THYME Magazine: Essential Knowledge III

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume VII, Issue XXVII

Essential  Knowledge III

Does the human condition indeed require Faith to sustain it? I write from that perspective in this essay, but there are those who would disagree. Indeed there is fresh argument to the effect that human compassion  can (and indeed DOES) exist apart from Faith. Leaving the Sciences vs science arguements of the past, a new study from the University of California, Berkley, suggests that Compassion Moves the Non-Religious [click to read] more than the people of Faith. A closer look would not necessarily discredit the compassion of the faithful, but identify the top motivator in the life of a person who's life is not characterized by Faith.

"Overall, we find that for less religious people, the strength of their emotional connection to another person is critical to whether they will help that person or not," explained Robb Willer, co-author of the study and UC Berkeley social psychologist. "The more religious, on the other hand, may ground their generosity less in emotion, and more in other factors such as doctrine, a communal identity, or reputational concerns." -- Laura Saslow, Researcher

Saslow goes on to say that it is more likely that the person of Faith will cite Religious teaching as the reason for his or her actions. The person who professes NO belief will indeed cite compassion by default. Atheists often cite the observed lack or compassion they see in religious people as one reason they chose not to believe. For me the study has deeper implications. I remember Bertrand Russell's wrestling with the meaning of life:

That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins—all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair can the soul’s habitation be safely built. -- Bertrand Russell (from A Free Man's Worship, 1903)

In despair, one still reaches out to find an anchor. A soul adrift still seeks safe harbor. Conscience still leads us to the safe waters of compassion... even as we dismiss it as a simple evolution necessary for the survival of the species, that anchor becomes MORE important because we find nothing else to tie our rope to. The first irony implicit in the role of despair is that for many of us this was the point where we began our discipleship IN the Faith. Though those who want to deny Faith will undoubtedly reference obscure similarities to now extinct ancient religions to obfuscate the beacon that I follow, I humbly offer that compassion finds its roots in some very clearly marked repositories. Winston Churchill said it best: "There is no better hope than Christ's principles in the Sermon on the Mount!" Wallace Henley [click to read] writes:

"Everyone on the planet has a worldview. Those who understand reality through a biblical view know transformation is the fundamental issue. "Where do wars come from?" asks James, rhetorically. They come from our lusts and passions. We desire power and possessions, and we enter conflicts to satisfy those perceived needs.

Biblically formed thinkers are the ultimate realists. While many in the world try to find other explanations for "irrational" human behavior whether in the form of nations or individuals, those who embrace the Bible's worldview know the bottom line: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Then follows the question: What worldview can really bring human transformation that benefits the rest of the world? Certainly not a belief system that advocates intimidation, manipulation, condemnation, and domination to force global allegiance.

Suddenly the Christ towers in our precarious moment: the Christ who taught us to love our enemies, to be harmless as doves but simultaneously wise as serpents, to lead as servants, the Christ who renews the human mind, and who gives us a whole new way of seeing and living."

Alvin Schmidt concurs with Henley. In his book: Under the Influence [click to read], Schmidt documents well the roots of much of what the world today calls "Compassion," in the revelation of the Divine. The Berkley study first referenced finds two reasons for action: compassion (usually for those one feels empathy with), and doctrine. What if pure doctrine expands compassion? Consider those early Christians who pulled discarded babies out of the Tiber River and cared for them. What about the Righteous Gentiles who risked their own lives to protect their Jewish Neighbors from the Holocaust?

In fact Jesus once asked: "Who is my neighbor?" in Luke chapter 10. The lesson he proceeded to teach did just that... EXPANDED the reach of compassion! Jesus was always embracing lepers and talking with people he wasn't supposed to... like WOMEN. In a world where the (self) righteous man would pray, thanking the Divine that he had not been born a Gentile, a Slave or a Woman, Jesus brought the message of promise to all three, as well as to the House of Israel. IMAGO DEI was a non-negotiable concept  for the carpenter from Gallilee.

A very sad story was seen in the Washington Post recently. It was about a 19th Century home for unwed mothers where the bodies of hundreds of discarded children had been buried. The story went on to explain the distain the surrounding community had for the "home babies." They mainly died from neglect. The picture of the building's exterior bore a chilling resemblance to a Müller home, but here the resemblance ends. Where Müller saw IMAGO DEI, the administrators of this facility saw only the children's unwantedness. Today the household of Faith extends compassion in ministry to unwed mothers and their unborn babies.

