Pro-life response

This morning I talked with Tim Durham, director of Family Life Services. Here is a story based on that interview.

Tim Durham, of Family Life Services in Arkansas City, was shocked when he heard that George Tiller had been killed in Wichita Sunday.
"I was in a church when I heard about it. That was not something we wanted to hear," he said Monday.
As a pro-life group, he was opposed to the late-term abortions performed by Tiller. Even so, he was hoping there would be a different outcome.
Durham noted that some abortion providers have changed sides and stopped doing abortions. He said he hoped Tiller would see the light in that area, but he never wished that Tiller would be killed.
"We are in the business of preserving live," Durham said. He added that his organization is too busy helping people to get involved in any kind of violent protest.
Family Life Services is a pro-life organization, but Durham sees it more as a service organization than an activist group.
"We are a 5013-c organization. We are not allowed to be involved in politics," he said.
Family Life Services spends most of its time helping pregnant women with things like health care and prenatal care.
"We all want health babies," Durham said.
He said both he and his organization condemns any sort of violent protest.
He said he did not know what the thought process was of the man who shot Tiller, but he said his actions were clearly misguided.
Durham hopes the shooting will not result in a backlash against service organizations such as Family Life Services.
Durham said he hopes people will start talking more about abortion as a result of Sunday's shooting.
"Abortion is one of those issues people just do not want to talk about. It is uncomfortable, so they don't," he said.
His group does focus on helping women, but it is also opposed to abortion.
He said abortion is a complex issue, and he said he would rather er on the side of life, instead of having abortions.
His organization tries to find alternatives for pregnant women who may be considering an abortion.
Tiller was one of the few who provided late-term abortions. These are abortions where the baby could survive outside the womb.
Durham noted that in some states people can be charged with two counts of murder if they kill a pregnant woman. But that same woman could have the fetus killed and it would be called choice.
"We have that incongruency in our culture, and that is what no one wants to talk about," he said.
Durham said some people see abortion as a necessary evil, but "in my world view, I say, if it is evil, why is it necessary."