Last Sunday our choir anthem was “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” As I sang these old, familiar words the message sunk deeper into my heart. A commentary could be written on each line. Read the poem slowly and meditate on Mr. Watts’ hymn.
1. When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
The Prince of glory died for me. The most extravagant, luxurious item that I could ever own could not match the wealth of His sacrifice.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
Galatians 6:14. Am I willing to sacrifice the empty things of earth for the fulness of His Death? I confess there are many things that charm me. Have they become more precious than His blood?
3. See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
There has never been a time nor ever will be when sorrow and love come together like this. Infinite sorrow and perfect love combined. The crown that mocked becomes the symbol of majesty.
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Here is the sober but joyful challenge. If I had everything there was to have in all its immensity it would be infinitely too little to give back. In stead this love, fully understood, naturally demands all my soul, all my life, all my all.
May the Cross always have an attraction and power in my life.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Why keep a good thing secret?
Last week a radio ad was promoting the Masons. The spokesman referred to the importance of mystery and fellowship. He dropped Ben Franklin’s name and made sure listeners heard how much money was donated daily by Masonic groups. The appeal was an invitation to visit local lodges which were apparently open to the public Saturday, October 21, 2008. No one disdains the tremendous work of these men in regard to hospitals. So what is it about Freemasonry that necessitates secrecy? For a Christian, i.e., one who believes that Jesus as God provides the only way to heaven, there is one major reason for Masons to act in secrecy. Freemasonry promotes an inclusivist religion. All religious persuasions are brought together to worship the Great Architect of the Universe (GAOTU) This acknowledgement of a supreme being is required for membership. Every good mason will, after death, dwell together in the Grand Lodge Above (GLA) That demonstrates syncretism- all gods are one. That fact is confirmed by the name JahBulOn which was officially removed from use in 1989. Since everything is a secret who knows if that is true? But the name can be seen to combine Yahweh, Baal, and On for Osiris. Another serious departure from Christianity is the base of authority. The Bible must be laid on the altar of Freemasonry. The altar is where the VSL, Volume of the Sacred Law is found. There you may find any sacred writing from any religion, Koran, Bhagavad Gita, Book of Mormon. Each of these is incompatible with the 66 Books of God’s Word, the Bible. Attempting to cloak the secret handshakes, rituals, and false beliefs under the habit of humanitarian service will not change the heresy. (More information)
“Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light —for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth —trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident.” Ephesians 5: 7-13.
“Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light —for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth —trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident.” Ephesians 5: 7-13.
My 10 Simple Rules for Voting
Lamentations 3:37-38, "Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?"
I do not believe in wasting my vote. It is my personal statement of conviction. Because of Romans 13, I believe it is against God’s will for me to say yes to anyone in leadership who does not represent the biblical purposes of government. Any leader who punishes good or protects evil is not a minister of God. (For example, that is the reason I will not vote for anyone who allows for any abortion.) Here are some steps I follow when deciding who deserves my vote. Since committing to these standards, win or lose, I have never regretted any ballot I have cast. Nor have I feared any election’s outcome. In fact, because I am free from that fear, I look forward to voicing my choice. Here are my rules for voting.
1. Prioritize God’s Sovereignty. The Bible is explicit in this fact: God is sovereign in all things. Nothing happens without His direction or approval. No one comes into power unless He ordains it. Psalm 75:7 “But God is the judge; He puts down one and sets up another.” God is not subject to our whims and wishes. He always does what He wants. He is more interested in His will than ours. Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 135:6, "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." Isaiah 46:10, "Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’" Daniel. 4:35, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?’ God does what He thinks is right. Jeremiah 27:5 “ I have made the earth, man, and the animals on the face of the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed right to Me.” In that case God made Nebuchadnezzar king of the world. It is God who sets up kings and removes kings. Our next president will be whoever God wants our next president to be. Regardless of how the ballots are counted. Daniel 2:21 “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Daniel 4:25b “And they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will. Unfortunately to many Christians voting is like gambling, you take a chance on the lesser of two evils. Interesting, isn’t it, that God even has that covered? Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
2. Do not vote in fear of man. God has not given His people the spirit of fear, 2 Timothy 1:7 This noun for fear is used only here. It means cowardice. The verb is used in John 14:27. “ Do not let your heart be troubled nor let it be fearful.” When the disciples were with Jesus in a boat and a great storm came He told them not to be ‘cowardly’ Matthew 8:26 He contrasts that fear with faith. I refuse to be intimidated by the news, ads, proposals, threats and claims of any Party or candidate. Rather I vote in the fear of God. He says that righteousness exalts a nation. Paul tells believers to expose the things done in darkness. I would rather demonstrate reverence for God by supporting righteousness and exposing evil than compromise my vote and allow unrighteousness and evil to continue.
3. Trust God. The references above clearly prove that God can be trusted, must be trusted. Jeremiah 32:27, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" Psalm 2: 12 “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” If I think that when I vote somehow God’s will may be affected I am not trusting God. Isaiah 45:5-7, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these." Psalm 33:10, “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.”
4. Always vote my convictions. James warns against the dangers of being compromised in our thinking. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8. “You will never get what you want if you do not vote for what you believe.” H. Phillips God can change any man’s direction. Proverbs. 21:1, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes.” Rev. 17:17, "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose. . .” That verse is speaking of His enemies.
5. Remember every politicians’ chief objectives. These are a. to get reelected or b. to get elected to a higher office. They do not want my opinions, ideas, or allegiance. They only want my vote. (Present example. How can the absolute denial of Americans’ protests against the bail-out otherwise be explained? The three Senators running in the current Presidential election all voted against their constituents! Not because it was right but because they were pressured by outside interests. For that reason alone none of them deserves another pat on the back.) This is what distinguishes a statesman. He believes in principles that are profitable for all Americans and will stand by these principles consistently.
6. Do not watch or listen to the MSM (Main Stream Media.) The chief purpose of all television and radio is to amuse. ( A/muse = ‘not think’) Consequently, we will gain much information there but very little knowledge. Some may protest, “but I only tune into Fox News.” Does Fox News really report and let us decide on every candidate? Are the reporters there truly ‘fair and balanced’ when it comes to all the details of each candidate? Every news agency edits. Fox simply leaves out the news that casts moderate candidates in a bad light. Rarely is a true conservative ever mentioned. Therefore it cannot claim the title fair and balanced.
7. Do not rely on Christian political, cultural ‘ministries’ for all the answers. Some of these organizations are doing a needed job in areas where the church has become silent. But they, too, put much emphasis on fear and not enough on trust and conscience.
8. Do your own homework. If you want to vote intelligently and morally you must learn for yourself. Refuse the temptation to study the issues presented by a candidate. Examine each candidates’ past voting record, life choices, circle of friends and enemies. What a man does is far more relevant than what he says. But if you want to learn that you will have to do your own homework. MSM or Christian MSM will not give you what you really need. Only what they want you to know so you will vote for the candidate they prefer. I compare every candidate to the Bible and the Constitution. I normally do not have to go much further. No candidate will ever line up fully with either but I do not believe there is any other consistent standard of evaluation.
