's cute. Reminds me of the ultrasounds of my nieces and how we would stare at them and wonder what they would look like when they were finally born.
ReplyDeleteI love the Icon, but believe it's real meaning is probably lost on a lot of people. I think the ultra-sound image is quite effective; more so than the photos of real aborted fetuses. I agree with Melody, that most people simply turn away when confronted with the real images. But they may start thinking about the reality of conception and abortion, if they see more images of ultra-sounds.
ReplyDeleteRats!
ReplyDeleteJulie beat me to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Good on you, Julie.
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