Christians Must Decide

The Christian community must decide what the future of America will be. The widely distributed pamphlet about abortion, America Must Decide has been read by millions of Americans of all religions. It has saved lives and made some difference but in actuality, the future of America comes down to what Christians are willing to do. Should we stay in our church "closets" and wait for Christ to return? Should we remove our family and influence from mainstream America - home school, no T.V., and even live with our own group of fellow believers in a "safe" place?

The answer must be NO. From the beginning our country was meant to be a shining light to all. Our government was based on Christian principles. We survived the Civil War. Many thousands sacrificed during the wars of the last century. We can't give up now. Christians must decide to become the "salt and light" of modern America.

CHRISTIANS MUST DECIDE: LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION

Many of the questions facing us at this time depend on our answer to the question, "When does human life begin?" There are many examples where science has jumped ahead of what the traditional Christian community has historically considered. But basically it all comes down to the question of when does human life begin?  Human life has not changed since originally created by God. Only human manipulation of human life has changed especially in the last few years. On the positive side, science has learned in the last quarter century more about the development of unborn life than ever before in human history!

The story of human life begins with the union of a sperm and an egg, which is the "moment of conception." To quote Dr. J.C. Willke in Why can't we Love Them Both, "Is the fertilized ovum only a potential human being? No. This is not a potential human being; it is a human being with vast potential. One could say that the sperm and ovum, before their union, constitute a potential human being. Once their union is completed, however, they have become an actual human being." He goes on, "A fertilized egg is a zygote which on dividing is called an embryo. At about one week of life, at the blastocyst stage of about 128 to 256 cells, the embryo implants into the nutrient lining of the uterus. There, only three days later, this tiny male or female human sends a chemical-hormonal message into the mother's body, which stops her menstrual periods. The heart begins to beat at 18 days, and by 21 days it is pumping, through a closed circulatory system, a blood whose type is different from that of the mother. Brain waves have been recorded at 40 days on the Electroencephalogram (EEG)."  This is not just one doctor's opinion. The statements in the book were made by numerous physicians including the late Dr. A. Liley, the Father of Fetology, who did the first fetal blood transfusion in the womb.

And what about the church through the ages? Every Christian group condemned abortion until this century. But in a (8/6/01) article in the L.A. Times the opinion of St. Thomas Aquinas, who died in 1274, was used to justify abortion before "ensoulment" occurred. To quote Dr. Willke, "Aquinas did question when the soul was created. He spoke of the then-current scientific conviction that a male child was not fully enough developed to be judged human (and therefore to have a soul) until forty days, and that the female fetus could not be judged fully human until eighty days. This obviously says something about scientific knowledge of that age. The L. A. Time's article also mentions quickening (when the mother feels the baby) as a criteria. This was an accepted policy in pre-scientific times. Now sophisticated instruments tell us much more about the developing baby in the womb. 

CHRISTIANS MUST DECIDE ALL HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED

Let's look to God's word to reaffirm when life begins. God makes no distinction between the born and unborn. God knew David as a person before he was born, as related in Psalm 139:13-15, "You did form my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb...you knew me right well; my frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret..." Human life begins at conception for the Psalmist David uses the personal pronoun "me" in the above Psalm. God also speaks to Jeremiah, showing the child in the womb is a person. Jeremiah 1:4,5 "Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you."

The entity in the womb is a baby. Luke 1:41-44, "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.'" This is the same word for babe that Luke uses in Luke 2:12,16, "You will find a baby lying in a manger.", and in Luke 18:15,16 referring to infants who have already been born.

CHRISTIANS MUST DECIDE TO TEST THIS KNOWLEDGE AGAINST SOCIETY'S CURRENT ETHICS

Here are just a few examples where knowing that human life begins at conception and believing that human life is sacred will keep those who love the Lord on the right track.

