Crusade for Life 

Report

NO CHURCH IS AN ISLAND

• "We don't do politics."


• "We decided long ago not to participate in politics."


• "We don't want to influence voters."


• "We understand the legality issue but we are a safe haven and don't get involved in those kinds of things."

These were some of the responses when hundreds of churches were recently called about supporting Prop 85, the Parental Notification Initiative. Each church was asked to show an excellent DVD "Protect Me...Please", use bulletin inserts and handout other materials.

Some used the excuse that it was "political" whereas other churches had several Yes on 85 signs on church property! How can this be? What can a church, as a tax exempt organization, legally do? According to the Pacific Justice Institute, a church can legally allocate 5% of it's time and money toward supporting or opposing legislation. This includes bills in Washington D.C., bills in Sacramento and initiatives which are really legislation brought to the public as a whole for a vote.

 The word "political" is used by some churches as an excuse to do nothing on legislation, although political activities actually refer to supporting or opposing a candidate for public office, which a church is not allowed to do.

What about the churches that deliberately refuse to become involved in anything that remotely seems like so called "political activity"? Are they really insulating their people from the "evils" of the world rather than being salt and light?

Let's take the recent Prop 85 initiative as an example. In a typical church with members of all ages there are families with minor teenage girls 12 to 17. These young girls are still living at home, are dependent on their folks for medical care, a place to live, food, transportation for their many activities such as band and sports, and of course family support, love and discipline. They may go to a public school, a church school or are homeschooled. But these girls also live in the real world. Can parents really protect them all the time?

A church is not an island where the young teenager is always protected. Most teens go to a public high school and even if they don't, their neighbors, relatives, and friends, who don't go to their church, are an influence. They watch TV at other homes, go to movies, read books, hear music, surf the internet and are constantly influenced by the secular world we live in.

Do parents realize that their control, their parental rights, are already deeply eroded? How are they to know the truth about an issue such as teenage abortions? From TV ads, the liberal press, the public school, or election campaign phone calls? No, no, no, no - particularly if they are busy and not really interested in things like current laws, the only place for them to learn the pitfalls in our secular society for minor girls is from the church! So when a church refuses to even discuss and educate their people on an initiative that would restore some parental rights, both the parents and the girls are the losers.

What a mission field this could be! Parents would become aware. Parents would be forewarned and would realize what influences their daughters face, what can happen behind their backs, and some, often serious consequences, that could befall their daughters. One such case was a karate teacher of 33 who seduced and impregnated a 15 year old and then told her he would "commit suicide if she didn't get an abortion - unfortunately the parents only found out after the fact. He knew the abortion business would not let the authorities know even if they did suspect statutory rape.

Even though Prop 85 failed - basically because there wasn't money for nearly enough TV/radio ads and the churches didn't pick-up the challenge - churches that did educate on the initiative and why it was important did a service for their people. Now these parents know! They are aware that predators - most minors are impregnated by adult males of average age 22 - are protected and abortion businesses such as Planned Parenthood cover for them and a parent will never know until it is too late! These parents no longer have their head in the sand and can try to protect their daughters.

In this new year of 2007, if the churches don't become more active, California will continue leading the country down a God-less path and as California goes so goes the nation to self destruction. In conclusion - if churches would use even 5% of their time and money on legislative issues, California would change and America would change for the better because of their Godly influence.

Why Are We Concerned?

• Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image,"
• Proverbs 6:17 "God hates hands that shed innocent blood." Man is special. Numerous places this is written.
• Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"
• Luke 1:41 "When Elizabeth heard Mary¹s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb," Preborn are in the womb.
• Isaiah 1:15 "I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear: Your hands are full of blood."

God used others to bring down Israel. Will he do the same to America?

These and many other scriptures show the humanity of the preborn child and the condemnation that God gives to a people who kill the innocent. Through legalized abortion, America is guilty.

Why aren¹t Christians doing more? There are possibly three reasons:

1. Money - Churches are afraid to offend those in their congregations who have been involved in an abortion
2. Guilt - 40% of women and men have been involved in an abortion in someway.
3. Guilt for their passivity - many Christians know it is wrong but have done nothing to stop the killing.

THERE IS HOPE EVEN AT THIS LATE DATE - PRAYER IS THE ANSWER

Pastor Al said that the answer is prayer. Pray for your pastor, priest, and minister that the Holy Spirit will touch them and they will realize that the taking of innocent human lives through abortion is the most grievous thing to God and must be stopped.

IS IT TOO LATE - for a person or for a country?

• 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

• Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool."

For a Country

• 2 Chronicles 7:14 "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,  then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Jill Stanek, a prominent pro-life leader, in a recent column in WorldNetDaily - www.WND.com- wrote, "Frankly, people who lament that their sin of abortion is unforgivable need to get over themselves.In actuality, they have a pride issue. They think their sin is more special than anyone elses who has ever lived. What's worse, people who don't seek and accept God's forgiveness about their abortions make matters worse. They don't get in the game because they feel like hypocrites. They could help stop others from making the same mistake but don't."