9. Consider that when you vote for a candidate, unless you have the opportunity to personally clarify it otherwise, you give tacit approval to all his or her positions. That assumed approval the candidate uses for political gain. If I vote for a candidate who supports any abortions or partial gun control or more taxes I am approving those acts.
10. Compare every candidates’ plans and past decisions to the Constitution. Hold them to account by these documents, either state or Federal. If you do not do this it will not be done. I guarantee you that neither of the MSM’s really care about that.
I just read this from some forwarded e-mail. “Then ask yourself if you, your children and grand children can afford for you to make a mistake in voting.” The point of that sentence is to intimidate. But if I vote according to my biblical convictions, respecting the character and sovereignty of God, in response to the Constitution I will be voting correctly. It would be a mistake to vote otherwise.
There is only one presidential candidate who is actually presidential. I believe Chuck Baldwin lines up more closely with the Constitution and the Bible than any other candidate. I will have to write his name on the ballot but he will have my vote. Please consider him. www.baldwin08.com
I do not believe in wasting my vote. It is my personal statement of conviction. Because of Romans 13, I believe it is against God’s will for me to say yes to anyone in leadership who does not represent the biblical purposes of government. Any leader who punishes good or protects evil is not a minister of God. (For example, that is the reason I will not vote for anyone who allows for any abortion.) Here are some steps I follow when deciding who deserves my vote. Since committing to these standards, win or lose, I have never regretted any ballot I have cast. Nor have I feared any election’s outcome. In fact, because I am free from that fear, I look forward to voicing my choice. Here are my rules for voting.
1. Prioritize God’s Sovereignty. The Bible is explicit in this fact: God is sovereign in all things. Nothing happens without His direction or approval. No one comes into power unless He ordains it. Psalm 75:7 “But God is the judge; He puts down one and sets up another.” God is not subject to our whims and wishes. He always does what He wants. He is more interested in His will than ours. Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 135:6, "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." Isaiah 46:10, "Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’" Daniel. 4:35, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?’ God does what He thinks is right. Jeremiah 27:5 “ I have made the earth, man, and the animals on the face of the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed right to Me.” In that case God made Nebuchadnezzar king of the world. It is God who sets up kings and removes kings. Our next president will be whoever God wants our next president to be. Regardless of how the ballots are counted. Daniel 2:21 “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Daniel 4:25b “And they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will. Unfortunately to many Christians voting is like gambling, you take a chance on the lesser of two evils. Interesting, isn’t it, that God even has that covered? Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
2. Do not vote in fear of man. God has not given His people the spirit of fear, 2 Timothy 1:7 This noun for fear is used only here. It means cowardice. The verb is used in John 14:27. “ Do not let your heart be troubled nor let it be fearful.” When the disciples were with Jesus in a boat and a great storm came He told them not to be ‘cowardly’ Matthew 8:26 He contrasts that fear with faith. I refuse to be intimidated by the news, ads, proposals, threats and claims of any Party or candidate. Rather I vote in the fear of God. He says that righteousness exalts a nation. Paul tells believers to expose the things done in darkness. I would rather demonstrate reverence for God by supporting righteousness and exposing evil than compromise my vote and allow unrighteousness and evil to continue.
3. Trust God. The references above clearly prove that God can be trusted, must be trusted. Jeremiah 32:27, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" Psalm 2: 12 “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” If I think that when I vote somehow God’s will may be affected I am not trusting God. Isaiah 45:5-7, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these." Psalm 33:10, “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.”
4. Always vote my convictions. James warns against the dangers of being compromised in our thinking. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8. “You will never get what you want if you do not vote for what you believe.” H. Phillips God can change any man’s direction. Proverbs. 21:1, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes.” Rev. 17:17, "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose. . .” That verse is speaking of His enemies.
5. Remember every politicians’ chief objectives. These are a. to get reelected or b. to get elected to a higher office. They do not want my opinions, ideas, or allegiance. They only want my vote. (Present example. How can the absolute denial of Americans’ protests against the bail-out otherwise be explained? The three Senators running in the current Presidential election all voted against their constituents! Not because it was right but because they were pressured by outside interests. For that reason alone none of them deserves another pat on the back.) This is what distinguishes a statesman. He believes in principles that are profitable for all Americans and will stand by these principles consistently.
6. Do not watch or listen to the MSM (Main Stream Media.) The chief purpose of all television and radio is to amuse. ( A/muse = ‘not think’) Consequently, we will gain much information there but very little knowledge. Some may protest, “but I only tune into Fox News.” Does Fox News really report and let us decide on every candidate? Are the reporters there truly ‘fair and balanced’ when it comes to all the details of each candidate? Every news agency edits. Fox simply leaves out the news that casts moderate candidates in a bad light. Rarely is a true conservative ever mentioned. Therefore it cannot claim the title fair and balanced.
7. Do not rely on Christian political, cultural ‘ministries’ for all the answers. Some of these organizations are doing a needed job in areas where the church has become silent. But they, too, put much emphasis on fear and not enough on trust and conscience.
8. Do your own homework. If you want to vote intelligently and morally you must learn for yourself. Refuse the temptation to study the issues presented by a candidate. Examine each candidates’ past voting record, life choices, circle of friends and enemies. What a man does is far more relevant than what he says. But if you want to learn that you will have to do your own homework. MSM or Christian MSM will not give you what you really need. Only what they want you to know so you will vote for the candidate they prefer. I compare every candidate to the Bible and the Constitution. I normally do not have to go much further. No candidate will ever line up fully with either but I do not believe there is any other consistent standard of evaluation.
9. Consider that when you vote for a candidate, unless you have the opportunity to personally clarify it otherwise, you give tacit approval to all his or her positions. That assumed approval the candidate uses for political gain. If I vote for a candidate who supports any abortions or partial gun control or more taxes I am approving those acts.
10. Compare every candidates’ plans and past decisions to the Constitution. Hold them to account by these documents, either state or Federal. If you do not do this it will not be done. I guarantee you that neither of the MSM’s really care about that.
I just read this from some forwarded e-mail. “Then ask yourself if you, your children and grand children can afford for you to make a mistake in voting.” The point of that sentence is to intimidate. But if I vote according to my biblical convictions, respecting the character and sovereignty of God, in response to the Constitution I will be voting correctly. It would be a mistake to vote otherwise.
There is only one presidential candidate who is actually presidential. I believe Chuck Baldwin lines up more closely with the Constitution and the Bible than any other candidate. I will have to write his name on the ballot but he will have my vote. Please consider him. www.baldwin08.com
Friday, October 3, 2008
A Tale of Two Sarahs
Here is the hook line from a news article appearing on-line today. "Imagine Sarah Palin as a role model for millions upon millions of young girls around the world." Let's do that. Imagine Sarah Palin as a role model for millions of young girls.
