New Jersey Church Replaces Pro-Life Signs Defaced in Pro-Abortion Vandalism

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 5, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

New Jersey Church Replaces Pro-Life Signs Defaced in Pro-Abortion Vandalism

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 5
, 2009

Milltown, NJ (LifeNews.com) — A New Jersey Catholic church has replaced the large pro-life signs that adorn a grassy area in front of the church building. The pro-life sign in a lot across from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in the central part of the state was defaced by pro-abortion vandals in December.

As LifeNews.com reported then, the sign read "Abortion Stops a Beating Heart" but vandals covered the words and image with red and blue spray paint.

They also spray-painted the message "free choice" in the lone part of the billboard that has available white space.

The two-sided sign that stands about seven-feet tall and has been maintained by Deacon Robert Gerling, who runs the Our Lady of Lourdes pro-life group.

Gerling talked with the Courier News about the replacement signs, going on the same billboard constructed ten years ago.

One side depicts a large photo of a newborn baby with the message "Children are a Gift From God." The other has an ultrasound picture along with the Biblical passage "Woman, Behold your Son," and it offers a 1-800 number for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and needing help.

"I hope these signs will touch people’s hearts and allow them to really consider what the choice is," he said.

"The signs are not terribly offensive," Gerling said. "We’re not looking to judge people, but we certainly have an obligation to point out to people what is obvious, that this is a life. No one believes in self-control and personal responsibility anymore."

Police never found who vandalized the previous sign, but Gerling says he’s not worried about catching the culprits.

"Our intention is not to arrest anybody," he said. "The person who did it needs our prayers."

Gerling said the local Knights of Columbus, the Middlesex County Right-to-Life group, and an anonymous donor helped pay for the signs.

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