Youth Sidewalk Counseling Day This Saturday

Students for Life of America has designated this Saturday, August 6th, as National Pro-Life Generation Sidewalk Day. The majority of abortion customers are women in their twenties. We need their peers to be on the abortion facility sidewalks, offering alternatives.

That’s not to say that older sidewalk counselors are a problem; quite the opposite. Obviously, older counselors may have more experience. And many potential abortion customers respond well to advice from a wise, grandmotherly type. But it takes all kinds.

Equal Rights Institute recently published an excellent article highlighting the need for male sidewalk counselors to converse with the men who give rides to the abortion facility. They pointed out that speaking with someone of the same sex in a time of crisis offers “a sense of ease, as if our subconscious is saying, ‘This person knows what I am going through.'” Speaking with a person of the same age could offer similar benefits.

In the same vein, we desperately need secular sidewalk counselors to give atheist and agnostic women the opportunity to speak with someone of a similar faith background. A Christian message won’t reach the 38% of abortion customers who are religiously unaffiliated.

The National Pro-Life Generation Sidewalk Day event “do’s and don’ts” lists evangelism as a don’t. Whatever you believe about god, the moment a baby’s life is at risk is not the time to share it. They do, however, recommend praying silently for spiritual guidance. No skin off my nose, and if that has the benefit of making religious sidewalk counselors feel calmer or more confident, great. We secular folks are free to just do our own thing, or to meditate.

There will be a free training webinar on Thursday, August 4 to prepare new sidewalk counselors for Saturday. Sign up here.