Consider her history. Beauty pageant contestant, sports reporter, outdoorswoman, mayor, governor, vice-presidential candidate. And of course, wife and mother. A remarkable and exciting life. A born again, and as far as we know, evangelical Christian to boot. Sarah obviously possesses great skills. She has been gifted by God. But what role does she model?
You must admit that her professional and public life has had the preeminent place. She is not well-known because of her work in the home. So how will young girls who wish to emulate this Sarah grow up? Undoubtedly looking for success in any of the public roles Sarah played. But is this what Christians should really encourage our young girls to do. Should millions of young girls choose this Sarah as a role model?
Consider another Sarah, Abraham's wife. Her complete story is told in Genesis. But it is Peter in the New Testament that explains her character and role most specifically. 1 Peter 3:1-6. Likewise, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, so that if any do not obey the Word, they may also be won without the Word by the conduct of the wives, having witnessed your chaste behavior in the fear of God. Of whom let not be the adorning of garments, or outward braiding of hair and wearing of gold, or of putting on clothing, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, the meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God. For so once indeed the holy women hoping in God adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands; as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children you became, doing good and fearing no terror.
Note that the adornment of women like this Sarah is a meek and quiet spirit. This is not the kind of woman who "takes the gloves off' to attack an opponent. As disreputable as he may be. Is it possible to wear a meek and quiet spirit while campaigning for political office? Or conversely has Governor Sarah forfeited that which is of great price in the sight of God to pursue the dream of man?
Paul tells us through Timothy that the Christian women to be honored most are those who have a reputation for good works, who have been one man women, (not at all flirtatious) who have brought up children (not necessarily their own,) have shown hospitality to strangers, washed the saints feet (acted in service to others,) assisted those in distress and devoted themselves to good works. (1 Timothy 5:9-10) The priority of this kind of woman is the home and family.
Consider the role of women described to Titus, especially 2:5. They are to be "sensible, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands." All that and the preceding verses for this reason- "that the Word of God will not be dishonored." Would this Titus 2 type woman leave her pregnant teenage daughter to spend hours- days- away from home to pursue her own interests? Would she leave her Downs Syndrome infant in the constant care of others, hoping to establish a maternal connection by proxy? Which Sarah most closely follows this biblical pattern? Which Sarah runs the risk of dishonoring the Word of God?
Ah yes, but what about Proverbs 31? Here is a 21st century type woman. Did you notice when you read that passage last that the chief operational sphere of this excellent wife is her home? Household is mentioned three times. There is nothing in this chapter that suggests she is running a business for profit or even looking outside the home for anything that will not assist her in her role as wife and mother. Her husband sits at the gates as a town leader and praises her for her work at home. That parallels exactly the New Testament.
Perhaps the church should share some of the criticism. Has not the evangelical church become so distant from political affairs that it simply trusts the Republican Party to do the right thing? Or take its cue from culturally and politically active Christian organizations. You know as long as they use Christian and family or Christian and legal in their names they certainly can be trusted. So if the Party or its partisan followers approve of Sarah Palin, she must be okay. But it comes down to this. What does the Bible say? That is the only God-inspired message available. And the only message needed for all the issues of life.
Which Sarah should we want to be a role model for our little girls? The political Sarah or the praised Sarah? I do not believe the Bible leaves open the possibility of both.
Consider her history. Beauty pageant contestant, sports reporter, outdoorswoman, mayor, governor, vice-presidential candidate. And of course, wife and mother. A remarkable and exciting life. A born again, and as far as we know, evangelical Christian to boot. Sarah obviously possesses great skills. She has been gifted by God. But what role does she model?
You must admit that her professional and public life has had the preeminent place. She is not well-known because of her work in the home. So how will young girls who wish to emulate this Sarah grow up? Undoubtedly looking for success in any of the public roles Sarah played. But is this what Christians should really encourage our young girls to do. Should millions of young girls choose this Sarah as a role model?
Consider another Sarah, Abraham's wife. Her complete story is told in Genesis. But it is Peter in the New Testament that explains her character and role most specifically. 1 Peter 3:1-6. Likewise, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, so that if any do not obey the Word, they may also be won without the Word by the conduct of the wives, having witnessed your chaste behavior in the fear of God. Of whom let not be the adorning of garments, or outward braiding of hair and wearing of gold, or of putting on clothing, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, the meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God. For so once indeed the holy women hoping in God adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands; as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children you became, doing good and fearing no terror.
Note that the adornment of women like this Sarah is a meek and quiet spirit. This is not the kind of woman who "takes the gloves off' to attack an opponent. As disreputable as he may be. Is it possible to wear a meek and quiet spirit while campaigning for political office? Or conversely has Governor Sarah forfeited that which is of great price in the sight of God to pursue the dream of man?
Paul tells us through Timothy that the Christian women to be honored most are those who have a reputation for good works, who have been one man women, (not at all flirtatious) who have brought up children (not necessarily their own,) have shown hospitality to strangers, washed the saints feet (acted in service to others,) assisted those in distress and devoted themselves to good works. (1 Timothy 5:9-10) The priority of this kind of woman is the home and family.
Consider the role of women described to Titus, especially 2:5. They are to be "sensible, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands." All that and the preceding verses for this reason- "that the Word of God will not be dishonored." Would this Titus 2 type woman leave her pregnant teenage daughter to spend hours- days- away from home to pursue her own interests? Would she leave her Downs Syndrome infant in the constant care of others, hoping to establish a maternal connection by proxy? Which Sarah most closely follows this biblical pattern? Which Sarah runs the risk of dishonoring the Word of God?
Ah yes, but what about Proverbs 31? Here is a 21st century type woman. Did you notice when you read that passage last that the chief operational sphere of this excellent wife is her home? Household is mentioned three times. There is nothing in this chapter that suggests she is running a business for profit or even looking outside the home for anything that will not assist her in her role as wife and mother. Her husband sits at the gates as a town leader and praises her for her work at home. That parallels exactly the New Testament.
Perhaps the church should share some of the criticism. Has not the evangelical church become so distant from political affairs that it simply trusts the Republican Party to do the right thing? Or take its cue from culturally and politically active Christian organizations. You know as long as they use Christian and family or Christian and legal in their names they certainly can be trusted. So if the Party or its partisan followers approve of Sarah Palin, she must be okay. But it comes down to this. What does the Bible say? That is the only God-inspired message available. And the only message needed for all the issues of life.
Which Sarah should we want to be a role model for our little girls? The political Sarah or the praised Sarah? I do not believe the Bible leaves open the possibility of both.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Why Abortion is Always Wrong
TEN REASONS WHY ABORTION IS WRONG
When all the evidence is lined up, reason, compassion and true feminism overwhelmingly support the choice for life. Here is a sampling of that evidence.
