LOVE THEM BOTH?

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT ABORTION

This book is the third in a series, each about the same subject, each quite different as it responds to the needs of our changing times.

The first American edition of Handbook on Abortion was published 1971, revised 1975 and 1979, with 21st printing March 1983.

Other language editions included Latin American (Hiltz & Hayes, 1974); French (France Empire, Paris, 1974); Malayan (India, 1974); Continental Spanish (EUNSA, Pamplona, 1975); Italian (Milano, 1978); Chinese (Hong Kong, 1978); Portuguese (San Paulo, 1980); Swedish (Jarfalla, 1980); German (Vorarlberg, 1982).

Abortion: Questions & Answers was published in 1985 and revised in 1988 and 1991. Its other language editions were Japanese (Tokyo, 1991); Italian (CEC Edizimi Internazionali, 1995); Spanish (Editorial Bonum, Argentina, 1992, and Hayes, Cincinnati, 1993); Russian (Moscow, 1992); Czech (Cor Jesu, Cesky Tesin, 1993); Slovak (Cor Jesu, Cesky Tesin, 1993); Lithuanian (Caritas, 1996); and Polish (Wydanie Uzupelnione, Gdansk, 1990).

PREFACE

This is the third book in a series over 25 years. In 1971, at the insistence of many people, particularly our college daughters, we wrote Handbook On Abortion. In question and answer format, it attempted to present all of the arguments for abortion and to answer them in a rational, medical, and scientific way. The first edi-tion, in June 1971, numbered 141 pages and contained 42 scientific references arranged for the reader’s con-venience immediately following the answer to a ques-tion.

Its 1975 revision increased its size to 208 pages with 180 references, and the 1979 revision totalled 210 pages with 210 newer references. In 24 printings, Handbook On Abortion sold over one million copies and was translated into ten languages. Internationally, it became known as the "bible of the movement."

But time moved on. A flood of new scientific infor-mation, particularly the explosion of detailed informa-tion about the other patient (the tiny one) through re-cent technology and modern research, reshaped our answers. Historical, legislative, and legal develop-ments had to be incorporated into our thinking. A few earlier "facts" had been disproved, but many new facts have been confirmed by scientific studies.

In 1985 we saw the need for a totally new book. And so we started with blank paper and wrote afresh. Abor-tion: Questions & Answers brought new areas, new questions and answers, new developments.

Except for a few classic papers, we used new and updated scientific articles to support our answers. It ended up larger, far richer and more useful.

It did fill the shoes of Handbook. With revisions and updates, it even inherited its "bible" status and added ten more languages.

It is now 26 years since we entered this struggle. We view this field of battle with mixed emotions — dis-may that the slaughter continues, elation at the great progress the pro-life movement has made . . . and a quiet optimism that our children will see the day when this demon is slain.

Love Them Both proclaims the new theme that our research has shown is the way to turn the tide as we move into the 21st century.

Broad areas in society, major church bodies and po-litical parties have joined the pro-life side, but,in oppo-sition, we have not yet seen the full fury of the pro-abortion ideologies and of the pro-abortion industry.

Accordingly, we offer this new educational tool, hoping it too will fill the need its two predecessors did. The issue today is still intensely personal, while being totally global. We echo Mother Teresa’s words at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast:

" The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion , because it is a war against the child . . . and if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?"

And we offer this book.

Dr. & Mrs. (John & Barbara) Willke

why can't we love them both?-Table of Contents