ABORTION

One of my 2021 resolutions was to avoid useless arguments on Facebook. For the most part, I have kept this resolution with the exception of a few slip-ups. One topic that I can't let go is abortion. I realize that posts like this are like preaching to the choir. They will most likely not change the minds of those who are already pro-life or pro-abortion, but I still feel an obligation to speak the truth in love.

Since Roe v. Wade became the law of the land in 1973, million of unborn children have been sacrificed on the altar of the right to choose. One of my constant prayers is for God to forgive our nation for the holocaust that has been perpetuated. 

Those who are pro-abortion can't deny the truth of biology. The unborn baby is human. And it has nothing to do with viability. Furthermore, it is a body separate from the body of the mother. 

I think Scripture backs this up. "Thou shalt not murder" is one of the  Ten Commandments. What else is killing an unborn baby besides the unjust ending of a life that has been created by God? In Matt. 19:14, "Jesus said, 'Suffer little children, & forbid them not, to come unto Me:  for such is the kingdom of heaven.'" Certainly unborn babies fall under the definition of "little children." And when on the Last Day Jesus enumerates the acts of charity that are practiced by Christians, He says, "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me." (Matt. 25:40) Again, certainly unborn children fall under the definition of "the least of these My brothers."

One of the fallacies promoted by those who advocate abortion is that pro-life people only care about babies until they are born. Nothing could be further from the truth. We reach out to those who experience unplanned pregnancies & provide relief for these families & their children. Many pro-lifers become foster parents. Many seek to adopt so-called "unwanted" children, but, due to the tragedy of abortion. there are far too few babies to meet the needs of those seeking to adopt.

Another argument of those who favor abortion rights is that it would be cruel to bring unwanted children into a world that would likely cause them hardship & suffering, perhaps even abuse. Of course these are realities, but I wonder what an unborn baby would choose. There are many, many children born into poverty who not only survive but flourish.

As I was practicing my daily quiet time this morning, two of my devotions stood out for me, because I think they speak to the need for us to love the unborn & to love those who are experiencing crisis pregnancies. Here they are. I hope they are meaningful for you, too.

SPEAK OUT

"Speak out for the one who cannot speak, for the rights of those who are doomed. Speak out, judge fairly, defend the rights of oppressed & needy people." (Prov. 31:8-9)

"When you see someone who is being treated badly, you have to stand up for them. As a God Guy you can't sit quietly by while other people suffer. You have to say something or do something to change what's happening. The world is full of oppressed & needy people who need the children of God to stand up for them & to take on their case. You might feel powerless & do not know where to start, but all you have to do is to look around you." Michael DiMarco, Devotions for the God Guy

DOING GOOD

"We receive Christ not only as a gift by faith but also as an example through love toward our neighbor, to whom we are to give service & do good as Christ does to us . . . A good work is good because it is useful & benefits & helps the one for whom it is done. Why else should it be called good? . . . Christ has done & accomplished everything for you, paid for your sins, secured grace, life, & salvation. Be content with Him, & only think how you can bring Him more & more into yourself & strengthen this faith. Therefore, direct all you can do & your whole life to this end:  that it be good. It is good when it is useful to other people & not to yourself. You don't need it, since Christ has done & given for you all that you might seek & desire for yourself, here & hereafter, whether it be forgiveness of sins, merit of salvation, or whatever it may be called." A Year in the Gospel with Martin Luther