Take a moment to imagine a lovely fall day in the Midwest. This time of year, the leaves are changing, and temperatures are just beginning to dip, making it the perfect time to stroll to the park with your children after Sunday church service.

Suddenly, you’re faced with questions from your little ones when you’re greeted by an enormous golden statue celebrating abortion.

That’s the dilemma unfolding for families in a historic neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri.

An 18-foot sculpture called “Witness,” created by self-proclaimed feminist artist Shahzia Sikander, is being installed in the city’s Fox Park neighborhood, near two churches where families gather to worship.

The statue, a golden female figure with horn-like braids, root-like arms, and a collar reminiscent of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was created to showcase a woman’s fight for abortion.

Let that sink in.

The artist, and those supporting her, are idolizing the ability to kill their young and putting it on display for all to see.

As a mother of four daughters, I spend a lot of time in parks. That’s where my friends and I gather to let our children play. They’re places of innocence, laughter, and life. I refuse to let someone worshiping a culture of death change that, and neither should the St. Louis community.

And this isn’t the only statue.

The same sculpture first appeared in New York City’s Madison Square Park in 2023, then traveled to Texas in 2024. Sikander also created a companion sculpture, “NOW,” installed atop a Manhattan courthouse, with another edition acquired by the Newark Museum of Art in New Jersey.

From New York and Texas to New Jersey and now Missouri, these monuments to embody so-called female empowerment are becoming increasingly visible in our public spaces.

The fact that this statue is in multiple locations is a disturbing reflection of what our culture has come to celebrate: death.

There is nothing liberating about abortion. It is the intentional killing of an innocent human being in the womb. No amount of gold plating, artistic interpretation, or feminist rhetoric can change that reality.

And the suggestion that abortion is the pinnacle of women’s freedom is an insult to women everywhere.

I want my daughters to grow up knowing their strength is measured by their courage, compassion, intellect, and character, not their willingness to reject motherhood. I want them to know they can pursue their dreams, build careers, raise families, and contribute meaningfully to society without (literally) sacrificing their children.

Motherhood is a profound gift worth celebrating.

In St. Louis, residents have had little notice and few opportunities to voice their concerns. Even more troubling is the sculpture’s proximity to two churches, including the historic St. Francis de Sales Oratory, whose majestic 300-foot steeple has stood as a symbol of faith for generations.

Fox Park sits within a residential neighborhood with deep Catholic and German-American roots dating back more than a century. It has beautiful brick homes, century-old churches, tree-lined streets, and a small community park with a playground, splash pad, basketball courts, and dog park. It serves as a neighborhood gathering space, particularly for families with children.

Why choose this space to host such an abomination? Is the artist seeking to influence?

Absolutely.

The sculpture is being installed outside the headquarters of Rung for Women, a St. Louis nonprofit dedicated to “helping women achieve financial independence and advance their careers.” The Gateway Foundation, a local nonprofit that supports public art, is providing the statue on a permanent loan, and Rung for Women has publicly embraced its installation.

The irony is hard to ignore: An organization dedicated to helping women overcome financial barriers, while offering childcare and other services, is now welcoming a monument that tells women abortion is essential to their success. Why not tell women they can succeed alongside their children?

America guarantees freedom of religion, and I cherish that freedom. We are also one nation under God, founded on the belief that our rights come from our Creator, beginning with the right to life.

Religious liberty shouldn’t mean that we have to abandon our moral convictions or stay silent when public spaces are used to celebrate what we believe to be evil.

To many Christians, including me, this statue’s imagery is deeply disturbing and even demonic. Whether or not the artist intended a satanic message, we should be asking why a monument that appears to glorify the destruction of innocent human life belongs in a place where families gather, and children play.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has raised concerns about the installation. Those concerns deserve answers.

I stand with the St. Louis families who are raising their voices against this installation.

We must pray and work for a future where children can walk through their neighborhood and see monuments that honor the beauty of motherhood, the miracle of life, and the inherent rights of every human being.

Not abortion.

***

Kimberly Bird works at Live Action, a national human rights organization, and is a mother of four in Florida.

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