UK cops compensate Isabel Vaughan-Spruce £13,000 for arresting her for silent prayer
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Courage is a rare virtue in post-Christian Britain. As a fish rots from the head down, so cowardice, not courage, gushes down like the waters of Niagara Falls from our political and religious leaders and swamps vast swathes of the British populace.
One feisty band of brave resistance fighters puts the rest of us to shame. Against the propagandistic Panzers of the police state, their only weapons are the slingshots of prayer; their only armor is the Holy Scriptures.
I first encountered these warriors for life on the Isle of Man, where I was serving as an Anglican minister, when our government decided to introduce Europe's most brutal abortion legislation. We parachuted in a pro-life platoon from England and learned the tactics of pro-life guerrilla warfare.
Week after week, our tiny cohort displayed images of unborn babies and engaged in conversations outside parliament, on the streets, and in the marketplace. The public response was volatile: We received enough spit, curses, f-words and abuse to last a lifetime – and occasionally, even physical assault.
The government finally passed legislation creating so-called "buffer zones" outside the hospital where the Isle of Man's babies would be murdered. After relocating to Rome, I was shell-shocked to discover that the prophecies of George Orwell's book 1984 were being fulfilled – that Britain had indeed become a police state criminalizing thought crime.
But there is one brave pro-lifer who will not wave the white flag of cowardly surrender: Like the apostles who would not stop preaching even when threatened with arrest, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has defied Britain's Thought Police, who have arrested and jailed her twice for "praying silently" outside abortion mills.
On Monday, the Alliance Defending Freedom UK (ADF), who have been legally defending Vaughan-Spruce through her Gandhi-like satyagraha (non-violent fight for truth and freedom), announced that their client had been awarded compensation of £13,000 (approximately $17,000) for "unlawfully" arresting her.
But, the pro-lifer's battle has only begun – because the far-left British government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now on a warpath to enact a law that will criminalize pro-lifers who even pray silently outside or near abortion mills.
I interviewed Ms. Vaughan-Spruce and asked her to share her passion for Christ and her commitment to the sanctity of life with Souls and Liberty''s readers.
S&L: You have single-handedly won a resounding victory against the State, who have sought to prohibit you from even "praying in your mind." What's your response?
IVS: This victory isn't just mine. It belongs to many people who have prayed for me, encouraged me, motivated me, and particularly to the ADF, who have supported me in an amazing way, and ultimately to God – without Him no victory is possible. I'm delighted to be vindicated, and I hope that in the future, police forces around the country will practice their profession with a greater integrity so that they don't become pawns of whatever the popular ideology of the day is and thus be guilty of two-tier policing.
S&L: Do you think the ban on praying outside abortion centers will become law?
IVS: I can't predict the future, but having been arrested twice for merely praying in my head – without manifesting that in any way at all – I don't think anything would surprise me. The fact that politicians have even desired to make silent prayer a crime, let alone actively try to implement this and vote upon it, is incredibly disturbing.
S&L: Who is driving this agenda against freedom of thought?
IVS: This agenda against freedom of thought is obviously being driven by Satan, who is the father of lies. He is behind the lie over abortion. This is his powerhouse and he will go to any length to protect it.
I remember many years ago driving past one of the abortion centers that I would pray outside. It was a busy abortion center that did 10,000 abortions a year. Even though it was way past midnight – about 2:00 in the morning – the lights were on and there were cars in the car park. It was like this place never slept. We all know that that is true of Satan. He doesn't sleep, but sadly many Christians are sleeping too much, so we need to make sure that we are alert and prepared and constantly on the watch to the wiles of Satan.
S&L: When and how did you begin pro-life work?
IVS: I was blessed to be brought up in a very pro-life family. My father, particularly, was strongly pro-life. But, I think, it's the natural default position of any child to be pro-life unless and until they're taught otherwise, and thankfully I was taught about the humanity of the pre-born child. It was probably my teenage years when I really made this belief my own.
I used to like reading war stories. It would bring out the depths of evil that people could think, but it would also bring out amazing acts of heroism. I would often ask myself the question: What would I have done if I had been present back then? Would I have had the conviction to say anything or the courage to do anything? I gradually realized I was asking myself the wrong question. It wasn't the case of what would I have had the courage to do back then, it's what am I doing now!
So I began to look for ways to live out my pro-life beliefs. Initially, that was probably just simple things like financially supporting pro-life organizations. Then, one day, I happened to pick up a "Crusader" magazine – St. Maximilian Kolbe's magazine – and someone had written a letter in this magazine talking about their work outside abortion centers, so I got in touch and managed to find that there was a group of people in Birmingham who prayed outside in abortion center on a Saturday.
Whilst initially I was probably motivated more by the injustice towards the pre-born child, the more I went outside abortion centers and witnessed women coming out with that empty look on their faces, sobbing into their phones or being sick into the gutter – sometimes even being, you know, goaded by men or frog-marched by parents – that made me realize that the damage abortion inflicts on women alone, that was enough to make me want to continue, as well.
