Stuttgart, Germany—Universal Children’s Day 2015 was observed with a talk about giving pregnant women the choice to save their baby.
The program featured speaker Sonja Dengler of the organization Tiqua, which gives advice to pregnant women who find themselves in conflict about their situation. “Tiqua” is a Hebrew woman’s name that means “hope.”
The meeting “Tiqua—Saving Children’s Lives!” was held on November 22, 2015, at the UPF office by the Stuttgart chapter of Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), an organization affiliated with UPF.
Ute Lemme of WFWP greeted the 23 participants and introduced Ms. Dengler, who began by pointing out that in 2015 UNICEF Germany and the German Children’s Fund called for the rights and needs of all children to be given a central place in politics and society under the motto “Children Are Welcome!”
Nevertheless, Ms. Dengler said, the United Nations has voted to deny any human rights to unborn children. She pointed out that in Europe and especially in Germany, a false picture of marriage, family and children has been created in the media by the private opinions of (mostly unmarried) journalists and (mostly childless) social workers. The politicians then adjust to these “facts” and the citizens are duped.
Abortion is made palatable and easy for women who are conflicted about their pregnancy. The women do not know or are unaware of the fact that they are destroying an unborn child. Using slides, Ms. Dengler illustrated how the decision of a woman in conflict about her pregnancy is influenced by the expectations of up to 13 others, individuals or groups.
This is where Tiqua gets involved. The task of counseling is painstaking. Even while surrounded by negative influences, a woman has to find the way to give an emotional “yes” to her unborn child. It is a battle against time. In the style of the German Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer, for Ms. Dengler it is all about “grasping the wheel by the spokes.”
She used the example of “Lea,” aged 28, in the sixth week of pregnancy, to show how her conflict counseling takes its course in a complicated environment. Not only does Ms. Dengler offer advice and help to women, she also gives presentations to social workers and lessons to school classes. Her wide experience and a wealth of written material are at her disposal for this work.