The people standing at Stormont on Saturday are life affirming – both mum and child. Choice involves freedom to choose and abortion decisions are predominantly made under coercion – boyfriends, husbands, circumstances, regret, shame, etc. There is no 'choice' or alternative presented. There is no reason why any woman should choose abortion in this day and age.

Abortion is the complete antithesis of 'choice'. Equal rights to choose to kill your unborn child is not equality. Just because the mainland has a law which allows abortion on demand up to birth, does not mean that it is a just law.

Slavery was legalised – was that justified?

The law can help shape people's moral choices. Abortion advocates in England would have the world's Press believe that we women in Ireland, north and south, are some kind of country bumpkins living in the dark ages.

They almost portray that we are living in rundown shacks, keeping a pig in the parlour and are illiterate!

A mark of a civilised society is that we don't kill our children. We are the civilised ones – not them.

Ninety eight per cent of abortions on the mainland, according to abortion provider statistics and the Government statistics, are for 'social reasons'. We simply don't want to be pregnant. Doesn't than confirm that we, as women, are using abortion as a violent form of birth control.

Women need love, care, support and help when in crisis pregnancy – not abortion. Women in Northern Ireland are beautiful, intelligent, loving women – we have told our MPs and MLAs that we don't want to have legalised abortion in our land and they are voting accordingly.

Pat Ramsey said at the rally on Saturday that he received 12,000 petition cards against extending the Act to Northern Ireland – 10,000 of those at least were from women.

Where on earth is Audrey Simpson getting her facts and figures from?
If you want public opinion, look to the 4000 people at Stormont on Saturday and compare it to the 40 or so people at the City Hall and that may have even have included the goths and emos who hang around at the City Hall gates.

Andy and Lynn Coles
Choose Life Ministries
Belfast