We Chose Life: You Should Too

I delivered this presentation this summer at the WI-LFL state conference.  It is in two parts, below.

Book Review by Mary Ann Kreitzer

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare — hearing the words, “You have a very sick child.” For a dad, it’s particularly difficult because his job, besides providing materially for his family, is to protect his loved ones from harm. But when illness strikes a child, a dad often stands helpless to “fix it.” Decisions about dealing with a critical illness in an already born child are difficult enough, but when that illness occurs in utero, parents are faced with another issue. The question is inevitable – “Will you keep it?” Since Roe v. Wade made abortion-on-demand legal in all 50 states at any time during pregnancy, vulnerable families faced with a sick little one are often given the bad news and immediately invited to consider abortion. How will they respond to the challenge? Anthony Horvath, in his book “We Chose Life: Why You Should Too,” shares his story, his faith, and the reasons he believes others should “choose life” as he and his wife did. Those who find themselves in similar circumstances with a seriously ill unborn child would do well to put their panic on hold and read his story.

In December 2006, after two normal pregnancies that filled their home with three boys including a set of twins, the Horvath’s were thrilled to learn during a routine ultrasound that they were expecting a little girl. Then the shoe dropped. The ultrasound showed something else. “The doctor came in. She wasn’t smiling. Her expression was grim … she went right to the point. Our new baby girl had a lot of fluid in her skull, a condition called hydrocephalus. The doctor told us that it could be just hydrocephalus, or, worst case scenario, it could mean that she had spina bifida (SB)” [spina bifida is a general term for a group of a neural tube defects where a segment of the spinal column fails to close resulting in a buildup of fluid in the brain.]

A second ultrasound showed that the baby had the most severe form of the disease, myelomenigocele spina bifida. While there was no way to know the severity of the outcome, the baby could end up mentally and physically handicapped, catheterized, and permanently unable to walk – or not. “Here was the brutal reality,” Horvath says, “There was no way of knowing the future.”

Like other families faced with similar bad news, the Horvath’s went into mourning. “I descended into the depths of self-pity,” Horvath says, “I had thoughts, some of which I will not dare to share here. … Together my wife and I entered the grieving process although no one had actually died. But that isn’t really true. Someone did die.” He goes on to describe all the normal events of childhood and laments, “We mourned the daughter we would not have.”

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Greetings Lifenews.com reader!

About four years ago my wife and I were informed at the 20 week ultrasound that our daughter had spina bifida.  We were given the ‘choice’ to ‘terminate.’  We emphatically declined.

My wife and I were already pro-life.  However, with our daughter nearly three years old now, the joy she brings into our family is set against the sorrow we feel when we realize that 70, 80, and maybe 90% of all children diagnosed with a birth defect are aborted.  It has become part of my mission to help defend life by persuading people that Life is still worth protecting even when the child is disabled.

My wife and I understand very well the grief one experiences when learning the awful truth that one’s child has a birth defect.   We know how this can transform one’s life, with doctor’s appointments, surgeries, and uncertainties.  But the Joy surpasses all this.

You are here because I wanted to make myself more widely available to the pro-life community as a speaker and author. I have already been speaking around the country and in fact have been asked to speak at the national Lutherans for Life conference this summer.

I would invite you to learn more about me and my ministry and my family and hope to hear from you soon.  I would love to speak at your church, school, college, or organization.  You may contact me at author@wechoselife.com.  I would also be most appreciative if you could donate to my non-profit (but not tax exempt) ministry to help defray the costs of the ad that brought you to me.

Here are some more links about me…

• Start at the beginning by going to the We Chose Life home page.
• Learn more about my background, my credentials, and passions
• Check out my wife’s blog where she posts updates about our daughter and her condition.
• Sign up for my newsletter.
• Buy my book – Amazon – Author Direct (Reviews)

Videos

Below are three videos that I have.  I have lots of tape of my presentations but it takes time to get them ready for the Internet!  The first is just 5 minutes and gives an overview of my views and some sampling of me speaking.  The second is from a high school I presented at in 2009.  The third is a bit off the subject… it’s a graduation speech I gave in 2005.

about 25 mins…

Graduation Speech… each part about 10 minutes…

Part two

Contact Anthony through email at author@wechoselife.com.

Anthony Horvath and his wife were given the option to ‘terminate’ their daughter after learning that she had spina bifida.  They rejected this ‘choice’ emphatically.  Their beautiful daughter proves every day that joy transcends circumstances.  Though as a Christian apologist and author Anthony has always been pro-life, the situation has added new fire to his position and credibility to his arguments.  Elected in July of 2010 to be the Vice President of Wisconsin Lutherans for Life, Anthony is actively living out his principles and passions.

