Dr. And Mrs. J.C. Willke 

Hayes Publishing Company, Cincinnati 
1997, 376 p. 

Reviewed By Mike Mastromatteo 

The Interim 

The Willkes have gone to the well one more time with their latest question-and-answer resource for pro-lifers. 

Love Them Both is the third a series of information-packed reference works produced by Dr. John Willke and his wife, 
Barbara. The couple's previous works, Handbook on Abortion (1971) and Abortion: Questions and Answers (1985) have 
become milestones in getting to the truth of the abortion industry and its sad impact on North American society. 

The Willkes bring tremendous credibility and authority to their writing. Their previous books have been translated into dozens of 
languages, and they have brought the pro-life message, via lecture tours, to more than 65 countries. Dr. Willke also hosts Life 
Issues, a daily radio commentary in the U.S. 

Their latest effort concentrates on advances in science and the study of fetology to update the wealth of information available to 
the pro-life struggle. And in what has proved a timely dedication, the authors quote Mother Teresa to express a new urgency to 
their work: "...The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child ... And if we can accept 
that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?" 

Contemporary situation 

The thick paperback is divided into nine sections dealing with various issues of the abortion question. The authors set the stage 
by describing - in their matter of fact trademark style - the contemporary situation with respect to abortion. 

They also review the justice system's response to abortion and outline developments in our understanding of prenatal 
development. 

The book may be somewhat intimidating to the plodding reader. To be sure it is not an elegantly designed effort. It sacrifices 
any visual niceties for content, and the few photos and illustrations found in the book are lackluster and shopworn. 

One of the shortest chapters is the final one entitled "What to do." For all their wealth of information provided over the previous 
350 pages, this concluding chapter gives us the Willkes at their most concise. They basically urge the reader to become 
personally involved through a seven-part plan involving education, volunteerism, lobbying, writing to groups supporting the 
abortion industry, financial support of pro-life organizations, and lastly, offering prayer to overcome the evil of abortion.  

Pro-life resource 

This tepid conclusion does not detract from its effectiveness as a pro-life resource. It is organized in such a way to allow concise 
but thought out answers to deflate any argument put forward but the purveyors of abortion. The Willkes anticipate many of the 
questions that journalists and pro-abortion skeptics might put forward to attempt to trip up pro-life people. 

Take for example, the oft-repeated charge that pro-lifers incite violence against abortion providers and their clients. The Willkes 
here cut to the heart of the matter: "... Our people are just telling to truth. The pro-abortion goal here is obvious. They want to 
prevent us from informing people of the true nature of their 'business.'" 

To the accusation that pro-life witnessing needlessly upsets women entering abortion clinics, the Willkes provide a "If these 
women had truly been informed of the full facts of fetal development, of the hazards of induced abortion, and of all the 
alternatives, there would be no need for picketing. Furthermore, a woman at peace with her choice for an abortion would not 
be upset by pickets, pictures of babies and attempted counseling." 

Although the authors attempt to take Canadian readers into account, the book has a decidedly American flavor. Nonetheless it 
remains a valuable and easy-to-use reference for pro-life groups, students and any others looking for answers. 

As the title suggests, the authors hope that by emphasizing society's support for the difficult struggle faced by a woman in 
unwanted pregnancy, the need for abortion will evaporate. They say that in the future, the "hallmark" of the pro-life movement 
should be not just to save the baby, but to love both mother and child. Many pro-lifers already emphasize this approach, but the 
Willkes latest book serves as a powerful reminder of this all-embracing compassion. 

To order a copy of Love Them Both , contact Campaign Life Coalition at (416) 368-8479. The book and an accompanying 
video or slide/tape presentation are also avialable through Life Cycle Books Ltd., 2205 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, 
M4C 1K4, telephone (416) 690-5860.