Michele Herzog grieves her abortions at a pro-life memorial. (Photo by Carole Novielli)
The abortion lobby is relentlessly trying to put a happy face on the killing of children in the womb, this time using the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion. While the public persona of abortion on demand is empowerment and relief, many women who have experienced abortion express regret.
Such is the case of pro-life blogger and activist Michele Herzog, who refuses to “shout her abortions.” She wrote on her blog:
What I will shout about is how I was not a victim, that this very act was sinful, selfish, and an act of murder. Because of my utter rebellion and entering into a sinful lifestyle, little children lost their lives.
Herzog credits her “wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, for picking me up out of a deep pit of hell for the bloodshed I took part in.” When she saw the #ShoutYourAbortion campaign on social media, she was “so horrified I just had to say something.”
Herzog, who had multiple abortions in the past, told Live Action News that she regrets each one and cries over the missing seats at her dinner table each night. She also acknowledged the pain she feels, especially on Mother’s Day, when she recognizes that there are more children in her life than the ones she sees on earth, and she regrets robbing her other children of their siblings.
Despite the rhetoric claiming abortion is a simple choice, Herzog says each abortion affected her. “I didn’t want to live anymore,” she said. “A piece of me died the first time I left an abortion center….” She added, “Women know that there is a child growing inside a womb. The after-effects of abortion are truly destroying and devastating our society.”
After Herzog became a Christian, it still took two years for her to deal with her past abortions. She called it her “hidden secret,” admitting that she was too ashamed and afraid to let anyone know. But even though she was in pain, her pastor regularly preached loving but truthful messages about the evils of abortion.
“Each time, I would sneak out the back of the church. But what I did hear seeped into my heart, and each time God used it,” she said.
Herzog encourages pastors to not be afraid to speak the truth of abortion to their congregations. She said too often they fear the response from women who have had abortions. But Herzog noted that post-abortive women can be set free if they seek the Lord’s forgiveness and help.
via Michelle Herzog’s Facebook
Today, Michelle Herzog reaches out to women outside abortion centers, sharing with them the heartache that they may experience if they choose abortion. Her ministry has saved many lives and many parents from devastation.
Herzog believes those promoting abortion as something to shout about are in denial. She has instead dedicated her life to shout about God’s forgiveness and restoration in her life, and to shout about the personhood of preborn human beings.
“I will press forward and keep my eyes on the prize of seeing an end to this holocaust of abortion,” she wrote on her blog. “I will settle for nothing less.” She added:
I will always be thankful that HIS kindness led me to repentance. He washed me white as snow and I will never stop sharing HIM and HIS marvelous ways to a lost and dying world.
