It’s the 2014 Christmas month. So, our thoughts naturally
gravitate towards the birth of Jesus. But today, as soon as you mention birth,
many think immediately of abortion. What if Jesus had been aborted?
I’m passing on to you a short article featured on the
Denison Forum of today. True, it’s American in orientation, but if you can
forget its place of origin, you can just as easily think of it as
Canadian. I plan to do a more Canadian
post on this early in the new year. (No, this is not a promise; just an
announcement of my intention! If it
doesn’t happen, no promise will have been broken, just a plan aborted—only a plan!)
The Forum’s article is
entitled “The World’s Most Famous Baby Bump.” And sorry for the
unnecessary borders around and the invisible within the article. That’s how it showed up on the Forum’s
website and I don’t know how to get rid of them without hauling in my “expert.”
So, here goes:|
Thus a reporter described Kate Middleton's pregnancy as she and Prince
William arrived in New York City
last Sunday for a three-day official American tour. Kate is about five
months pregnant. At this stage, her baby has a heart, a face, a brain,
fingernails, and is growing hair. Kate may already be feeling her
child's movements.
Yet, as journalist Katrina Trinko notes, it would be legal in the United States for Kate to abort her baby. The U.S. is one of only seven countries—including North Korea and China—that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks. How many babies are aborted at this stage? About one percent of all abortions, according to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute. However, since more than a million abortions are performed each year in this country, that percentage still translates to 10,000 abortions past 20 weeks. If you believe that life begins at conception, what can you do about this issue today? One: you can help others think biblically. One in five Americans who choose abortion describe themselves as born-again Christians. According to the American Bible Society, only 20 percent of Christians who view the Bible as the inspired word of God ever think about it during the day. Clearly there is a disconnect between what most churches teach on the issue of life and how many Christians respond in practice. Two: you can help those dealing with an unwanted or at-risk pregnancy. It's not enough to be pro-birth—we should be pro-life. We should offer the financial, relational, and medical support mothers need. And we should look for ways to serve the biological father as well. Three: you can encourage adoption. BraveLove is "a pro-adoption movement dedicated to changing the perception of adoption by acknowledging birth moms for their brave decision." They are running a campaign right now to thank birth mothers who made the courageous decision to choose life and adoption. I believe more Christians and churches should encourage adoption for their members and our society. Four: you can become involved in the legislative process. You can run for political office—God is calling more Christians into public service than are answering his call. You can express your concerns to your governmental representatives, and mobilize others to do the same. Five: you can extend God's grace to those who have chosen abortion in the past, helping them find the redeeming and restoring love our Father offers all his children. Imagine this situation: an unmarried teenage girl becomes pregnant. Her fiancé is not the father. Her unplanned pregnancy will likely lead to rejection by her family and culture; she could even be executed for adultery. She may be forced to raise her child alone, in a society where she has almost no means of financial support. How many in her situation today would choose abortion? She courageously brought her child to term. Her fiancé courageously married and supported her. When the baby was born, they named him Jesus. "What wondrous love is this, O my soul . . ." |
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