Advice to Those on Trial Now and in Future
By Cathy Ramey
I belong to the “Billion-Dollar-Club” along with about a dozen other people inaugurated as such in 1995 when we were served with a lawsuit filed against us by Planned Parenthood, Int’l, a handful of abortionists and one of PP’s affiliates in Oregon where they wanted to stage the trial. They wanted that 1.4-billion dollars to repair the “damage” they said we had done to their business, by publishing news and commentary articles in newsletters and in Life Advocate magazine. Our editorial positions stood against their “business.”
To be clear, we were not on trial for rescues we had done, rather for continually framing abortion as the murder of innocent babies it is, and doing so in media-form. There were no purported “violent acts” in the lawsuit, only insinuation that we stood at the periphery of great violence. Their lawyers showed a made-for-Hollywood film as part of their opening arguments; it presented the Oklahoma City bombing of a federal building and another bombing, done at an Olympic park, if I recall rightly. It had absolutely nothing to do with any of us, nor did a website not connected to us which documented the demise of abortionists, whether by illness, accident or force.
The truth each defendant published had wrought its work and terrified these enemies of God. They had to stop the publication of media that was successfully changing the hearts and minds of millions of people. The “damage” we wrought was that of telling the truth about the business of killing babies.
In 1999 we went on trial and I have regretted only one thing since then; I regret that I did not go pro ‘se, defending myself before the jury. We had lovely lawyers, “officers of the court” whose loyalties were divided by learned court protocol, an oath all lawyers take to honor the court first, even above their clients, and their genuine reverence for God. Their fear of offending the court, a judge who had earlier vacated all of Oregon’s pornography laws, was held in the balance in regard to their best skills in our defense. These were godly men who were, like all of us, caught up in the unspeakable horror of having to go to battle against a nation we had all been taught to love. That same nation has changed her nature toward evil and that is a difficult concept for most Christians to comprehend.
That said, the PP v. ACLA trial was an opportunity not fully taken advantage of by those of us on trial. We did our best at the time, but in some measure we failed. That was primarily because we and the attorneys were focused on defending against the charges leveled against us. The opposition managed to distract us from the main reason we were in court. Therefore, I offer this advice in the hope the Nashville and Detroit rescuers do not fall into the trap laid out for all of us.
- You are not the focus of the defense, and, perhaps shocking to some, I will say that the unborn babies are not the ultimate focus either. God is the primary focus and should be central to all your plans and witness. You are there for the purpose of defending Him. That is a humble undertaking for mere mortals, and so sometimes we forget that we are His witnesses; He is the Party most in need of vindication; we are agents on this earth to declare His truth, order and glory. Don’t let a saber-rattling court process distract you away from doing Him justice in a world that is set upon despising Him.
- The ultimate harm of sin always serves as an effort to slap God’s face. Do not allow fear as to how the court might respond to truth force you into sin. Here I recall being asked if I knew the courageous Michael Bray (who refused to respond to being named as a defendant in the case). Michael had served 4.5-years in prison under a charge of bombing or arson, I cannot recall which, after refusing to make a deal with prosecutors to avoid both charges and incarceration. All the good pastor had to do was reveal the names of leaders and activists he knew of in the anti-abortion movement. (In a shadow of things to come, Michael was protecting me and you.)
I squirmed internally under the question, knowing they hoped to horrify the jury by reference to a fellow saint who was characterized by them as “violent” against brick and mortar, a dodge to avoid the true violence of their promotion of slaughtering innocent and helpless people. By God’s grace alone, I acknowledged knowing and being friends with Michael. By that I have not had to regret turning my back on a man God had raised up to accomplish the many purposes God had ordained to do through my brother.
No doubt this trial will involve the same sort of shenanigans. Bear up under it and be truthful as to who you know, are friends with or admire. You don’t have to go into detail, but guard against the division they seek to create among God’s people.
- They will seek to further marginalize God and His saints by reference to your own actions as “violent” or in league with “violent anti-abortionists.” Don’t take the bait! You do not need to present yourself as innocent; you need to present God as wronged. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No’ be no. You are not obligated to apologize for God’s call on you or your fellow servants; focus on the facts and truth as presented in God’s revelation.
- If anyone is going pro ‘se, consider that our job is about vindicating God and warning the wicked.
Read Isaiah 24. I have pages and pages of exegetical notes on the chapter. I have been exegeting the book of Isaiah from Hebrew to English for months now, since that is what the LORD laid on my heart to do this past summer. Isaiah 24 is not about the trials and tribulations of all humanity; it is about the devastation the godless will be exposed to in a final earthly judgment after the saints have been raised up to be in the presence of the LORD.
There are two verses that have reference to the reality the saints experience on high, but the rest of the chapter is focused on the earth and a hardened people who prefer living on a cursed earth over standing in the presence of God’s magnificent light.
English only scratches the surface in expressing the horror and devastation of a corrupted earth and the unregenerate under judgment. Judges and juries need to be warned while there is still time. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. (If there is a pro ‘se person out there who wants my notes on this chapter, even just the first half-dozen verses, I would be happy to send them to you.)
In the sense of God’s Ideal Reality—seeing all these matters from a heavenly perspective—you are not on trial; the abortionists, prosecutor, judge and jury are on trial. Your job is to be a watchman on the wall to alert those inside the city of wickedness that a terrible accounting will be made.
- More succinctly than all of this, Do not worry about what you are going to say; the Holy Spirit is present to speak through you. God will give you the right answers in accord with what He is choosing to accomplish through each of you. See how readily Jesus replied to all His detractors, the scribes and Pharisees who sought to destroy His mission on the earth. The same Spirit that He relied upon lives in you.
- Do not worry or be anxious but allow God to direct the outcome knowing His ultimate goal will be to turn your circumstances for your own great benefit. The indefinite jail sentence (as the result of a civil lawsuit, without a criminal charge) He put me through in 1990 has born far more fruit in me than I could have considered possible. It did not seem pleasant at that time, but at this time it leaves me able to encourage you, no matter the outcome God brings about in this season of persecution.
May the LORD bless and keep each of you, and know that I am jealous to be there and watch your sound witness for Christ in these matters.
Warmly in Christ.
Cathy Ramey
Emailed to me on 16 Jan 2024 from fellow activist and editor of Life Advocate Magazine, Cathy Ramey. Good advice (and, yeah, I don’t mind the praise)!
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