T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — James Littrell of Rhodes, front, holds a sign that reads “Abortion kills children” during a silent protest along Center Street outside of Redeemer Lutheran Church on Sunday afternoon. The event was part of the larger Life Chain initiative across the U.S.

Drivers along Center Street may have noticed a large group of people may have noticed a large group of people holding signs that read “Abortion kills children,” “Adoption is the loving option” and “Jesus forgives and heals” near the Olive Street intersection Sunday afternoon, but other than the occasional honk in support of the messages they were sharing, there was little to no noise at all.

The silent protest was part of the national “Life Chain” organized by anti-abortion groups and churches across the country Sunday, and members of the Redeemer Lutheran Church congregation, along with Pastor Alex Post and even Rep. Dean Fisher, a Republican from Montour who is a vocal pro-life advocate, participated in the event. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last summer has reinvigorated the movement as the matter of abortion restrictions is now left up to the states.

“The change now is that it’s up to states and communities and people more than before, but it’s still an issue of protecting human life from the very beginning. And we know from biology and from the Bible that human life begins at conception,” Post said. “So we love babies and want to defend them, and we love moms and dads and want to support them.”

A white cross display has been up outside of Redeemer to memorialize those who have been aborted, and Post said people have passed by and been both supportive and strongly opposed to their message, but he always attempts to engage in an adult conversation on the issue.

Brandon Kunkel of Marshalltown, another participant in the event, said he was opposed to abortion but alo wanted to ensure that parents had the resources they need to raise children.

“We try to be gracious and kind and just talk if they want to talk or just take it if they want to say something,” he said. “(It’s) mostly civil. A few times, it’ll get heated, in the face shouting, but usually it’s really courteous. The goal of the Life Chain is to be calm and kind and Christian and gentle with people.”

Post acknowledged that his church, like most others, includes members who would consider themselves pro-choice, but he still feels that it is important to speak out on what he feels is right.

“Like anything important, it does divide some people, and there are different thoughts on it. But we know that God’s word is clear, that a human life is worth defending and that it’s good for people. It’s not hurtful. God loves life, including babies, and we should too,” he said.

Earlier this year, Gov. Kim Reynolds called a special legislative session aimed at enacting a “heartbeat bill” that would outlaw most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually between five and six weeks into a pregnancy. The bill passed, but the Iowa Supreme Court has since issued an injunction that has, temporarily at least, kept abortion legal as it was before.

While he believes that the fetal heartbeat bill is a strong first step, Fisher would like to see the law go further and ban all elective abortions unless the mother’s life is in danger.

“When it’s strictly an elective abortion, I think that needs to be banned. It’s a human being, a baby in the womb, with the same right to life that the rest of us enjoy,” he said.

And while his own position on the matter is already clear, Fisher added that he still feels it’s important to connect with others who share his viewpoint.

“We need that groundswell of support from the folks to help and tell us (what to do) in the Legislature, so being out here just helps. For one thing, they’ll feel more comfortable talking to me about it, and I’ll know how to support them and hopefully others will see me out here as well,” he said.