The words still haunt my mind, “In memory of our aborted grandchild.” I have signed hundreds of acknowledgments for gifts given in memory of someone, but this one—it just seemed out of place. What was it doing there with the others? What kind of culture do we live in that precipitates such unnatural sorrow?
God loves fathers. He is one.
“What does God do that gives value to human life?” This question centers the determining factor of life’s value in God. The answer gives Christians a foundation for dealing with life and death decisions that is certain, hope filled, and reassuring.
Lutherans For Life stands firmly with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Roman Catholic Bishops, the Southern Baptist Convention, other Evangelical leaders, and other religious organizations in strongly opposing the recently-promulgated Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rules requiring that religious organizations provide contraception and abortifacients to their employees.
As a parent of teenagers, I have come to realize the great responsibility there is to teach the youth about the life issues. Our children and grandchildren are being attacked on every level by peers, the media—and, in many cases, their own family members. The culture of our day glorifies that which is ungodly. After having a conversation with my 16-year-old about the important issues among her peers in relation to the life issues, I realized many of our youth only hear the untruth our culture revels in.
This spring edition of LifeDate focuses on “Equipping the Saints For Life!”
The Greek word, αιρεσις (hair-e-sis), means “choice.” It is often translated “heresy” when describing a wrong choice, a choice contrary to the way of God (Acts 24:14 KJV). Thus, the popular pro-abortion phrase, “the right to choose,” could be, “the right to heresy,” and “pro-choice” would be “pro-heresy” if the choice is contrary to the way of God.
“If only I would have known the pain and guilt would stay with me forever!” It’s a common reaction from Christian women journeying toward healing after abortions. It causes me to wonder, “What could have been said or done that would have stopped you from choosing the death of your little one?”
A few answer, “Nothing.” Some say, “I didn’t give anyone the chance. I was too ashamed to tell anyone.” Many respond, “I couldn’t see any other way.”
These women believe their Christian families and churches are not safe havens for sinners.
God and abortion came face to face this year. The anniversary of Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973, fell on a Sunday. People gathered to worship the Lord and Author of Life on the day when, thirty-nine years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively took the right to life away from the defenseless unborn and declared the right to murder them constitutional.
Megan is an all-American girl. Like other freshmen in college, she considers herself “modern.” She communicates by iPhone and Facebook, is comfortable with her “sexuality,” strolls through Victoria’s Secret with her boyfriend, and, ready for a serious relationship, scheduled an appointment to discuss birth control with a Planned Parenthood counselor.