Using Stem Cells From Aborted Babies or Frozen Embryos - Harvesting stem cells from questionable sources will only lower the respect for human life at all stages and lead to further abuse. Some examples include: cloning human life, selling baby parts, experimenting on those who are unable to communicate - mentally or physically and so on. Nazi Germany encouraged this same kind of "science."

Different Kinds of Abortions -  Although Catholic and Evangelical churches condemn surgical abortions, nearly 50% of surgical abortions are performed on Christians. Chemical abortions, such as the morning after pill and RU486, are also abortions and are used as a means of birth control. The morning after pill makes the lining of the uterus inhospitable to the embryo and the developing baby is unable to implant and is then aborted. Ru486 actually kills the baby at a later date after it has begun to grow in the uterus. Norplant and Depo-Provera are other forms of chemical abortions.

Using Many Different Kinds of Contraception - Many devices and chemicals that are considered regular birth control methods act approximately 20% of the time as abortifacients. This happens when the lining of the uterus is rendered hostile to the newly conceived child. Common examples of this are the pill and IUD. In the 70's, when Crusade for Life speakers were regularly invited into churches to give talks, show slides and films, inevitably, after a presentation several women would come up and ask about birth control and abortion. They were convicted when learning that their type of contraception could be acting as an abortion. Does your pastor warn his congregation of this possibility so that those under his shepherding will not experience the guilt of having innocently experienced abortions themselves? 

How about contraception in general? To quote Life Chain founder, Royce  Dunn, "Few Protestants living today have ever heard the word contraception spoken in their church sanctuary--yet what other word has impacted modern society more fundamentally? When I talk to protestant lay people and ask if they have ever heard a sermon on the subject of fertility management in the Christian home, they ponder the question and express amazement that they have not. And since the Catholic laity is contracepting at about the same percentage as Protestants, it is not surprising that birth control is mentioned sparingly in Catholic churches, as well. When I discuss this subject with Christian friends, who are beyond child-bearing age, they frequently express the same abiding regret my wife and I have, of not welcoming more children into their home. They wish someone with influence had warned them. And why the silence in the Church today? I believe it evidences one of the strongest spiritual strongholds the Church has ever experienced."

He concludes," Is there a link between a heart that rejects offspring and a lack of will to defend the lives of preborn children? I believe there is because I believe contraception compromises the human heart--whether or not the user is aware of the compromise. When in past centuries surgical abortion raised its menacing head, the Christian Church in our nation responded decisively; but in the 20th Century, abortion not only raised its head but calmly challenged the Church to throw its best punches. When the Church responded, its punches were drained of passion and resolve... the once proud champion had lost too much heart to defend his honor sacrificially. He would no longer "plead the case of the fatherless to win it." (Jeremiah 5:28).

HOW CAN CHRISTIANS BECOME SALT AND LIGHT? 

Here is one very important way. During a recent election, conservative candidates were defeated by liberals, even though many of the high propensity voters, who were called, supported the conservative and pro-life stands of the candidates. But they didn't vote! Their reasons: I home school, my children are grown, OR my children go to private schools.

Why do citizens of this country feel that because they don't have children in the public school system, they don't have a vested interest in the public schools? They pay taxes. Over 90% of children are public school educated. Don't Christians have a responsibility to their neighbor's son or the boy across town who will be taught and exposed to homosexuality? Shouldn't Christians be concerned that the young people of their town are encouraged to be promiscuous by Planned Parenthood's sex education? They are taught abortion is an acceptable choice and are sent or even taken to the abortion clinic by school personnel without the parents even knowing? Christians must not bury their heads in the sand, walk on the other side of the road, or go into their closets and shut out the surrounding world. 

Write Crusade for Life for a free set of the pamphlets by Royce Dunn on contraceptives, Planned Parenthood and abortion. Please send a donation if you would like a complete informational packet with material especially prepared for your pastor.

Crusade for Life, Inc.
18030 Brookhurst St., Box 372
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 963-4753
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