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40 Days for Life is an international organization that campaigns against abortion in more than 60 nations worldwide. ^[1] It was originally started in 2004 by members of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life in Texas . The name refers to a repeated pattern of events lasting for 40 days in the Bible, such as Noah’s Ark, Moses’s 40 days on Mount Sinai, and Jesus’s 40 days in the desert. ^{[2] [3]}

The 40 Days for Life campaign is active in the spring during the Christian season of Lent and in the fall. ^{[4] [5]} Campaigns are organized simultaneously in hundreds of cities in the United States and around the world, although not all campaign locations participate every time. ^{[6] [7]} Each campaign consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting in shifts outside of a clinic or hospital that performs abortions or which is an abortion referral center. ^[7] The campaign also involves outreach to the community to promote awareness about abortion and outreach directly to women considering abortion. ^[8] Participants are required to sign a “Statement of Peace” stating that they will act lawfully and peacefully while participating in the campaign. ^[9]

History [ edit ]

According to the Diocese of Sioux City , the initial 2004 local campaign was begun in reaction to the presence of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility which had opened in Bryan, Texas in 1998. ^{[3] [ better source needed ]} ProLife 365 says that four members of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life decided to start the prayer campaign 24 hours a day for 40 days with the goal of closing the facility, and credits this campaign for a rejuvenation of local anti-abortion activities in the Bryan-College Station area. ^[10]

According to The Zenit Project , in early 2007, the original 40 Days for Life leaders suggested a simultaneous nationwide 40 Days for Life campaign in as many cities as wished to participate. ^[11] According to Catholic Exchange, the first national campaign ran that fall with vigils in 89 cities in 33 U.S. states. ^[12] A second national campaign was added to run during the spring of each year, starting in Lent of 2008 with campaigns in 59 cities. ^{[6] [13]}

According to the Christian Post, the spring 2009 campaign had numerous U.S. and international cities participating, including Brisbane, Australia and cities in Canada, Northern Ireland, and the United States. ^[13] 40 Days for Life also began campaigning against clinics in Ireland prior to the 2018 constitutional amendment legalizing the procedure; such clinics gave information to women who were thinking of having an abortion in Britain, where abortion is widely legal. ^[1]

In 2013, the Bryan Planned Parenthood closed. ^[14] The building is now operated by 40 Days for Life. ^[15]

According to The Florida Catholic, as of the spring 2019 campaign, more than 1,000,000 people have participated in 61 countries across all six populated continents. ^[16] Lutherans for Life says that approximately 19,000 churches have participated in the 6,428 local campaigns that have been held since 40 Days for Life began. ^{[17] [18]} The US-based Christian Broadcasting Network reports that more than 16,000 confirmed instances where potential patients did not have a planned abortion. ^[19] Campaigns continue to be held in the spring and fall of each year. ^[4]

Opposition [ edit ]

An American Civil Liberties Union spokesperson called 40 Days for Life "the most dangerous threat to choice". ^[20] Abortion rights activists have reacted against 40 Days for Life with protests such as “40 Days of Choice”, among others. ^[21] They have pursued legal avenues such as buffer zones, especially in Canada and Europe, to prevent anti-abortion activists from approaching women or standing near abortion facilities. ^[22]

In the United Kingdom, the 40 Days for Life campaign has been described as an "American-style" protest. Abortion rights activists say that harassment of clinic patients in the United Kingdom is increasing due to the campaign; 40 Days for Life denies that the campaign promotes harassment. ^{[23] [24]} The British Pregnancy Advisory Service states that some abortion appointments cancelled during a 40 Days for Life campaign or similar protest are rescheduled after the protest. ^[24]

According to Holly Baxter, writing for the British publication The Guardian , the vigils' participants harass women and pregnant girls trying to access clinics by singing hymns, distributing rosaries, and distributing leaflets disguised as NHS literature, which are described by a Marie Stopes representative as "pseudo-medical" and "misleading". ^[25]

See also [ edit ]

• Anti-abortion organizations in the United States
• Choose Life license plates

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• Official website