Report from the National Life Summit

The inaugural National Life Summit was held in Sydney on the 30th November 2024.

I was fortunate to join Rose and 300 other attendees from across Australian at the sold-out event. Dr Joanna Howe, a University of Adelaide Professor of Law and mother of five, hosted the event with the purpose to encourage and equip young adults and health professionals to lead the charge against abortion up to birth. We heard inspiring talks from a range of advocates, politicians and community leaders. Rose and I then had the opportunity to split out into breakout sessions: I attended the session for general attendees and Rose joined a session for health professionals presented by Pro Life Health Professionals Australia (PLHP).

As a medical research scientist, I’ve attended many medical conferences over the years where like-minded healthcare professionals, researchers and advocates come together to advance knowledge about specific diseases and discuss new methods of improving out-comes. I still find it difficult to believe that this Summit, which was focussed on advancing the human rights of children in-utero and support for their mothers, does not align with mainstream beliefs or practice.

Here’s the sobering facts:

According to the World Health Organisation there are 73 million abortions each year worldwide.

In Australia abortion is legal until 22 weeks of gestation and full-term abortion may be practiced under specific circumstances.

Up to one in three Australian women will undergo an abortion in their lifetime.

“Surely we are better than the ancient culture of leaving unwanted babies born alive outside the city gates?” – Nick Goiran, Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council during his plenary address at the National Life Summit.

One couple shared their story of falling pregnant in their late teens prior to being married, and the social pressures that they felt to abort their baby; they did abort, and it rocked their entire life, both at the time and now also years later. They know their forgiveness is in Christ, but the hurt that followed has shaped the rest of their lives.

Fortunately, for every piece of sombre evidence presented throughout the day there was a story of hope and light to encourage and inspire. One couple shared their story of having been recommended to terminate their pregnancy for medical reasons. As Christians, they knew they could not terminate the pregnancy even though the child would die soon after birth… I have heard of people using compassion as an argument for abortion because it is better to relieve the current and future suffering of mother and child. However, a key message reiterated by this couple was that “the true meaning of compassion is to suffer alongside someone, not just to end or ignore the suffering”.

I was particularly heartened to hear from speakers who acknowledged the complexities around abortion and approached the issue with sensitivity and kindness. Some of us are called to make a loud and firm stand with evidence-based arguments designed to compel and convince. Others of us are called, not to provide effective arguments, but to provide compassionate care. All of us need to be equipped.

Finally here’s a few tips of what we can do:

• Follow Dr Joanna Howe on social media
• Build a relationship with your local and federal MP
• Actively support or sponsor pregnancy support centres
• Get educated by reading or listening to Dr Emma Wood’s short e-book.
• Put the 2025 Life Summit Dates in your diary – Saturday November 29th in BRISBANE CBD.

At last year’s conference they noted that after such a full turn out in 2024, they are hoping the 2025 conference will double in size! Being the only 2 Lutherans there (well that we were aware of), we would definitely encourage trying to get along. It’s certainly interesting to note that both at this event & other Life events, that the highest proportion of participants seem to be from either Catholic or Orthodox traditions.

Everyone has a circle of concern. Everyone has a smaller circle of influence. We can all use that circle to become the generation that makes abortion unthinkabZle.