Expanding compassion might well take the same reporter who investigated this home to shudder at the case of Kermit Gosnell's abortion clinic in Pennsylvania. Where Gosnell saw only unwantedness, we are challenged to see IMAGO DEI! That is the challenge, and the destination we have arrived at... a personal challenge to expand the vision of compassion, directed by the Divine!

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue II

Forty Years After Roe vs Wade, Where Are We Now? 

This week the 'other' weekly news magazine celebrates the ruling of Roe vs Wade [click to read] forty years ago. Calling the ruling an 'epic victory,' they go on to lament the successes of the Pro-life movement in pushing back the wholesale slaughter of unborn babies. The truth is humanity may be the big loser in the overall devaluation of human life in the wake of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling.

Generally considered poor law by scholars [1.], Roe vs Wade finds its substance in a constructed 'right of privacy.' The problem might be seen this way: If I break a car window to rescue to free an overheated puppy on a very hot Summer day, have I infringed on the rights of the car owner? In theory, yes, but if I hadn't rescued the dog, a passing policeman might do the same thing. The overriding concern being the welfare of the poor creature trapped in the car.

What Roe ignores in supporting the privacy of the abortion seeker is the welfare of the unborn child, and any rights (Life, Liberty, etc.) that the child, as a unique human being might possess, thanks to our 'archaic' Constitution [2.]. Indeed, if I see a child falling from a balcony, the 'keep off the grass' sign and the fence are overruled by the facts of the situation. Indeed, I might be considered culpable if I did NOT trespass in this particular instance.

Abortion and the Devaluing of Human Life

Before Christmas an appalling crime occurred in a small town in Connecticut. The murder of six-year old children shocked most Americans. Killing innocent children is wrong. Most of us would agree. When a nine-year old child asks his Mother: “What is an abortion?” and she tries to explain, the child responds: “But, that means killing the baby.” The existence of abortion in the fabric of our culture has long range implications, and they do not bode well for a culture of respect for life [3.].

For forty years abortion has been given privileged protection (your child cannot have an aspirin at school without your consent, but the same school health system may schedule a 'confidential' abortion consultation for your child at Planned Parenthood) [4.]. Attempts to regulate abortion clinics in a manner similar to other medical facilities are regularly challenged. You will never see an abortion performed on educational television. In fact, pro-choice advocates regularly stonewall discussion of the very real issue of protecting preborn life.

I participated in a prayer vigil to silently protest the first abortion clinic built in the city where I lived in 1974. Now, forty years later, one must ask what the long-term consequences are. Occasionally a child survives the attempt to abort her. Gianna Jessen is one such person and though the failed abortion left her with a number of physical challenges, she regularly speaks on the issue of sanctity of life.

A Voice for Those Who Cannot Speak


Gianna Jessen survived an abortion. Now she speaks for the unborn.

She has been on Dr. Dobson's show to tell her story. Since the unborn cannot speak for themselves it is a powerful thing to hear from someone who wasn't supposed to live. Gianna Jessen does not quit. Giving up is not an option to her. Gianna has what she refers to as the "gift" of Cerebral Palsy. She weighed a mere 2 lbs at birth and the doctors said she would never be able to hold up her head, sit up, crawl or walk. She began to walk by the age of three years old with the help of leg braces and a walker.

Gianna is a Christian. Her life was given to her by the grace of God. She shouldn't be walking, but more miraculous still; she should not even be alive. Gianna's biological mother was 17 when she had a saline abortion in her third trimester. Many Americans don’t realize it is legal to have an abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. After being burned alive for approximately 18 hours in the womb from the saline solution, Gianna was delivered alive in a Los Angeles County abortion clinic. Her medical records state, "born during saline abortion"...this is what caused her Cerebral Palsy.

The Child Who Was Never Born

Martin Hudáček Creates Monument to the Unborn


Slovakian artist Martin Hudáček's moving sculpture celebrates love, mercy, reconciliation and peace through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

By Hannah Rose Allen

This heart-rending sculpture was created by a Slovakian art student named Martin Hudáček. He was moved to create something to draw attention to the devastation abortion can bring to the woman and to the fact that through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, reconciliation, healing, and peace is possible. His main intention in creating the sculpture was "not to be famous, but to speak about the important value of human life and the necessity to protect it from conception."

