But the real point of this post is that often when people decide that moral issues are no longer their main focus, they often lump abortion into the "value voter" category and remove it from the top of the list. I submit to you that voting pro-life is not just a right wing, value voter thing to do, it is necessary to the intelligent functioning of a free society. The Declaration of Independence speaks of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness as basic human rights. They ought to be.
Now we have candidates running for office with national health plans. Plans that may be mandatory. And if they're like Romney's Massachusetts plan, plans that cover abortions. Now think with me where this is headed. Oh, now, don't think too hard. China is an obvious example. If the government has it's hand in our health care, and the people we put in charge of our government are not staunchly pro-life, than how hard do you think it is to slide from there to recommended abortions, then required abortions. Or choices like the ones they make in Holland where newborns with severe disablities are euthanized, someties without parental consent. It is a slippery slope that you tread on. Do you think that most of the people in Germany in 1930 had any clue that some of them would soon be forced into something like this?
Life is valuable. If it is denied that value on any level, it endangers everyone. This goes beyond "conservative" voting. This is a fight for the Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness for future generations of Americans. This is why we have a United States of America. So please stop thinking that this is optional. Changing people's hearts and morals is the duty of the Church. But protecting life is a duty of the government as well. So don't just go to church and honor life with your heart and lips. Honor it with your vote as well.
Now that I've gotten off my soapbox, here's another practical way to honor life.
Let's join Mary in buying blankets for destitute mothers and their new babies in Ethiopia.
9 comments:
Thank you for this post!
It just really boggles my mind that people would support a health care plan that pays for abortions.
Especially since my sister could not find a health care plan that would cover her pregnancy. The plan that she had before she got pregnant did not cover maternity, and then of course no other plan would insure her because she had a pre-existing condition .
But yet, she would have been covered if she opted for an abortion. That would have been covered. That does not make sense! Talk about NOT supporting a womans "right to choose" to carry her baby!
Interesting? How pro-life are you? If one of your precious little girls was at the age of being able to get pregnant and got raped or had sex with a Mexican, Black, or other non-Caucasian person that ended in her being pregnant would you encourage her to keep the child? Probably not! You probably wouldn't want "shame" brought upon you or your family. Everyone wants to tell everyone one else what to do with their lives and bodies until it affects them or their family and becomes personal. Just food for thought.
Dear Leann,
If that were to happen, it would be a tragedy, but I would certainly encourage her to keep the child. I would do the same if that happened to me. The support of our church family in that situation would be overwhelming and we already have couples that have adopted biracial children in our church. She would be supported in her choice to keep the child or give it up for adoption, which is always a compassionate choice.
Taking a life is never justified even in the face of others' crimes, and while I know that that would certainly be extremely traumatic, I think that it would be more traumatic for a child that was reared to view life as precious from conception to be encouraged to have an abortion and carry that guilt for the rest of her life.
And on a slightly different note, my husband and I view people the way that God created them, as one human race, created in his image, and redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. If our daughter grows up and wishes to marry a man of a different "race" that loves God and her, she would have our blessing. This should certainly not effect our choices about life.
Here is a review of the facts from some of those who have been in that situation, some of them overlap:
http://www.afterabortion.org/rape.html
http://www.pregnantpause.org/aborted/curerape.htm
http://www.priestsforlife.org/testimony/ingentlehands.htm
I would encourage anyone that is living through this situation themselves, or have a loved one dealing with this trauma, to contact their local crisis pregnancy center for counselling, support, and life-giving options. And I would encourage all believers to treat them with support and compassion that confirms their own belief in life.
My faith in God compels me to believe that He is in control of all things and the Maker of all life. We deal with sinful human beings every day, but our response is before God. He is willing to reach out, save, and heal everyone that comes to Him in repentance and belief.
Very well put, Alicia. I wonder how many pregnancies result from rape anyway. Out of millions of abortions performed in a year, how many of those are done because of rape? I'd bet that there are not many.
I believe the Bible teaches God's providence over all of our lives. If a life did result from rape (regardless of the perpetrator's race), then I would have to believe that God ordained that life. I'm not saying I would want to raise that child, or ask my daughter to do that, but I don't think I would encourage her to kill the baby.
Alicia I really appreciate your response regarding race. Karl and I have discussed what if one of our children chooses a mate of a different race. I think here in the south it's a bigger deal than it should be. We feel the same way about it that you and Brian do.
Leann mentioned shame. I don't see why a woman should feel ashamed for being a rape victim. What did she do wrong? What would be the shame in not killing a child? I see no shame in any of that. If she did no wrong, why feel shame? I don't get it.
I think that the shame was referring to a biracial child who's origin would be either questioned or looked down upon.
I have been guilty in the past of being less open to some interracial adoptions in regard to myself personally because of what others might assume about me, though I had nothing but respect for others who had the openness and selflessness to pursue them.
But if Christians are less willing to take biracial children in, and I believe that many more are, then we need to face this head-on as a heart issue and deal with it. We are the worst of hypocrites if we proclaim adoption as an alternative, but decline to adopt some children on such a selfishly motivated basis.
I routinely explore adoption websites, and no longer allow race to be any basis for searches in databases. It is important that we become aware of inconsistencies in our own lives and beliefs so that the world can take us seriously.
Oh, I wasn't saying I wouldn't want to raise the child because it would be biracial. I meant any child born from a rape would be a daily reminder of something terrible. This is just me, but I don't think I could raise my baby who is a product of a rape. To see him or her every day and be reminded of how that child came to be? No, I don't think I could do it. And I wouldn't ask my daughter to, either. I would give it to another family, though. And if we were asked to take a child from a young woman who was raped, we'd take him or her without any problems. I was just speaking personally before. Does all that make any sense whatsoever? :)
Oh, Leslie, I wasn't responding to you personally, other than to your question about what the shame was that Leann refered too. I totally understand your thought process. No worries :^)
I was speaking more generally about the hypothetical situation. I started after the first paragraph to say that adoption, was, of course still an option. Then I remembered how much harder it is to place a biracial baby and just followed that thought through.
These are all wonderful thought provoking comments and I appreciate every one of them.
Leann, I appreciate what you have said and understand where you are coming from...I have thought through some of that as well....it would be heart breaking.
BUT, when faced with any of life's terrible ordeals that may happen to any one of us, I must have enough faith in God to know that he knows what is just, right, and best. In the Bible, God always supports and upholds life. God loves life and we should,too. Even if it resulted from a terrible sinful act...if we pick and choose what lives are valuable, then we are trying to be God...and we are not really siding with God, because all of life is precious to Him...yours and mine and every unborn child. He creates life...even in terrible situations. He has a purpose and we do not always see or know what that is.
So for me, I would choose life if that were to happen to me or my daughters. Rape is a terrible selfish hateful crime, but that child is a precious creation of God. The child is not at fault, the person who did the terrible act will be held accountable before a Holy Judge and unless he confesses and repents of that sin as well as all of his sins, he will be found guilty and serve a terrible punishment...not because God wants to punish, but because God is Holy and can only overlook sin through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. We must all repent of our sins...no matter how big or little...e are guilty and need God to forgive us.
The child should not be killed because of another's sinful choice.
There are many families who would love and accept that child through adoption..we are one family that has considered adopting a bi-racial child...right now we are adopting from China, but who knows what the future holds for us. I just know that through choosing life, many blessings can come and what men mean for evil, God can use it for good.
I hope this helps and again, I think all of the comments have been good and thought provoking. It is a hard thing, but we must side with God and choose life. His purposes will prevail through anything...if we really believe God and His Word, we will stand up for life.
Excellent post and excellent comments!
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