People who are pro-life are always asked by pro-choice people, “What about cases of rape and incest?” Here is a compelling, factual, insightful and thoroughly convincing pro-life answer. I highly recommend it.
Tag: pro-life
I stopped by the Life Chain in North Syracuse this afternoon to support the witness against abortion. I was late but glad to stand in the chain for at least part of the afternoon to say publicly once again that I am pro-life because I believe that God is pro-life! According to Psalm 139, he is involved in the forming of every child.
You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Ps 139:13-14 NIV
Thankfully, that message is making some headway in America as surveys now show that a majority of Americans agree that abortion is morally wrong. May God help more and more people to value life as God does.
It isn’t every day that you run into one of those. But this definitely is one. The distinctions it draws between separatism, fusion, and critical engagement are well thought out and wise. If only more Christians understood the need to be critically engaged in the current debates in our country!
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/123701709.html
I have been participating in the national Pray & Act emphasis led by Jim Garlow and Chuck Colson. October 30 marked the formal end of this forty-day fasting and prayer effort on behalf of sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage and religious liberty. While some key leaders such as Jim Garlow were on a liquids-only fast for the entire 40 days, everyone was asked to fast in some way as health requirements and God’s leading dictated. Daily emails and attached video clips have edified and inspired participation.
Prayer & Action
My fasting commitment was one 32-36 hr fast (water/apple juice/tea only) per week. I have completed that and have decided to continue it until the week before Thanksgiving. I have not talked about my fasting, but have decided I needed to write about it for an example. Other actions included signing the Manhattan Declaration, praying much in public and private about marriages and our country, becoming more knowledgeable on political candidates, blogging about issues such as sanctity of life and sanctity of marriage, standing up in the annual Life Chain demonstration, speaking for the causes in public messages and prayers, and voting with them in mind tomorrow, God willing.
Deeper Renewal
I have found some things happening that I did not expect from my prayer and fasting commitment. First, I have felt a greater closeness to God in prayer and a stronger identity with his cause in the world. At the same time, I am hungry for more of Him. Second, I have found myself praying more at times that were not particularly scheduled times of prayer – just talking to God about the issues on my heart – crying out to him for needs that came to my attention or that were impressed upon me to pray for. Third, I noticed as I and we as a congregation and people across the nation prayed for God to uphold the sanctity of marriage in our nation, God moved mightily during these forty days to expose deep needs in marriages in our own church. We felt the fruit of this overall effort. I have had multiple opportunities for counsel and correction. These are opportunities for me but especially for the couples involved. That is one reason I am continuing the fast. I see the need for much more healing of relationships by God’s power. I believe this period of prayer and fasting was a big part of why these breakthroughs are happening. God is answering prayer for the sanctity of marriage.
http://topics.syracuse.com/tag/Life%20Chain/index.html
My wife, JoAnne, and I along with another couple from Community Wesleyan, George and Jenny Raterman joined in the Syracuse Life Chain Sunday afternoon. It is an annual public expression of our stand for the sanctity of life. I have not attended for a few years, but this year, I was inspired by my participation in Pray & Act to take part again. As I stood by the road, a lady walked by with a beautiful sign picturing a very young baby in the womb and a Bible verse neatly printed. The verse reminded me of my favorite pro-life verses, “You formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well” (Ps 139:13-14 WEB). Certainly God is actively creating in the life of every individual from conception.
Visible Unity –Cool!
Life Chain is especially notable as a united witness to the Biblical value of respect for the sanctity of human life. The unity is demonstrated visibly in the unity of signs carried. Most of the participants hold the same pre-made signs that say either, “Abortion kills children,” or “Adoption, not abortion.” The current venue is a manifest symbol of unity too. Life chain happens on Route 11 where North Syracuse Baptist and St Rose de Lima Roman Catholic churches are across from each other. Marchers can pick up signs at either location and they met together afterwards at the Catholic church to hear political speakers who are pro-life.
Four major streams of Christendom united in this witness!
I remarked to the lady across the street in front of the St Rose de Lima Church holding the same sign I was how neat it was that the Catholic and Baptist churches cooperated in this event. And the unity that was there was much wider even than that. I represented the Wesleyan/Arminian strain of Protestantism while the Baptists represented the more Calvinist strain. So each side from one of the bigger theological partitions in Protestantism was represented. A few moments later, I walked up the street and spoke to Father McCaffery of the Greek Orthodox Church (Franklin Park) who stopped by to stand in solidarity with this witness to pro-life. He represented another great wing of the Christian church, the Eastern Church. As I reflected on this gathering, I could not remember being a part of another event like it in my life where these four great strands of Christ’s church were visibly praying and working together for one immediate purpose. Certainly, as Jesus promised, hell cannot stand against such a united front.
I pray that Roe vs. Wade is soon over-turned or rendered irrelevant by a ruling that life begins at conception. Our country must stand for the sanctity of life as the Bible does and the Declaration of Independence also does. Eliminating children because they come at an inconvenient time is an affront to their Creator. It is also a major cause of the economic crisis in the Northeast. There would be millions more people needing goods and services if it were not for the crimes of the abortion industry. Law should only be mute on this issue in cases where the life of the mother is in danger. And I understand that cases presenting such a tragic choice are so rare that some obstetricians have testified to never having seen one in their practice.