Was Paulette Harlow Jailed For Silently Praying?
I have seen some recent claims by some Christians that pro-life activist, Paulette Harlow was arrested simply silently praying across the street from an abortion clinic. We are meant to be outraged that this 75 year old woman would be sent to jail and we are meant to see this as a sign of the increasing limitation of the practice of Christianity.
Except this claim is not true.
I understand that the story of an elderly lady who is jailed for praying is a compelling story. There is a narrative that the government (in the United Staes and Canada) are actively trying to persecute Christians. There is also the narrative of the culture war between conservatives and liberals.
There are those who would want this to be true because it supports the narrative that so many are building their activities on. But wanting does not make it true.
How do I know it is not true?
You can read the report from the Department of Justice here. I would like to highlight this specific statement:
Evidence presented at trial established that the defendants used force and physical obstruction to execute a clinic blockade.
Now you might want to say that they did the right thing to create a physical obstruction to the clinic because abortion is evil. That may be so. But those who break the law, even for the best reasons, should be prepared to face the consequences.
If you are still not convinced, I would point you to this article from Reuters. Specifically this statement:
Harlow’s attorney Allen Orenberg said in an email that the reference to Harlow praying is “not accurate” and that “the DOJ press release is correct.”
Why am I debunking this? Does this mean I am pro-abortion?
I am actually very pro-life and it is because I am pro-life that I need to debunk these claims. When we pass on false information, even if they are consistent with what we think is actually happening around the nation, we actually weaken the pro-life movement. It tells people that we are willing to bypass the truth for our own agenda.
As a Christian, I am convinced that we must always stay on the side of truth. Too often, Christians neglect to do their homework because the headline is helpful for their side of the culture war. We need to do better.
Paulette Harlow was not jailed for praying across the street from an abortion clinic. She was jailed for creating an obstruction at an abortion clinic. I do not criticize her for acting on her convictions, but I do call out those who pass on false information.
