A Persistent Issue

Tomorrow, January 22, is the 42^nd year since the Supreme Court opened the doors for unlimited access to abortion. In the succeeding years restrictions have been put in place in some states, but the fateful decision effectively rendered null and void laws that were on the books that treated abortion, in almost all cases, as a crime. Since that time over 56,000,000 abortions have been executed. It’s important to realize that surveys conducted by the Guttmacher Institute report that out of that number only 1% were in response to pregnancies caused by rape, and less than .5% in response to pregnancies caused by incest, and 7% of the respondents cited health reasons of either the mother or possible problem with the baby. The percentages for these particular reasons have remained consistent since 1987. If we assume that that is the case for the years 1972-1987, then we are left with a very heart-breaking number: 51,240,000 children died for reasons other than the oft cited “hard cases,” the ones given as a rationale for why abortion must remain available. 51,240,000 . . .

What should govern the Church's response to such a tragic reality? Historically, the Church looks to the Bible. There is no explicit biblical text that addresses the subject, but there are three (at least) strong pointers that help direct our response. First, we are told that life, each life, is created by God and given to human beings. Life, therefore, is not ours to destroy but rather, like stewards, to nurture. Second, untimely or unexpected pregnancies should be met with sacrifice and service not dismissed as an intrusion. This is not to be borne by the mother alone, however. The father, and community in which she and this new life lives, must be ready to come along side, Good Samaritan-like, to do their part. Third, given the fact that the Savior saw fit to begin his humanity saving mission as a fertilized egg in the womb of a woman, we cannot think of the developing child as anything less than human. As such, he or she deserves to be respected and protected with the same care as others who bear the "image of God."

Can we expect the world outside of the church to be governed by these biblical truths? 56,000,000 abortions says that we cannot. But within the Church, at least, we can be shaped by these realties to create a culture of life that witnesses to our neighbors and communicates that we stand ready to serve them when the presence of new life brings with it profound responsibilities.

An Important Week

This week is an important one.

First of all, it began with Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the most important day of any week. This is the day on which the people of God gather to worship their Maker and Redeemer. God has graciously made a way for sinners such as you and I to be in communion with him. This he has done by giving the gift of his Son to do what we could not do – fulfill all righteousness and bear the penalty of our not having fulfilled God’s righteous demands. We gather together each Lord’s Day as those who are aware of this kindness and we pause to intentionally thank God and learn of him.

On Monday, we had a national holiday commemorating the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. He would have been 80 this past Thursday. It is fitting that the nation pause and honor this courageous soul. He was used by God to awaken this nation to its own values and hold it accountable regarding its fundamental commitment that “all men are created equal.”

Then, on Tuesday, we had the inauguration of a new president. This is a remarkable event for several reasons. First of all, we are truly blessed to live in a country that witnesses a peaceful transition of power every four years. One does not have to strain very hard to find numerous examples in history of when such change in leadership was anything but peaceful. Zimbabwe is a contemporary example. And, of course, the inauguration of our new president is remarkable because the one who took the oath is identified as a black man. God has graciously allowed our country to evolve so that we might be a nation of opportunity and equality both in theory and in practice.

On Thursday, however, we have a much more important event taking place in Washington, DC, than the inauguration: the 36th March for Life, which observes the Supreme Court’s fateful Roe v Wade decision of January 22, 1973. This was the decree that unleashed the holocaust of abortion upon this land. Since that time, some 45-50 million children have been aborted in this country and, in this environment, we have witnessed an increasing tolerance for the destruction of human life for “therapeutic” reasons: assisted suicide, euthanasia, and, lately, embryonic stem cell research.

Unfortunately, the newly sworn president doesn’t get it. He is without a doubt the most pro-abortion president we have ever had. He received a 100% rating from NARAL and is on record (and this is thoroughly documented) as persistently voting against and standing in opposition to a bill in the Illinois legislature that would have protected the life of children who survived an abortion procedure. This is particularly unfortunate as it is the African-American community that has suffered the most in the wake of Roe. A disproportionate number of black babies are destroyed by the abortion industry in this country. For every two African-American women that get pregnant, one will choose to abort. In truth, a black baby is five times more likely to be killed in the womb than a white baby (statistics from The Alan Guttmaucher Institute support these observations). This has led a colleague of mine in the pro-life community (a black man, by the way) to remark, “The most dangerous place for an African American to be is in the womb of their African American mother” (Rev. Clenard H Childress, Jr. of blackgenocide.org).

We must pray that President Obama will come to realize that his desire for all of the human family to be respected and valued must extend to the most vulnerable among us. May he become a champion of life in all its stages.