1. Abortion does stop a beating heart.
This is the prima facie argument against abortion. Anyone and everyone who seriously thinks about the abortion question must ultimately come to terms with the beginning of life. The facts cannot be ignored. There is human life in the womb and there can be no doubt that abortion snuffs out that life.
Even before conception it is a living human sperm that swims its way to a living human egg to form a living human zygote.
20 days after conception the new baby's heart starts beating. It is a rare case indeed in which any woman even knows she is pregnant by this time. 25 days later brain waves can be registered. In 8 weeks the brain is fully formed. At 10 weeks, just 70 days after conception, the feet are perfectly formed. You can take that new child's fingerprints in 12 weeks. 1 week later the fingernails are complete and the unborn baby begins to feel pain. This unborn fetus is truly human life, from the point of conception, not a blob or mass of tissue. Those who would say otherwise are either ignorant or deliberately distorting the facts.
Before and after the Roe versus Wade decision all the available facts supported the truth that life begins at conception. As early as 1959 in the Declaration of Human Rights, a UN resolution, we read this. "The child, by reason of its physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care including appropriate legal protection before, as well as, after birth."
In 1967, 6 years before the Supreme Court attempted to constitutionalize abortion, the First International Conference on Abortion convened. This was a gathering of entirely secular medical experts. There were no pastors, priests, or rabbis attending, at least in that capacity. Here is their conclusion. "We can find no point in time between the union of sperm and egg and the birth of an infant at which point we can say that this is not a human life."
The 97th Congress Senate subcommittee reported, "Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being, a being that is alive and is a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological and scientific writings."
A 1985 issue of Newsweek magazine, 12 years after abortions became unfortunately routine, still makes the claim, "In most serious debates, however, it is taken as a biological fact that a fetus is alive, human and unique."
The Supreme Court had all the scientific facts before them. Abortion stops a beating heart. Doctors, politicians, journalists all agree. And no research has ever contradicted this most fundamental of all facts. Abortion takes a human life. Not to argue this issue or to make it secondary to a "woman's right to choose" is to ignore the most important of all issues in the debate.
2. The Supreme Court ruling for abortion was a specious decision.
Specious means that the decision seemed desirable but was not really so. It had the appearance of good and right but was without real merit.
The Roe Case was presented on fabricated grounds. Norma McCorvey claimed to have been raped and wanted to legalize abortions for that reason. The truth is that she was pregnant due to consensual sex and just didn't want the hassle of pregnancy. Though the court made no comment about rape in its decision this case would never have been heard if the plaintiff had admitted the truth-that she just did not want the child.
For all the talk about the separation of church and state, the Supreme Court of 1973 demonstrated gross hypocrisy in this decision. Justice Blackman wrote the majority decision. He claimed that paganism, if any religion, would be his guide. So he disdained all religion but this one, in spite of the fact that America is decidedly Christian in its origin and organization. The Constitution cannot be interpreted properly without that understanding.
He purposely set aside the Hippocratic Oath, which enforces a doctor's belief that life begins at conception, as having no relevance. In fact, quite seriously, he added. "We need not resolve the question of when life begins."
It is a matter of extreme arrogance or bold indifference to pass off this question as irrelevant. Reams of factual evidence and scientific research prove that life begins at conception. For 7 justices to blatantly ignore that evidence is to rule against humanity. Their decision may have presented a good outward appearance but because the relevant facts were ignored and obvious bias displayed the choice was without merit judicially.
3. Abortion is unconstitutional.
When all the evidence is lined up, reason, compassion and true feminism overwhelmingly support the choice for life. Here is a sampling of that evidence.
1. Abortion does stop a beating heart.
This is the prima facie argument against abortion. Anyone and everyone who seriously thinks about the abortion question must ultimately come to terms with the beginning of life. The facts cannot be ignored. There is human life in the womb and there can be no doubt that abortion snuffs out that life.
Even before conception it is a living human sperm that swims its way to a living human egg to form a living human zygote.
20 days after conception the new baby's heart starts beating. It is a rare case indeed in which any woman even knows she is pregnant by this time. 25 days later brain waves can be registered. In 8 weeks the brain is fully formed. At 10 weeks, just 70 days after conception, the feet are perfectly formed. You can take that new child's fingerprints in 12 weeks. 1 week later the fingernails are complete and the unborn baby begins to feel pain. This unborn fetus is truly human life, from the point of conception, not a blob or mass of tissue. Those who would say otherwise are either ignorant or deliberately distorting the facts.
Before and after the Roe versus Wade decision all the available facts supported the truth that life begins at conception. As early as 1959 in the Declaration of Human Rights, a UN resolution, we read this. "The child, by reason of its physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care including appropriate legal protection before, as well as, after birth."
In 1967, 6 years before the Supreme Court attempted to constitutionalize abortion, the First International Conference on Abortion convened. This was a gathering of entirely secular medical experts. There were no pastors, priests, or rabbis attending, at least in that capacity. Here is their conclusion. "We can find no point in time between the union of sperm and egg and the birth of an infant at which point we can say that this is not a human life."
The 97th Congress Senate subcommittee reported, "Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being, a being that is alive and is a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological and scientific writings."
A 1985 issue of Newsweek magazine, 12 years after abortions became unfortunately routine, still makes the claim, "In most serious debates, however, it is taken as a biological fact that a fetus is alive, human and unique."
The Supreme Court had all the scientific facts before them. Abortion stops a beating heart. Doctors, politicians, journalists all agree. And no research has ever contradicted this most fundamental of all facts. Abortion takes a human life. Not to argue this issue or to make it secondary to a "woman's right to choose" is to ignore the most important of all issues in the debate.
2. The Supreme Court ruling for abortion was a specious decision.
Specious means that the decision seemed desirable but was not really so. It had the appearance of good and right but was without real merit.
The Roe Case was presented on fabricated grounds. Norma McCorvey claimed to have been raped and wanted to legalize abortions for that reason. The truth is that she was pregnant due to consensual sex and just didn't want the hassle of pregnancy. Though the court made no comment about rape in its decision this case would never have been heard if the plaintiff had admitted the truth-that she just did not want the child.
For all the talk about the separation of church and state, the Supreme Court of 1973 demonstrated gross hypocrisy in this decision. Justice Blackman wrote the majority decision. He claimed that paganism, if any religion, would be his guide. So he disdained all religion but this one, in spite of the fact that America is decidedly Christian in its origin and organization. The Constitution cannot be interpreted properly without that understanding.
He purposely set aside the Hippocratic Oath, which enforces a doctor's belief that life begins at conception, as having no relevance. In fact, quite seriously, he added. "We need not resolve the question of when life begins."
It is a matter of extreme arrogance or bold indifference to pass off this question as irrelevant. Reams of factual evidence and scientific research prove that life begins at conception. For 7 justices to blatantly ignore that evidence is to rule against humanity. Their decision may have presented a good outward appearance but because the relevant facts were ignored and obvious bias displayed the choice was without merit judicially.
