Supporters are backing away from an effort to place a 6-foot statue of a fetus on the State House grounds after deciding that approach is too graphic for an anti-abortion monument.

The new plan would envision a statue of a few children at play with a message of "what could have been, what should have been" and a call to end abortion, said state Rep. Ralph Davenport, the Spartanburg Republican sponsoring the measure.

The bill to create the monument is pending in the House after it was approved Tuesday by the House Ways and Means Committee.

Davenport said he will offer an amendment with a new design when the House takes up the measure..

The original design of the fetus statue would be too sensational and sidetrack the intended message, supporters said.

The monument is the brainchild of some anti-abortion groups and religious leaders looking for ways to build support for their cause and steer more women away from terminating their pregnancies.

"I believe it would save lives," said Johnny Gardner, of St. Andrews, director of Voice of the Unborn and an anti-abortion advocate at the State House for 12 years. He is known for regularly demonstrating along Gervais Street.

A monument would illustrate "life is precious," Davenport said. "It's a gift God has given us to nurture and grow, not to destroy."

Backers envision a modest monument in a quiet corner of the State House grounds that could serve as a spot for contemplation.

It would be built with private donations received by a state-appointed panel that would oversee fund raising and other aspects of the project.

It's too soon to say if that setup runs into legal problems, officials at the American Civil Liberties Union said.

Gardner said he opted to push for the monument instead of a flag or holiday as a new way to build support for abolition of abortion.

"I believe the Lord is going to get us this monument," he said.

But some anti-abortion groups said the monument isn't a priority for them.

"This is a piece of legislation that makes a statement," said Holly Gatling of South Carolina Citizens for Life. "Our organization is about making a difference."

Some lawmakers say the idea is going overboard for a political cause that generates intense conflict, particularly on whether abortion takes away life.

"I quite frankly don't think it's something we need to deal with," said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg.

And ACLU leaders say the push should be to help families instead of to create new symbols.

"The focus ought to be on things like better prenatal care and day care, family planning, comprehensive sex education and other services that help families," said Louise Melling, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project in New York.

The rate of abortions in South Carolina has gone up and down in the five years ending in 2001, ranging from a low of 9,671 in 1998 to a high of 11,052 in 1997, state health officials said. No figures for 2002 are available yet.

Staff writer Jeff Stensland contributed to this story.