The sculpture shows a woman in great sorrow grieving her abortion. The second figure in the work is her aborted child, presented as a young child, who in a very touching and healing way, comes to the mother, to offer forgiveness and love.

Martin named the work "Memorial for Unborn Children" and said that it "expresses hope which is given to believers by the One who died on the cross for us, and showed how much He cares about all of us."

A post-abortion retreat leader, Fr. William Kurz, S.J. said, “It’s a message of forgiveness and healing needed by the grieving post-abortive mother even some years after her abortion...It speaks directly and beautifully both to the intense and profound grief of the mother, and to the dignity of the aborted baby.”

From the Slovak Website [click to read], with the help of Google Translator:

"On October 28, 2011 at 16:00 o’clock in Ves memorial, a dedication ceremony for unborn children was held. The centerpiece of the dedication included the work (pictured above) of young sculptor Martin Hudáčeka of Banska Bystrica. This ceremony was attended by the Minister of Health, Ivan Uhliarik MD.

The idea to build a memorial to unborn children came from within a community of young women and mothers who are deeply aware of the value of every human life and the damage that is inflicted not only from the loss of potential unborn children, but also from the permanent intellectual impairment (sometimes physical) of every woman who chooses to conceive their unborn child.

This memorial not only expresses the sadness and regret of the mothers but also forgiveness and love from the unborn child to the mother."

A Latin American post-abortive woman who was helped in the healing process by the Proyecto Esperanza (Project Hope) program says the sculpture “is simple…marvelous. I got emotional and I stopped to take the time to look at it…I felt many things…the woman with all her pain being concentrated in her face held in her hands. Shame is also conveyed…And the daughter who blesses her, reaching up to touch her, to me indicates the height of forgiveness, the height of that child’s forgiveness, through the love of God. The transparency of the child means she comes from a pure place. It talks to me of the forgiveness we feel after we have worked through the grief… Precious…really precious.”

“This presents a very beautiful image of a core component of post abortion healing,” comments Kevin Burke, LSW, of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries, “that the very child that was lost to abortion with God’s grace is now instrumental in calling the wounded mother and father to repentance and healing in Christ.”

Julie Thomas of Atlanta, who has personally experienced abortion and is now active with the Operation Outcry post-abortion program, commented, “I love that the little girl is not a baby - we often talk about that during our Bible study and for some reason a lot of us believe that when we get to Heaven that our children will be a toddler as the child is here. I also like the child being ‘transparent’ almost angel-like in appearance. The mother appears to be in anguish, which is so very real. I love that the child is reaching out to touch the mother’s head. I can imagine the mother sensing the touch and believe that she will stand up, taller than before. I believe that this image is very strong and touching, possibly leading to the first step of healing for the mother who has aborted her children.”

This work powerfully illustrates my experience with abortion and losing my Luke Shiloh. It resonates so much with me and draws out the beauty, pain, sorrow, and hope... It is an extremely effective representation of what it is like to live with an abortion, but also to be set free by the love and mercy of Christ! I am brought to tears looking at it and thinking of my Luke...I am so sorry sweet boy, yet I have tasted the forgiveness and healing of Jesus and I know one day I will meet you and see your precious face and what has happened on this earth will be forgotten.

I also believe that this sculpture beautifully shows what a mother experiences when losing a child...whether through stillbirth, miscarriage, or any other type of loss. A mother brought to her knees in grief, weeping over her devastating loss...and her little one coming to comfort her, almost as if she's promising all is well and they will be reunited again one day. There will be no more aching, no more longing, no more hurting, no more tears...

For anyone who reads this or sees this photo that has had an abortion, I encourage you to check out my After-Abortion Resource Page [click to read] for more resources of hope and healing.

For more information, and to download a mini-poster with this image, go Here [click to view].

Hannah Rose Allen writes at Rose and Her Lily [click to read].