3. Abortion is unconstitutional.
The Constitution was ordained and established to "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity." That any life would be deliberately and 'legally' eliminated from the role of posterity is completely overruled by this fundamental understanding.
Bernard Nathanson ran the largest abortion clinic in America. He is also the man who fabricated the number of illegal abortions occurring before 1973. He admitted later that when he said 10,000 a year he was lying so that the courts would pay attention. But after taking a reasonable and objective look at all the evidence he has become one of the leading pro-life speakers and defenders of the unborn. He said that the Supreme Court decision was made in "a scientific vacuum." What is its basis?
The only ground the Court stood on was a presumed "right to privacy." There is no such statement in the Constitution. It was read into the early part of 14th Amendment. Yet that amendment clearly states later "no state shall deprive any person of the right to life . . . without the due process of law, nor deny to any person . . . the equal protection of the laws." The right to life actually exists in our Constitution. The right to privacy does not. And even if it did let me tell you that abortion is anything but private. It is a surgical procedure that involves violent intrusion into a mother's body performed and witnessed by at least three, the mom, the doctor, and the assistant.
It is also clear that the Court can be very inconsistent on the definition of this mystical right to privacy. In 1986 it disappeared when homosexuals sought to legalize sodomy.
The Roe decision, like many other High Court rulings, violates the 10th Amendment. "The powers not relegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. The Supreme Court's only constitutional authority was to turn this case back over to the state of Texas from where it came.
4. Hard cases make bad law.
Rape comprises about 1% of all the possible reasons for abortion. Yet it was upon this thin basis that the Court ruled. Rape is a traumatic event and leaves its own kind of scars. But rape very seldom produces pregnancy. So to make a sweeping decision, which legalized abortion for all reasons because of this one hard case, is to make a bad law.
If one person you know wants to legalize child abuse because he can't control his temper you would never expect a law to be passed in his favor, a law that permitted child abuse across the board for any reason. But that is the essence of the Roe versus Wade ruling. One person, claiming the hardship of an unwanted pregnancy, provided the Court with an opportunity to legalize the abuse of 1.5 million babies every year.
This illustration is relevant, in another the way. Since the Roe v Wade decision child abuse has increased.
5. Abortion devalues all life.
We should not be surprised that child abuse has become a greater problem since 1973. If the innocent, unborn child can be abused, why not children who provoke adults?
Next on the horizon are the elderly or incurable. If innocent, unborn children can be killed why not adults who have become useless to society. After all, they have had, at least, some life behind them. (For example, the recent state-sanctioned killing of Terri Schiavo.)
Abortion brings us one step closer to the infanticide of retarded or infirm children. If it is okay to abort a Down's syndrome baby that you know is afflicted pre-birth, why not a child that is born with some deformity of which you were not aware after his or her birth.
6. Most Americans are pro-life.
In a Zogby ``American Values'' poll respondents were asked to choose between the two statements, ``abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter,'' or ``abortion does not destroy a life and is not manslaughter.''
The nationwide poll of 1,005 likely voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.2% showed that 51% believed that that abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter while another 35% said that abortion does not destroy a life and is not manslaughter. Eight percent agreed with neither statement while 6% said they weren't sure. (January 2001)
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – September 2003. Despite claims to the contrary by the media and pro-abortion groups, the second poll in the last three months has confirmed that a majority of women are pro-life. When the national crisis pregnancy organization Care Net wanted a poll on women's views about ultrasound legislation in Congress, they also asked their pollsters to also survey women's attitudes on abortion. The results the polling firm found were not what it had expected.
In 2001, when The Polling Company asked female registered voters to describe their views regarding abortion, a slight plurality (48% vs. 43% pro-life) indicated they supported abortion. Only two years later, a majority of women are pro-life. In their latest poll, 54 percent of women selected one of three different pro-life views opposing all or almost all abortions. Only 39 percent backed abortion. The results are similar to those found in a poll conducted by a pro-abortion group earlier the same year. In June, the Center for the Advancement of Women released the results of a poll showing that 51 percent of women took a pro-life position. Their poll also found that keeping abortion legal was the next to last most important priority for women as compared with other public policy issues.
Chicago, IL – A nationwide scientific poll conducted by the polling firm Wirthlin Worldwide shows that a significant majority of Americans believe that abortion is “almost always bad” for women--even when they know a woman who has had an abortion. The poll of 1001 respondents, conducted for Americans United for Life, a public interest bioethics law firm, asked three questions:
1. Just generally, do you believe that abortion is almost always a good thing for a woman or almost always a bad thing for a woman?
Base – 1001 respondents Almost always a good thing – 230 (or 23%)Almost always a bad thing – 609 (or 61%)Don’t know/refused – 162 (or 16%)
2. Do you personally know someone who has had an abortion?
Base - 1001 respondents Yes – 640 (or 64%)No – 335 (or 33%)Don’t know/refused – 27 (or 3%)
3. From your observation, was that generally a positive or negative experience?
Base – 640 respondents (those who responded “Yes” to question 2)Positive experience – 256 (or 40%)Negative experience – 352 (or 55%)Don’t know/refused – 31 (or 5%)
“This poll shows that Americans are increasingly aware that legalized abortion harms women,” said Dorinda Bordlee, Esq., Senior Legislative Counsel for Americans United for Life. “Over thirty years of abortion has wreaked havoc on women's physical and psychological heath, and has served to facilitate the sexual exploitation of women. This poll shows that Americans are facing the reality that the violence of abortion leads to disaster for women, our children, and our culture. Abortion has not turned out to be the great liberator we were told it would be.”
The poll was conducted on September 24-27, 2004.
7. There is no such thing as an unwanted child.
How often we hear this argument posted. Every child should be wanted. The fact is that every child is wanted. The pregnancy may not be wanted but the human product of that pregnancy is. Maybe the mother does not want her baby but there are thousands of families all over the world who are looking for children. Check out USA TODAY. I am not sure of the frequency but the classifieds there carry ads from couples that are searching for children and will pay whatever it costs to bring a child into their home. Since the unborn baby is alive and wanted adoption is the only right choice for those with unwanted pregnancies.
8. Rape, incest and the mother's life are not viable arguments for the continuation of all abortions.
97% of all abortions have nothing to do with these hard cases. A study conducted in PA and MN found that in 5000 cases of rape no pregnancies resulted.
Dr. Francis Koop, former Surgeon General of the US and renowned pediatrician, never had to choose between the life of the mother and the life of the child.
Pregnancy in the case of incest is also rare.
Even if we allow for abortion in these 3% of all cases we must still recognize that we are taking a human life. And we do that by making a value judgment as to whose life is more important, baby or mother.