S&L: You are an inspiration to so many pro-lifers. From where do you draw your inspiration? Where do you get such amazing courage? What keeps you going in what seems like a losing battle?
IVS: My main inspiration, really, is the Church Triumphant. One of the saints who inspired me a lot is Maximilian Kolbe.
When my mum was pregnant with me, my parents were convinced I was a boy and all through my pregnancy I was called Maximilian. I feel I have an affinity with him and certainly a devotion to him.
The first baby that I was blessed to be part of being born was from a woman who was going into the abortion center. I remember calling out to her and asking if she wanted to talk. She was a Polish Catholic and I remember giving her the Miraculous Medal. The baby's due date was March 25 and when she was told that it was the Feast of the Annunciation, she grabbed the Miraculous Medal around her neck. Months later, I was praying outside the abortion center and a local doctor pulled up in a car and took a photograph out of his pocket telling me that the lady was one of his patients and she wanted me to know she's had a little baby boy and she named him Maximilian.
S&L: The prestigious Keswick Convention recently sparked controversy after another evangelical pro-life organization displayed the banner of an intact 9-week-old fetus in the town center. The Keswick organizers said they were "saddened" by this display and argue that pro-life work should not be done by public display of such images. What's your response?
IVS: Sadly we see many church groups are really confused as to what it means to have a loving approach to the issue of abortion. Many people think that this means either being silent or denying the truth, and there's been a big charade of false compassion that's been promoted by the abortion industry.
I think St. Edith Stein, she really got to the heart of this issue when she said something to the effect of "love without truth is a counterfeit love and truth without love is a counterfeit truth." So many of us tend to go on one side or the other. Sadly we see some people who can be very harsh in their approach to abortion and not be compassionate to those who have been terribly hurt by abortion. I see that sometimes on social media amongst people who would say they are pro-life and yet they don't leave people any room for redemption when they're turning away from what they've done wrong. I think we need to be really aware of this in showing a balanced view of truth and love, which of course is epitomized in the life of Christ.
S&L: There is a sense that churches in Britain, unlike the USA, do not wish to talk about or preach on abortion. Have you sensed this and why do you think we have this cultural barrier?
IVS: Some people might disagree with me about this, but I think that when there's a real lack of preaching or teaching about abortion in the Church here in Britain, it can actually sometimes be coming from a good place, and what I mean is I think it can be coming from a place of compassion that people care about those who've been hurt by abortion and worried about causing them any more harm.
It can also be because of a lack of confidence – simply not knowing what to say or how to say it, and this is one of the issues that March for Life is trying to address, because I feel it's a very, very important issue. For over a year now we've been running awareness days for clergy and for seminarians.
Just a while ago we went to Scotland and on one of these days we had over 60 priests, including some bishops, and it's really helping to equip them in what they need to be effective in their ministry. We know that sometimes when people talk about abortion – particularly from the pulpit – there can be quite strong responses. Priests will often say things like: 'I preached about abortion once two years ago and somebody got up and left the church so I've never said anything since.'
There's maybe a lack of understanding as to why somebody left the church and to wrongly blame themselves for somebody doing that, and I explain that to priests to make sure that we have been compassionate in how we've been speaking, but that just because somebody has a strong reaction it doesn't necessarily mean that we've done something wrong.
Sometimes this can actually be the start of someone's healing. If every time the word 'abortion' is brought up somebody realizes that they feel angry or uncomfortable, then it can get to the point that they question this and think: Why do I feel so uncomfortable just by hearing this word? I know of women whose healing journey started with exactly that – with hearing somebody preach about abortion and just feeling uncomfortable and then questioning why they feel that way.
These days it is also really important to not just explain how we talk about abortion, but why it's so important. I know priests who get bombarded by different organizations and individuals who are telling them that this cause or that charity is something that really needs pushing in the Church. Of course, many causes and charities do need pushing, but the issue of Life itself is a key Gospel issue that we can't afford to not talk about. So I hope that we are beginning to equip priests and support them in understanding what their role is on this important issue
S&L: What will you do if the state officially criminalizes praying outside abortion clinics?
IVS: If prayer is criminalized outside abortion centers my first response would be to pray. I would be listening to what God is telling me to do at that time, in that moment, and I would try and respond to that. I don't know how God will call me in the future, so I can only answer for his call at the present, but I do hope that I'm never lacking in courage to do whatever He tells me.
Editor's note: Salvation and spiritual perfection should not be sought haphazardly;
a strategy is needed to win the battle for our souls.
Dr. Jules Gomes, (BA, BD, MTh, PhD), has a doctorate in biblical studies from the University of Cambridge. Currently a Vatican-accredited journalist based in Rome, he is the author of five books and several academic articles. Gomes lectured at Catholic and Protestant seminaries and universities and was canon theologian and artistic director at Liverpool Cathedral.
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