Pro-Life Presentations

• We Chose Life:  Why You Should Too (see outline)
• You Can Be a Hero
• Customize… see below for other websites Anthony is associated with for ideas.

Study Guides

Study guide for the We Chose Life book: 

  DiscussionGuide (62.5 KiB, 2,518 hits)
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More Info

Anthony is a member of the national speaker’s bureau for Lutherans for Life.  He spoke at the national Lutherans for Life convention in the summer of 2010.  At the same event he was elected to be the vice president of Wisconsin Lutherans for Life.

He has spoken at numerous high schools, colleges, and churches, having presented on one topic or another over fifty times.  He is a former junior and senior high school religion teacher and taught at a small Bible college while in Rockford, Illinois.  He was a Director for Parish Ministries at a Lutheran church in Wisconsin for about three years.

His current activities, besides his pro-life speaking and discussing his We Chose Life book, are related to his apologetics ministry.  His columns have been published at Worldnetdaily.com and he has been interviewed on close to 30 Christian radio programs and heard by millions of people.  He is a blogger for the ChristianPost.com and a columnist for TheCypressTimes.  This page has links to his articles, columns, and some radio interviews.

Other webpages:

• Athanatos Christian Ministries:  www.athanatosministries.org
• Birth Pangs book series:  www.birthpangs.com
• Apologetics Blog:  www.sntjohnny.com
• Christian Writing Contest:  www.christianwritingcontest.com
• Online apologetics conference:  www.onlineapologeticsconference.com

Images

Browse various sized images of Anthony for use in web content and articles.  (Smaller, web ready images here.  Portrait Images, here).

Newsletter

Sign up to receive Anthony’s E-newsletter

I have been asked to speak at the 2010 National Lutherans for Life Conference this July in Green Bay, WI.  They will be posting information here.

My topic will be on the subject of what men can do, as men, in the pro-life cause.  This will involve a look at what the Bible says about men, their duties, strengths, and weaknesses.

I am looking forward to presenting and grateful for the invitation.  See you there!

I will be traveling throughout Michigan from about Oct. 15th to Oct 22nd speaking in various venues, primarily in regards to pro-life issues. See: www.wechoselife.com

Many of these presentations are at high schools and other places that are not open to the public. Below I have listed the ones that are open to the public. It would be great to see some of you folks.

The schedule still has some openings which may be filled with other events, so if you are interested in updates you should comment on it, or ‘like’ it so that you receive any updates.

Saturday, Oct 17th
Book Signing (and maybe a lecture)
1 to 3 p.m.

His Bible and Book House
106 W Main Street
Brighton, MI, 48116
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brighton-MI/His-Bible-Book-House/63416064714

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Welcome to any of the folks I met with while in central Missouri!  I had a grand time and am thankful for your hospitality and the welcome you showed me.

I had 5 different events while I was down there.  Three pro-life presentations, an ‘apologetics’ presentation, and then a retreat (apologetics).  I have some video from these that I’ll work on and try to get online.

As of this particular moment, my next series of events are in mid October and I’ll be taking five days or so to travel across Michigan.  Details to come.

I thought readers might like to see my daughter’s first step.  She’s in her brace, but it is her own movement…

(click to view on Youtube)

Missouri residents will have the opportunity to hear me present in the Jefferson City area August 9th and in Lincoln, MO, on August 10th.

On August 9th, I will be speaking at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jefferson City during their Bible Study hour.  The topic will be pro-life in nature with some apologetics thrown in.

That afternoon, from 2-4 p.m., I will be speaking at Faith Lutheran in Jefferson City.  The title and description of this session is

“Life and Life to the Fullest!”  The Value of an intelligent Pro-Life Witness and Keeping Teens Closer to Jesus and the Church

In Lincoln on the 10th, at Heit’s Point Lutheran camp, I will be speaking from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., telling the story of the birth of our daughter, who was born with spina bifida.  Like Down Syndrome children, spina bifida children are often aborted, many times at the strong suggestion of doctors, nurses, and even relatives.  For more about this aspect of my story you can pick up my book, We Chose Life:  Why You Should Too, at http://www.wechoselife.com

I am still working on getting this stuff online but I have the stuff from the Monday the 27th of April. Below is the video of the presentation I gave at a high school. Below that is the audio from the KFUO radio interview.