9. Arguments based on one's right to choose are unacceptable.
There are no unlimited freedoms. Freedom of the press does not permit slander or defamation of character. Freedom of speech does not excuse lying or swindling.
My right to choose does not permit me to personally harm or injure others. Suppose you know someone who thinks it is perfectly acceptable for him to beat his wife. Would you agree with his right to choose in that case?
Some argue, "though I am personally opposed to abortion I think it should be a woman's right to choose." This is a false position. If you claimed that though you are personally opposed to beating your own wife but allowed for the right of other men to beat theirs you could not reasonably claim that you were opposed to wife beating. The same argument holds for abortion. You cannot be personally opposed, accept it for others, and claim to be against it. If you accept abortion for one you support it for all. To argue that pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion is to misunderstand the core issues.
10. Abortion is not good for women.
Perhaps the most common and certainly most vehement argument for abortion is that abortion as a woman's right is good for women. Let's see if this is true.
Women who have had abortions carry psychological scars. Consider t he many post-abortion therapy and support groups that have arisen since 1973. If abortion did not create emotional and mental stress these organizations would be unnecessary. A woman may exercise a 'right' to abortion but she has not made herself freer in the process.
The suicide rate is significantly higher among women who have had abortions.
One psychologist lists 34 identifiable consequences of abortion ranging from guilt, grief, and depression to relationship disruptions and even communication impairment.
Every year some 16,000 women suffer so badly from post-abortion trauma that they become unable to function normally.
Beyond the abortion itself there are continuing physical problems. Pelvic inflammatory disease leads to fever and sterility yet this condition has been reported in up to 30% of all cases of induced abortion.
Induced abortion causes significantly higher rates of future spontaneous abortion and chronic pelvic pain. Consequently, women who want to have babies later have reduced their chance by abortion.
Current research shows that the risk of breast cancer increases by 80% in women over 60 who have had abortion compared to women over 60 who have not.
There are still an estimated 1.5 million abortions in America every year. Given the fact that when the sex of a child is known before birth girls will be aborted more frequently than boys this means that more than half of all abortions are done to girl babies. Medical World News carries the statistics.
The arguments of early feminists are against abortion. Susan B. Anthony, a radical feminist in her day, considered abortion to be "child murder." She didn't think it had anything to do with the rights of a woman. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, another leader of the feminist movement said that because women were treated as property abortion was degrading because women were then treating their own unborn children the same way as they themselves were being treated. Alice Paul wrote the original version of the Equal Rights Amendment. She referred to abortion as "the ultimate exploitation of women."
Bernard Nathanson ran the largest abortion clinic in America. He is also the man who fabricated the number of illegal abortions occurring before 1973. He admitted later that when he said 10,000 a year he was lying so that the courts would pay attention. But after taking a reasonable and objective look at all the evidence he has become one of the leading pro-life speakers and defenders of the unborn. He said that the Supreme Court decision was made in "a scientific vacuum." What is its basis?
The only ground the Court stood on was a presumed "right to privacy." There is no such statement in the Constitution. It was read into the early part of 14th Amendment. Yet that amendment clearly states later "no state shall deprive any person of the right to life . . . without the due process of law, nor deny to any person . . . the equal protection of the laws." The right to life actually exists in our Constitution. The right to privacy does not. And even if it did let me tell you that abortion is anything but private. It is a surgical procedure that involves violent intrusion into a mother's body performed and witnessed by at least three, the mom, the doctor, and the assistant.
It is also clear that the Court can be very inconsistent on the definition of this mystical right to privacy. In 1986 it disappeared when homosexuals sought to legalize sodomy.
The Roe decision, like many other High Court rulings, violates the 10th Amendment. "The powers not relegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. The Supreme Court's only constitutional authority was to turn this case back over to the state of Texas from where it came.
4. Hard cases make bad law.
Rape comprises about 1% of all the possible reasons for abortion. Yet it was upon this thin basis that the Court ruled. Rape is a traumatic event and leaves its own kind of scars. But rape very seldom produces pregnancy. So to make a sweeping decision, which legalized abortion for all reasons because of this one hard case, is to make a bad law.
If one person you know wants to legalize child abuse because he can't control his temper you would never expect a law to be passed in his favor, a law that permitted child abuse across the board for any reason. But that is the essence of the Roe versus Wade ruling. One person, claiming the hardship of an unwanted pregnancy, provided the Court with an opportunity to legalize the abuse of 1.5 million babies every year.
This illustration is relevant, in another the way. Since the Roe v Wade decision child abuse has increased.
5. Abortion devalues all life.
We should not be surprised that child abuse has become a greater problem since 1973. If the innocent, unborn child can be abused, why not children who provoke adults?
Next on the horizon are the elderly or incurable. If innocent, unborn children can be killed why not adults who have become useless to society. After all, they have had, at least, some life behind them. (For example, the recent state-sanctioned killing of Terri Schiavo.)
Abortion brings us one step closer to the infanticide of retarded or infirm children. If it is okay to abort a Down's syndrome baby that you know is afflicted pre-birth, why not a child that is born with some deformity of which you were not aware after his or her birth.
6. Most Americans are pro-life.
In a Zogby ``American Values'' poll respondents were asked to choose between the two statements, ``abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter,'' or ``abortion does not destroy a life and is not manslaughter.''
The nationwide poll of 1,005 likely voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.2% showed that 51% believed that that abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter while another 35% said that abortion does not destroy a life and is not manslaughter. Eight percent agreed with neither statement while 6% said they weren't sure. (January 2001)
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – September 2003. Despite claims to the contrary by the media and pro-abortion groups, the second poll in the last three months has confirmed that a majority of women are pro-life. When the national crisis pregnancy organization Care Net wanted a poll on women's views about ultrasound legislation in Congress, they also asked their pollsters to also survey women's attitudes on abortion. The results the polling firm found were not what it had expected.
In 2001, when The Polling Company asked female registered voters to describe their views regarding abortion, a slight plurality (48% vs. 43% pro-life) indicated they supported abortion. Only two years later, a majority of women are pro-life. In their latest poll, 54 percent of women selected one of three different pro-life views opposing all or almost all abortions. Only 39 percent backed abortion. The results are similar to those found in a poll conducted by a pro-abortion group earlier the same year. In June, the Center for the Advancement of Women released the results of a poll showing that 51 percent of women took a pro-life position. Their poll also found that keeping abortion legal was the next to last most important priority for women as compared with other public policy issues.
Chicago, IL – A nationwide scientific poll conducted by the polling firm Wirthlin Worldwide shows that a significant majority of Americans believe that abortion is “almost always bad” for women--even when they know a woman who has had an abortion. The poll of 1001 respondents, conducted for Americans United for Life, a public interest bioethics law firm, asked three questions:
1. Just generally, do you believe that abortion is almost always a good thing for a woman or almost always a bad thing for a woman?