Stupak's Original Sin

Kathleen Parker and Phil on Pro-Life 'Paradise Lost'


Defender of Life? Not quite. "These Democrats chose a last minute fig leaf rather than standing up for the pro-life American majority." -- Marjorie Dannenfelser

Kathleen Parker [click to read] in Jewish World Review has some pretty clear thoughts on the fall of Stupak. Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony List has announced that Stupak will not receive the 'Defender of Life' award. Many of us were feeling betrayed and confused by Stupak's changing his vote for the promise of an executive order. Indeed there is little an executive order does to guarantee government dollars don't fund abortion.

The rescinding of the award is deserved. Now Phil [click to read] discusses the 'Stupek Stipend.' Now it is becoming likely that Stupak was PAID for his vote.

"Stupak's clumsy fall from grace is a lesson in human frailty. In a matter of hours, he went from representing the majority of Americans who don't want public money spent on abortion to leading the army on the other side.

Something must have gone bump in the night."

"After the Sunday vote, a group of Democrats, including Stupak, gathered in a pub to celebrate. In a biblical moment, New York Rep. Anthony Weiner was spotted planting a big kiss on Stupak's cheek.

To a Catholic man well versed in the Gospel, this is not a comforting gesture." -- Kathleen Parker

Here is the 'Stand with Stupak' Video [click to watch] that Ms. Parker references.

Pro-Life American Majority Locked Out [click to read].

"Today's decision to sign the Executive Order behind closed doors reveals much about the seriousness of this President and Democrats' commitment to keep abortion funding out of the healthcare legislation. If the Executive Order solution were real, then the signing ceremony would have to be on the White House lawn--somewhere big enough to fit the massive, bipartisan consensus.

The abortion issue was the pivot point for the passage or failure of the entire bill. These Democrats chose a last minute fig leaf rather than standing up for the pro-life American majority. This pro-abortion president and his enablers who call themselves 'pro-life' want this issue to go away fast. But they will not keep the newly enlivened, vastly larger pro-life movement at bay, despite the President's promises that all will be forgotten by November. The Susan B. Anthony List is hard at work with daily reminders. Votes have consequences and for the pro-life betrayers, it will be a quick downhill slide to defeat in November. "Just four days ago, the Susan B. Anthony List was preparing to defend 'pro-life' Democrats, like Rep. Bart Stupak, in primary and general elections. In the coming weeks, instead, we will be examining the districts where we can elect a strong pro-life representative who will not crack under pressure." -- Marjorie Dannenfelser

Stupak Got Skunked...

The 'Executive Order' Won't Stop Abortion Funding

Here's Why:

1. An executive order can be rescinded any time. President Obama could reverse it next week, next month, or next year. Should another pro-abortion president be elected in the future, it could be rescinded on inauguration day.

2. An executive order will not prevent insurance companies that provide abortion from participating in the exchanges.

3. Abortion funding in the health care legislation can be only be removed using the legislative process. An executive order not only doesn't fix the problem, it isn't needed to fix the problem, and could not stand a legal challenge. If Democrats are serious about protecting taxpayers from funding abortion in the health care bill, they must use the legislative process to fix the problem.

ht/Marjorie Dannenfelser

Obama, Pelosi and Reid in Gehennah

History Shows Us that Graphic Images Have Always
Been Used in the Fight Against Great Evils...


On the steps of the Russell Building, the elected officials are depicted in eternal torment for their sins...

When an observant Jew in the time of the kingdom thought about hell a very distinct image came to mind. The word Gehennah, which we often translate to mean hell in fact refers to a specific geographic location -- "the valley of the sons of Hennah". Child sacrifices were once made to the Semite pagan's god Molech. Gehennah is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 28:3 and 33:6, and Jeremiah 7:31, 19:2-6,and appears in many traditional extra-Biblical Jewish writings as well. The idol Molech had iron arms which were heated and infants placed into the arms of Molech were cruelly burned to death. [1.]

When the area came into Jewish control Gehennah became a garbage dump. Fires burned contuinually and there was an unending stench. Garbage, the bodies of criminals and dead animals and anything vile and offensive would be found there. Vultures would be seen circling overhead. Dante, in his wildest imagination, could hardly do better.

Unfortunately the people periodically 'rediscovered' the worship of Molech and the Prophets speak of this. In doing so their worship became as a stench to G-d. Scripture tells us that they offered their children to this vile deity as well.

"The fires of Gehennah" became a metaphor for Hell. Hell was forever tied to a place that had seen the destruction of innocents.

