According to a recent CBN News report, New York state leaders have determined through The Reproductive Health Act, which passed with a 38-28 vote, that’s now legal in certain circumstances to end the life of human babies in the final trimester of pregnancy even when a baby could be viable. I can think of few things that make me shudder more than this. In fact, for me it is sickening.
Our MB Confession of Faith says this about life: “God values human life highly. Ultimate decisions regarding life and death belong to God. Therefore, we hold that procedures designed to take life, including abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, are an affront to God’s sovereignty.” We value life that God has created, especially human life which he made in his image.
According to a 1972 amendment to federal law, destroying one bald eagle egg before it hatches carries potential penalties of a maximum of two years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. I’m all for protecting bald eagles. But it is unreal that to destroy one eagle egg carries this kind of penalty, yet a human baby can be killed, and it is heralded by some. What has become of us as a nation when we tolerate this kind of insanity? How can we expect God to bless us as a nation when we have this atrocity as a testament of our collective behavior?
Allow me to be clear: I know there are those reading this who have had an abortion. I also know that God does not condemn you for this as you seek him, and I certainly am not going to condemn you either. Sometimes we make choices that are extremely difficult. I would be concerned that if you are troubled about a past action that you find peace about this, as I know God wants you to experience peace. If you are reading this and contemplating having an abortion, please, please do not do this. This is a precious life God has created and he or she has much value in God’s eyes.
As our confession says, “Each person is created in the image of God and ought to be celebrated and nurtured.” This includes those with terminal illnesses, the elderly and those with extreme disabilities. All human life belongs to God.
What can we do as Christians in a nation that not only allows abortion but even helps fund it? One of the best questions we can ask is: Why do women seek abortions? Pro-life proponent and author Angie Weszely writes, “At this time [when pregnant and fearful of the future], women feel incredibly alone and isolated. They can only hear and internalize messages that help them resolve their fear of loss of self. This emotional barrier makes women facing an unwanted pregnancy largely incapable of hearing appeals to sacrifice their identities to save the child.”
Women in these situations need our support as the church. The lack of resources and practical support can make a woman feel as if she needs to choose between abortion or resigning herself to struggle as a mother. But support can break the power of hopelessness and change the way a woman sees her future and the future of her child. Knowing there are resources available and people who will support her through her pregnancy and beyond can make all the difference. Are we willing to get involved? If we really do want to help alleviate abortions, then we must help provide answers.
Weszely adds, “Sure, the politics around abortion seem to be at a stalemate. But maybe this will force us as Christians to ask God for a solution that accurately reflects his heart.” This reflects our confession of faith as well. We collectively say, “In all complex ethical decisions regarding life and death, we seek to offer hope and healing, support and counsel in the context of the Christian community.”
So, the next time I’m appalled by our national stance concerning the ending of life via abortion, I should pause and reflect about what we can do to help offer hope, healing and a different path‚ a path of preserving life.
Don Morris is the USMB national director. He and his wife, Janna, live in Edmond, Oklahoma, where they attend Cross Timbers Church.