Base – 1001 respondents Almost always a good thing – 230 (or 23%)Almost always a bad thing – 609 (or 61%)Don’t know/refused – 162 (or 16%)
2. Do you personally know someone who has had an abortion?
Base - 1001 respondents Yes – 640 (or 64%)No – 335 (or 33%)Don’t know/refused – 27 (or 3%)
3. From your observation, was that generally a positive or negative experience?
Base – 640 respondents (those who responded “Yes” to question 2)Positive experience – 256 (or 40%)Negative experience – 352 (or 55%)Don’t know/refused – 31 (or 5%)
“This poll shows that Americans are increasingly aware that legalized abortion harms women,” said Dorinda Bordlee, Esq., Senior Legislative Counsel for Americans United for Life. “Over thirty years of abortion has wreaked havoc on women's physical and psychological heath, and has served to facilitate the sexual exploitation of women. This poll shows that Americans are facing the reality that the violence of abortion leads to disaster for women, our children, and our culture. Abortion has not turned out to be the great liberator we were told it would be.”
The poll was conducted on September 24-27, 2004.
7. There is no such thing as an unwanted child.
How often we hear this argument posted. Every child should be wanted. The fact is that every child is wanted. The pregnancy may not be wanted but the human product of that pregnancy is. Maybe the mother does not want her baby but there are thousands of families all over the world who are looking for children. Check out USA TODAY. I am not sure of the frequency but the classifieds there carry ads from couples that are searching for children and will pay whatever it costs to bring a child into their home. Since the unborn baby is alive and wanted adoption is the only right choice for those with unwanted pregnancies.
8. Rape, incest and the mother's life are not viable arguments for the continuation of all abortions.
97% of all abortions have nothing to do with these hard cases. A study conducted in PA and MN found that in 5000 cases of rape no pregnancies resulted.
Dr. Francis Koop, former Surgeon General of the US and renowned pediatrician, never had to choose between the life of the mother and the life of the child.
Pregnancy in the case of incest is also rare.
Even if we allow for abortion in these 3% of all cases we must still recognize that we are taking a human life. And we do that by making a value judgment as to whose life is more important, baby or mother.
9. Arguments based on one's right to choose are unacceptable.
There are no unlimited freedoms. Freedom of the press does not permit slander or defamation of character. Freedom of speech does not excuse lying or swindling.
My right to choose does not permit me to personally harm or injure others. Suppose you know someone who thinks it is perfectly acceptable for him to beat his wife. Would you agree with his right to choose in that case?
Some argue, "though I am personally opposed to abortion I think it should be a woman's right to choose." This is a false position. If you claimed that though you are personally opposed to beating your own wife but allowed for the right of other men to beat theirs you could not reasonably claim that you were opposed to wife beating. The same argument holds for abortion. You cannot be personally opposed, accept it for others, and claim to be against it. If you accept abortion for one you support it for all. To argue that pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion is to misunderstand the core issues.
10. Abortion is not good for women.
Perhaps the most common and certainly most vehement argument for abortion is that abortion as a woman's right is good for women. Let's see if this is true.
Women who have had abortions carry psychological scars. Consider t he many post-abortion therapy and support groups that have arisen since 1973. If abortion did not create emotional and mental stress these organizations would be unnecessary. A woman may exercise a 'right' to abortion but she has not made herself freer in the process.
The suicide rate is significantly higher among women who have had abortions.
One psychologist lists 34 identifiable consequences of abortion ranging from guilt, grief, and depression to relationship disruptions and even communication impairment.
Every year some 16,000 women suffer so badly from post-abortion trauma that they become unable to function normally.
Beyond the abortion itself there are continuing physical problems. Pelvic inflammatory disease leads to fever and sterility yet this condition has been reported in up to 30% of all cases of induced abortion.
Induced abortion causes significantly higher rates of future spontaneous abortion and chronic pelvic pain. Consequently, women who want to have babies later have reduced their chance by abortion.
Current research shows that the risk of breast cancer increases by 80% in women over 60 who have had abortion compared to women over 60 who have not.
There are still an estimated 1.5 million abortions in America every year. Given the fact that when the sex of a child is known before birth girls will be aborted more frequently than boys this means that more than half of all abortions are done to girl babies. Medical World News carries the statistics.
The arguments of early feminists are against abortion. Susan B. Anthony, a radical feminist in her day, considered abortion to be "child murder." She didn't think it had anything to do with the rights of a woman. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, another leader of the feminist movement said that because women were treated as property abortion was degrading because women were then treating their own unborn children the same way as they themselves were being treated. Alice Paul wrote the original version of the Equal Rights Amendment. She referred to abortion as "the ultimate exploitation of women."
There is hope. If you have been hurt in any way by abortion there is help available. Call Bethany Christian Services: 1-800-BETHANY (8am-12pm EST, 7 days/week)
From conception to Constitutional issues, from consensus to common sense, the facts support life. Abortion takes that life and pits the powerful against the weak and helpless. Who will stand up and defend these most in need of protection?
From conception to Constitutional issues, from consensus to common sense, the facts support life. Abortion takes that life and pits the powerful against the weak and helpless. Who will stand up and defend these most in need of protection?
The Scientific Accuracy of the Bible
As humanity's knowledge of matter and earth and space grows, so does the tendency to discount the Bible as true, particularly among the scientific community. But the Bible is perfectly accurate about, and a primary reference for, many scientific phenomena. Here are a few notable examples.
The Old Testament prophet wrote this. Jeremiah 33:22, “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me." The host of heaven means stars. We only see about 3000 stars with the naked eye. Estimates about the total number of stars run around 10 to the 21st power. That is 10 with 21 zeroes after it. Grains of sand are around 10 to the 25th power. All those stars look pretty much the same to us but when viewed through a telescope their light shines different. In fact, the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:41 that stars had their own unique glory. Astronomers now get to see that through the lens.
The old suffering saint Job said that God hangs the earth on nothing. (Job 26:7) That wasn’t even the popular belief in the middle Ages. Job knew it all along.
While we are in Job think about this. Job 28:25 explains that God has given weight to the winds and apportioned the measure of the waters. Did you know that the wind is heavy? That was discovered only 300 years ago. The Bible said it 3500 years before scientists discovered it. This detail is critical to the proper functioning of the hydrologic cycle. This is the process by which water evaporates, rises into the atmosphere, collects in the clouds, and then returns to earth as precipitation. Here is the process as described by Job in 36:27-29. "For He draws up drops of water which distill as rain from the mist which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunder from His canopy." So here in the Bible is the scientific explanation of evaporation, condensation, and rainfall, complete with thunder.
And for those who insist that there must have been cavemen because paintings have been found on the walls, we answer from the Bible that they are right. "They were driven out from among men, they shouted at them as at a thief. They had to live in the clefts of the valleys, in caves of the earth and the rocks." Job 30:5-6. These were not Neanderthal, some lesser form of humanity. They were men driven out of their communities and forced to live in caves.