As we were entering the Russell Senate Office Building we were greeted by the specters of Obama, Reid and Pelosi in the chains of eternal torment. A tormenter in a black hood announced that they were being led to their punishment. Indeed their disregard for human life, unborn and elderly, was being called to task.

The tormenter removed his dark hood to reveal himself as Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, an organization that has been fighting for the pro-life cause for years. Terry pointed out the fact that throughout history great movements have used graphic depiction as an effective tool in their fight to right wrongs.


...as Randall Terry explains how graphic imagery has been used as a tool to fight evil throughout history.

Stupak Made Simple

Easy Off, Easy On...


The whole machine is not life friendly at all.

Keep Your Tax Dollars from Funding Abortion

Call These Senators Today...

More from Michelle Malkin [click to read].

Sen. Max Baucus’s, D-Mont., proposed health-care bill includes specific language that would allow abortion to be subsidized with taxpayer funds.

Recently, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has introduced several amendments that would prevent any government funding of abortions and protect current conscience laws for health care workers…

…If you would like to take part in this vital effort to keep your tax dollars from funding abortion in health care, please call these Senators:

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.): 202-224-5521
Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.): 202-224-2441
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.): 202-224-2043
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.): 202-224-4843
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.): 202-224-5274
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine): 202-224-5344

Update: Email for the Senators Who's Phones were "Busy" Today:

Sen. Olympia Snowe [click to email]
Sen. Bill Nelson [click to email]
Sen. Blanche Lincoln [click to email]

'Pro Abortion' Healthcare Reform

It's Not 'Pro Choice' if I'm Forced to Pay for
[or Perform] Abortions

Tucked away in the massive heathcare bill that no one seems to have time to read is a provision that mandates all insurance would have to cover abortions. An attempt to add conscience exclusions for providers failed in committee.

House and Senate committees continue to work out the details of the health care reform bills and, thus far, every effort to explicitly remove the abortion coverage and include conscience protections for health care workers has been shot down.
We now expect the vote on health care to come in September.

Let's be honest, we know who's paying big money and worked hard to elect this president. Still, conscience protection has always been a fundamental part of American life. Members of the Society of Friends and Mennonites are excluded from military service because of their beliefs and that is no different from a nurse holding the view that preborn life is not to be takeen.

Forcing those who object on moral or ethical grounds to fund and perform abortions goes against everything fundamentally American.

Pro-life citizens give a lot of money and time to support alternatives to abortion. Pregnancy help centers are an amazing resource and provide pre-natal care, counselling, resources and support to those facing unexpected pregnancies. It is not only immoral, but insulting to suggest that they need to be forced to support something that is against their beliefs.


Dogwood blossoms.

Update:

Randy Alcorn Writes About The Bill [click to read] and makes a number of important points about this legislation.

Thoughtful Comparison

Is Waterboarding Worse Than Abortion

Thought Provoking Comparison in American Power Blog [click to read].

"Maybe what I'm really trying to reconcile in my own mind, is how the opponents of water boarding, who vehemently protest the cruelty of it, and diligently pursue "justice" and "protection of civil rights" for the recipients of it, justify the pain and suffering endured by the innocents who have done nothing, but are tortured in the most inhumane way during an abortion--while at the same time loudly protesting the mistreatment of some very bad people intent on killing us, one and all.I looked up a few things about both subjects. Perhaps, you will tell me what you think, after we compare the two." ht/SWAC Girl


Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen.

Respecting Conscience

Medical Workers Conscience Protection set to Expire

the Obama Administration is losing no time in trying to force medical workers of faith into providing services they find objectionable.

On February 27, it announced its intention to remove current regulations, put in place by the Bush Administration late last year, that protect conscience rights in health care. On March 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a formal proposal to rescind these regulations, thereby activating a 30-day period for the public to submit comments.

The National Committee for a Human Life Amendment has devised an Action Alert explaining why the regulations should be retained and providing directions on how to submit comments to HHS (click here). E-mail messages can be sent directly through the NCHLA Action Center. A preset message is provided, to which the sender can add personal comments.

Please submit your comments before the April 9 deadline!


Brown's Gap Turnpike in Shenandoah National Park.

