“This was the greatest mistake of my life.”
– Dr. Bernard Nathanson, “The Abortion King”
There is good news from the pro-life frontline: the movement continues to gain ground with abortion facilities closing across the nation, as shown by a recent report from Operation Rescue. Yet there is deeper good news, still. God is on the move, often working deep in the hearts of those who oppose Him most.
Here we remind the pro-life movement of three prominent abortionists who converted to become pro-life advocates. Like the conversion story of the Apostle Paul, we know that God can redeem even the most hardened of hearts. We encourage you to pray fervently for anyone in your life who is pro-abortion – that God would show them the light and soften their hearts toward the unborn. We know how beautiful the choice to protect life is – and how it changes world history and the lives of many people.
Dr. Forrest Smith
Kansas obstetrician Dr. Forrest Smith is “the longest practicing, most highly experienced abortion doctor in America.” He delivered thousands of babies throughout his 54-year career, but he also aborted thousands of viable babies. In a complete 180 that shocked the abortion industry, Dr. Smith publicly urged voters to choose life ahead of the 2024 General Election, when 10 states had abortion on the ballot. Since his conversion to Christ, he now believes it is possible to respect the autonomy of women while also saving the lives of innocent babies. He recently stated: “There is no need to kill viable babies.”
“For decades, we protested outside of Dr. Smith’s clinics, fighting against what we saw as a terrible injustice,” President of Operation Rescue Troy Newman shared. “Now, to call him a friend and ally in the fight to protect the unborn is a remarkable moment. His decision to stand with us and speak out for life shows how powerful truth can be. Together, we now work to save the very lives we once stood on opposite sides over.”
Dr. Bernard Nathanson
Dr. Bernard Nathanson, an abortionist who passed away in 2012, shares a similarly miraculous conversion story. Nathanson was known as “The Abortion King” and estimated that he performed about 5,000 abortions, oversaw 60,000 as director of a New York abortion clinic, and instructed fellow doctors in performing 15,000 more. He was a founding member of the pro-abortion group NARAL. He abruptly stopped performing abortions in 1970 after realizing the truth and began lecturing about the evils of abortion.
He later produced a 28-minute film titled “The Silent Scream” detailing the horrifying abortion of a 12-week-old fetus. In 1994, he shared at a Human Life International conference that he “was standing on the brink of conversion to the Catholic Church,” and hoped that God could forgive him for what he had done. Jeanne Head, who represents the National Right to Life Committee at the United Nations, noted that Nathanson “was probably one of the individuals most responsible for Roe v. Wade and, once he realized his error, he dedicated the rest of his life to reversing it.”
Dr. Anthony Levatino
Dr. Anthony Levatino is another abortionist turned pro-life advocate. He personally performed more than 1,200 abortions. After wrestling with the violent reality of abortion then experiencing the sudden death of his own child, he realized just how precious life is and the horror of killing an innocent human in the womb. He stopped performing abortions in 1985 and has since testified before Congress and been a vocal advocate for the pro-life movement, partnering with Live Action to create an informational campaign about the reality of abortion. He states:
One day, after completing one of those abortions, I looked at the remains of a preborn child whose life I had ended, and all I could see was someone’s son or daughter. I came to realize that killing a baby at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason, is wrong. I want you to know today, no matter where you’re at or what you’ve done, you can change. Make a decision today to protect the preborn.
Praise God for these remarkable conversions. No one is too far gone for Christ. We encourage you to pray for any friends, family members, and co-workers who may be pro-abortion. Our communities are changed one person at a time.
If this is a topic you’re passionate about, please consider joining our team of DEFENDERS to advocate for your values in the public square and beyond. You can learn more about FPIW’s stance on abortion in our Issues Booklet, which can be found here.
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Join us! Please sign up to become a DEFENDER today. If you’re interested in exploring the topic of life in more depth and equipping yourself with logical arguments, we encourage you to download our free booklets. Read more in our educational booklet Pro-Life Logic: Tyranny, or Murder?
