Life Chain
Encyclopedia
The Life Chain is a pro-life social movement organization, one of the largest in the country. It was started in 1987 in Yuba City
and Marysville
by a small California-based pro-life ministry called Please Let Me Live. Every first Sunday of October, Life Chain invites various churches and congregations across the United States to stand on designated sidewalks to pray and rally for one hour.
Please Let Me Live stresses the importance of being active citizens and becoming politically involved in the fight against abortion. However, they also stress the importance of separating those politics from the Life Chain, which would, according to the Life Chain Coordinator's Manual, weaken their emphasis on prayer, lead to disunity within their ranks, and sharpen the media's attacks against them.
"A foundational goal of the Life Chain is to unite all Christian clergy and Christian laity". Thus, another important goal is to unite all pro-life organizations in the promotion of National Life Chain Sunday, held annually on the first Sunday in October.
In 1989, Life Chain grew, seeing more demonstrations take place in Riverside
and Southern California
, with 6000 and 7500 participants, respectively.
By 1990, Life Chain had broadened its repertoire of propaganda to include prayer vigils, full-page advertisements, billboard campaigns, and comprehensive door-to-door distribution of pro-life literature. That year, their level of participation grew enormously, seeing 17,000 in Orange County
, 10,000 in Fresno
, 20,000 in San Diego, and 16,500 in Sacramento
.
National Life Chain Sunday '91 saw 373 chains across the United States, with an overall participation of 771,000 people. Each year, these number grew larger; National Life Chain Sunday '92 attracted more than 800 cities and towns across the nation with 975,000 participants. That same year, Canada had its own series of Life Chains, which included 97 Chains and 80,000 participants. National Life Chain Sunday '93 saw over 900 Chains in the United States and Canada, but attendance taking was discontinued "due to the excessive preoccupation with numbers and a lack of emphasis on prayer."
and French
.
during which 1200 abortion opponents formed a "vast, sparse human cross." This relatively small number of pro-lifers was met with an opposing Pro-Choice
demonstration, consisting of 4000 abortion-rights marchers who rallied down the streets and "engulfed them in a roar of chants, shouts, and anger." Despite the large numbers of police and activists from both sides, no injuries were reported and only three people were taken in to custody for disorderly conduct. After the streets settled down, both sides were quick to claim victory; the abortion-rights group saw success in its superior numbers, while the anti-abortion group saw success in its superior morality in the face of an overwhelming opposition.
Yuba City, California
Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....
and Marysville
Marysville, California
Marysville is the county seat of Yuba County, California, United States. The population was 12,072 at the 2010 census, down from 12,268 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area, often referred to as the Yuba-Sutter Area after the two counties, Yuba and...
by a small California-based pro-life ministry called Please Let Me Live. Every first Sunday of October, Life Chain invites various churches and congregations across the United States to stand on designated sidewalks to pray and rally for one hour.
Beliefs and Goals
Followers of Please Let Me Live and the active participants of the Life Chain believe that "the abortion battle is first and foremost a spiritual one and that the solution rests chiefly with the Church". Furthermore, they believe that they have the power necessary to "end the killing," but until recently had yet to find the will to do so. This power, and the overall victory over abortion, lies in church ministers and pastors; the nation's "most vital leaders."Please Let Me Live stresses the importance of being active citizens and becoming politically involved in the fight against abortion. However, they also stress the importance of separating those politics from the Life Chain, which would, according to the Life Chain Coordinator's Manual, weaken their emphasis on prayer, lead to disunity within their ranks, and sharpen the media's attacks against them.
"A foundational goal of the Life Chain is to unite all Christian clergy and Christian laity". Thus, another important goal is to unite all pro-life organizations in the promotion of National Life Chain Sunday, held annually on the first Sunday in October.
History
Life Chain saw its beginning in 1987, when 2000 pro-life activists rallied on the sidewalks of Yuba City and Marysville, California, praying, and holding an assortment of pro-life and anti-abortion signs.In 1989, Life Chain grew, seeing more demonstrations take place in Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
and Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, with 6000 and 7500 participants, respectively.
By 1990, Life Chain had broadened its repertoire of propaganda to include prayer vigils, full-page advertisements, billboard campaigns, and comprehensive door-to-door distribution of pro-life literature. That year, their level of participation grew enormously, seeing 17,000 in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, 10,000 in Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, 20,000 in San Diego, and 16,500 in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
National Life Chain Sunday '91 saw 373 chains across the United States, with an overall participation of 771,000 people. Each year, these number grew larger; National Life Chain Sunday '92 attracted more than 800 cities and towns across the nation with 975,000 participants. That same year, Canada had its own series of Life Chains, which included 97 Chains and 80,000 participants. National Life Chain Sunday '93 saw over 900 Chains in the United States and Canada, but attendance taking was discontinued "due to the excessive preoccupation with numbers and a lack of emphasis on prayer."
Signage
Historically, the most often-used message has been "Abortion Kills Children" in blue text on a white background. Recently, several other signs have been produced for demonstrators, some of which have been translated into SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
- Jesus Forgives and Heals
- Adoption: The Loving Option
- Lord, Forgive Us and Our Nation
- Abortion Hurts Women
- Pray to End Abortion
- Life: The First Inalienable Right
Backlash
In September of 1991, Life Chain activists formed a demonstration in Manhattan, New York CityManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
during which 1200 abortion opponents formed a "vast, sparse human cross." This relatively small number of pro-lifers was met with an opposing Pro-Choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
demonstration, consisting of 4000 abortion-rights marchers who rallied down the streets and "engulfed them in a roar of chants, shouts, and anger." Despite the large numbers of police and activists from both sides, no injuries were reported and only three people were taken in to custody for disorderly conduct. After the streets settled down, both sides were quick to claim victory; the abortion-rights group saw success in its superior numbers, while the anti-abortion group saw success in its superior morality in the face of an overwhelming opposition.