'Tolerance' vs Respect

My Previous Thoughts on Conscience Protection [click to read]

Our Country has enjoyed a long history of respecting matters of conscience. Mennonites and members of the Society of Friends are exemted from military service for this reason and they are considered no less good citizens.

Recent rulings such as the one against E Harmony pose a serious threat to this noble tradition. Consider the Case of Catholic Adoption Agencies in Massachussetts. A similar court ruling required Catholic Adoption Services to give children to same-sex couples. Conscience demanded that the adoption agency shut down rather than violate its beliefs. Thus such 'judicial tyranny' actually kills diversity by making it impossible for good people to continue operating in violation of their own principles.

Pharmacists also face similar pressure. The development of abortion by drugs created a situation where pro-life pharmacists would violate their beliefs if they dispensed these drugs. It seems that common sense would dictate that those objecting pharmacists would be respected. There are alternative sources of these abortion drugs, but the intent is clearly not diversity but the imposition of a new civil morality that overrides Judeo-Christian principles.

Thus the new'tolerance' flies in the face of the basic guarantees of the First Amendment. The so-called 'alternatives' they seek to promote already exist in our pluralistic society. Such judicial initiatives only serve to silence opposition.

This 70 Million Dollar Lawsuit Against Thomas Nelson Publishers and Zondervan is further evidence of how the 'gay agenda' is working through the courts. The specifics of this case are important to consider. The two publishers are being sued for 'publishing Bibles containing passages condemning homosexuality.' That's a Catch-22 for any publisher who seeks to provide unaltered original text to their customers.

There are plenty of 'politically correct' translations available to those who want them. When Thomas Jefferson found parts of the Bible objectionable, he published his own severely edited version. He did not seek to supress the publication of the original texts but offered his own alternative reading. Today you can find gender-neutral translations if that is what you prefer and versions that skip over the parts of Leviticus that bother some activists. Once again: "...the intent is clearly not diversity but the imposition of a new civil morality that overrides Judeo-Christian principles."

Update: Today is the Last Dayf or Public Comment:

Today is the Last Day [click to read] for the public to weigh in on whether it backs the Obama administration's decision to wipe out the conscience clause.

WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD:
(202) 456-1414

WRITE THE PRESIDENT:
The White House1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington D.C., 20500

E-MAIL:
Send comments to proposedrescission@hhs.gov asking that the existing regulations be maintained. You must send your e-mail by the April 9 deadline.

Affirming Life

It Is a New Era, But this Battle is Not New

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." -- American Declaration of Independence

This Article in World Magazine really caught my attention. We tend to think of abortion as a problem that is relatively new but Marvin Olasky points out the sad fact that it has been around far longer than Roe vs Wade. Indeed it became a very real problem towards the end of the Nineteenth Century.

The great upheaval of Westward expansion and increased mobility was followed by an increase in abortion that was shocking even by today's standards. Then as Now Christian Groups Rose to the Challenge of meeting the needs of women and their babies.

Olasky's Article shows how concerned Christians effectively affirmed life then and in so doing gives us a real strategy for doing so now.

Given today's political realities, our best victories are likely to be won in similar fashion, one heart at a time.

Update:

U.S. Bishops Ask President Obama Not to Reverse Bush's Pro-Life Policies
Cardinal Francis George's letter urges the new president not to abandon our nation's pro-life policies.

Update:

The Strategic Role of Operation Ultrasound
Medical Imaging lets the unborn speak for themselves. Upgrading your local Pregnancy Resource Center to include ultrasound may be one of the most effective ways to affirm life.

'Volition'

Short Film Captures the Personal Implications of Imagio Dei



Here is a Film that you must see! It is just fifteen minutes in length but I saw it at Randy Alcorn's Blog and it was pretty powerful. Recently an editor at one of our local weeklies editorialized that Abortion is Not Murder because kids from 'religious' homes are having them and abortion foes are not resisting as they would if someone were gunning down a busload of elementary school children. His argument fails to see that throughout history other great evils have been accepted by even good people in a society.

Just because a course of action is popularly accepted and most follow it does not make it less of an evil. Many Christians owned slaves and I'm sure there were fine principled people serving in the German government. Can we legitimately argue that the holocaust was not murder because church members were working in the camps? Volition does a great job of showing how the right choice has often been the road less travelled in historical perspective.