Did you know that until now every attempt to drill through the earth’s crust to the malleable layer beneath has ended in failure? Prophet Jeremiah may state the reason in chapter 31 of his book. Verse 37 there says this. "If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will; also cast off the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord." Could be that man cannot get through the earth's foundation simply because God is keeping a promise.
The Bible is not a science text but the truth of science is revealed there- accurately, thousands of years before scientists even had a way to discover these facts.
The Old Testament prophet wrote this. Jeremiah 33:22, “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me." The host of heaven means stars. We only see about 3000 stars with the naked eye. Estimates about the total number of stars run around 10 to the 21st power. That is 10 with 21 zeroes after it. Grains of sand are around 10 to the 25th power. All those stars look pretty much the same to us but when viewed through a telescope their light shines different. In fact, the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:41 that stars had their own unique glory. Astronomers now get to see that through the lens.
The old suffering saint Job said that God hangs the earth on nothing. (Job 26:7) That wasn’t even the popular belief in the middle Ages. Job knew it all along.
While we are in Job think about this. Job 28:25 explains that God has given weight to the winds and apportioned the measure of the waters. Did you know that the wind is heavy? That was discovered only 300 years ago. The Bible said it 3500 years before scientists discovered it. This detail is critical to the proper functioning of the hydrologic cycle. This is the process by which water evaporates, rises into the atmosphere, collects in the clouds, and then returns to earth as precipitation. Here is the process as described by Job in 36:27-29. "For He draws up drops of water which distill as rain from the mist which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunder from His canopy." So here in the Bible is the scientific explanation of evaporation, condensation, and rainfall, complete with thunder.
And for those who insist that there must have been cavemen because paintings have been found on the walls, we answer from the Bible that they are right. "They were driven out from among men, they shouted at them as at a thief. They had to live in the clefts of the valleys, in caves of the earth and the rocks." Job 30:5-6. These were not Neanderthal, some lesser form of humanity. They were men driven out of their communities and forced to live in caves.
Did you know that until now every attempt to drill through the earth’s crust to the malleable layer beneath has ended in failure? Prophet Jeremiah may state the reason in chapter 31 of his book. Verse 37 there says this. "If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will; also cast off the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord." Could be that man cannot get through the earth's foundation simply because God is keeping a promise.
The Bible is not a science text but the truth of science is revealed there- accurately, thousands of years before scientists even had a way to discover these facts.
Fables the Church Follows
1 and 2 Thessalonians are usually considered Paul’s eschatological letters. But key futuristic passages appear in both epistles to Timothy.
For instance, 1 Timothy 4:1-5. Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6 ¶ If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
Notice what the primary danger and warning is about? V 1 Everything else seems to rise out of this first problem. Paul is not just passing along information here. Check out verse 6. What ‘these things’ is he talking about? Vss 1-5. Timothy needed to know that teaching the church about coming heresies and departures from the faith was part of growing by faith, 1 and 6, and good doctrine.
There is another of these forward looking passages in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. Take note that this information is also to elicit action. What an awful lot of misbehaving will come. 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Of course there is much of that going on today. What’s a leader to do? Verse 5 It’s a command, turn away from! But notice why this action is required. Verse 6-7.
Not only is the increase of willful men prevalent. They prey on increasingly more gullible women! Women who are loaded down by sin and submitting to all kinds of lusts. And verse 7 refers to the women. The verb forms are feminine. It is these silly women who keep learning but never gain knowledge of truth. And think about all the men responsible for leading them astray.
The final indictment of these corrupt men who are responsible for this seduction of women is in verses 8-9. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
They are disapproved concerning the faith. Weighed in the balance of belief and found without true faith.
Not much to look forward to. But the passage I want to use as a platform for this blog and a few others is 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
There are several important points made in this final chapter of Paul’s writings. He gets Timothy’s attention with the first phrase. I charge you before God and Christ. It’s a combination of our word witness and the idea of thoroughly. It expresses tremendous urgency. It is only used 4 times by Paul. But perhaps the best example of the urgency of this word is in Luke 16:28. The rich man there asks that Lazarus be sent to his five brothers that he might testify to them. Talk about urgency! My brothers are heading in the same path as me. You have to let Lazarus go and charge them, dramatically, thoroughly explain to them what is ahead. Please! With that passion Paul now begins this final admonition regarding ministry with an intense appeal to Timothy.
What activity is most urgent for Timothy? This is Paul’s last teaching to Timothy regarding ministry activity. It is his last plea to the young disciple. What is paramount for the preacher? What is the most important activity a minister can perform in view of the coming end? Preach the word! I think Paul chooses his words carefully. The emphasis of this word is on the process. Preach, clarify, exposit, exegete, expound. There must be urgency in the fulfillment of the urgent plea.
When should he preach? Be ready, literally, at a good time or when there is no time. Urgency is also present in the being ready.
How should he preach?
Preach so that error is shown, in a convincing way.
Preach when a rebuke is necessary, in a commanding way.
Preach to encourage, in a comforting way.
Preach with patience, in a longsuffering way.
Preach doctrine, that is what teaching is, in an informative way.
Why should he preach? This is the essential part of the admonition. Verses 3 and 4. The preaching is to prepare the church for the time when these things will happen.
Here’s an important question. Who is ‘they?’ They will not endure correct doctrine. They will turn away from it. Who? To whom would Timothy be preaching the principles of this letter? Same as 1 Timothy 3:15, the Church, believers. See why this mandate is so urgent? Right in the church there will be those who cannot tolerate sound teaching. The word represents good health. Titus 2:1 Doctrine is good for you. But the time will come when some will not give patient attention to this healthy teaching and will accumulate more teachers. Heaps of other ideas will be collected.
Some in the church will become dissatisfied with the teaching handed down from Jesus to the apostles to us through the Scriptures. What a provocative description Paul gives. They have itching ears. Ever have an itchy ear? Get the cue tip, I know you aren’t supposed to stick something small in your ear but you do and you try to get that itchy spot. Then the itch comes back, and etc. This an apt way to describe these who have begun to search for some other way. But there is no cue tip for this itchy ear. Piles of teachers with contrary ideas but no relief for the ear that itches to hear some new thing.
This produces a perhaps fatal result. The truth will not satisfy their impatient curiosity so they turn their ears away from the truth altogether and begin to follow fables. Or myths, that’s the Greek word. Notice the process. They turn their ears away and then they themselves are turned aside.
I think that in all periods of history there have been cases like Paul describes. In fact, there are evidences all around us that the church is still plagued with itchy ears. And is right now following fables. Here are 4 that I find quite prevalent.
FABLES THAT THE CHURCH FOLLOWS
1. That orthodoxy is generous.
2. That the church does not have a voice in secular society.
3. That science is essential to understanding life.
4. That the ‘secret’ to success is metaphysical.
I will be addressing these briefly in blogs to come.
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