Thursday, January 3, 2013

January 2013


Smoky Mountain Reflections
January 2013

            Happy New Year......I guess we do not need the existence of a Mayan calendar because you are reading this, and the last date on that calendar passed weeks ago. As we enter the year of 2013, we do come upon a gloomy anniversary. For the past 40 years, we as a nation have been allowing for the legal murder of unborn children.  I can hear you saying it now...."Come on Pastor, not that topic again...it is so depressing."  I agree.  It is a depressing topic, but if we do not speak the truth in love to our neighbors on this topic....who will speak for the weak and vulnerable who cannot speak for themselves?

            It would be great if all the people we know and love could be on the same page on this topic, but the truth is we all know and love people who are on the wrong side of this discussion.  If we all were of one mind and agreed about the intrinsic value of life, then the womb would be a safe place to live. But the truth is we are not, and out of respect and concern for all those people and the lives that are at risk, it is best to be honest and upfront about who you are, what you believe, and why you believe it.

            This is important for two reasons.  First—life is a blessing and as such should be nurtured and cared for. We as a society must work to protect and care for the weak, and those who are in a position to protect them best—their mothers. Secondly, a whole generation of women have been lied to and told that their child was not a life, and so 30 to 40 percent of our society is suffering the physical and emotional scars of abortion.  We as the body of Christ must do everything in our power to communicate God’s love and forgiveness for these hurting men and woman who either directly or indirectly suffer from post-abortion issues.  

            It saddens me that we cannot get the truth from our media outlets, our government, our health care system, or any other public organization, because the "lifestyle left" has its hooks in all these places, keeping the public message in line with their abortion-on-demand agenda. Abortion is the most unregulated and most unreported medical procedure taking place in our country. The pro-choice propaganda machine says it is fighting for women.  What about all the future women that are aborted? What about the women who die because of botched abortions? What about those who suffer from post-abortion physical and emotional scars? What about the women who are coerced into making the choice for abortion by organizations that make money off that decision?  These organizations lobby against simple legislation including licensing and regulating abortion clinics, parental consent requirements for minors, 24-hour waiting periods and ultrasound provisions. The reason they fight all these things is because they know that when women are given all the information, women overwhelming decide against abortion and that cuts into their business. 

            There is another thing that puzzles me.  I noticed in the last election that the pro-life candidates have to clarify their position for the media: “What, if any, are the exceptions in your position?”  Being pro-choice also has many different positions, but the media asked no such question of those with a pro-choice position. You could almost put all these positions on a Life vs Choice scale and find that people and even leaders all lean heavily to the LIFE side of this scale. Here is a summary of those positions as I understand them:
            - Full Pro-Life no exceptions.
                        However even in this position, most would make exception to protect the life of the mother,                                 leaving that decision in the hands of the mother.
            - Pro-Life with the exception of rape and incest (The Romney / Ryan Position)
            - Pro-Life with the exception of rape, incest, and health of mother.
            - Pro-Choice (rare and legal) first trimester only.
            - Pro-Choice with all above exceptions plus welfare of the mother.
            - Pro-Choice abortion on demand for any reason but only in the first trimester.
            - Pro-Choice abortion on demand for any reason up to the day of birth (The Obama / Biden Position)
            - Extreme Pro-Choice if a child was intended to be aborted but is born alive.....let it die.

            There are even more extreme positions that would allow for euthanizing infants if there is anything wrong             with them that would give them a poor quality of life.  We must be well informed on these issues and as such, should take the time to educate ourselves.  So that we can be well informed members of the body of Christ, the human race, and as citizens.

            What can you do? Well, you can stay informed by visiting some of the following websites: www.lutheransforlife.org;  www.afa.netwww.ruthinstitute.org; www.all.org; www.nrlc.org.  Listen to Issues Etc. online (www.issuesetc.org) as they often cover this topic.  You can also pray for and give of your time and resources to the Women's Care Center, and our county’s Right to Life chapter that is having a rally at Country Tonight on the 13th @ 2 PM.  See you there, and have a great new year!!

In Christ,