Abortion, Genocide, and Pro-Lifers in Obama Land

A recent Newsweek article explores the changing face of the pro-life movement in America, especially since the political landscape has changed under the leadership of Barak Obama. In Pro-Lifers in Obama Land, Sarah Kliff looks to those in the pro-life camp who are leaning toward legislation and agendas that aim at reducing abortions rather than eradicating the awful practice.

Though, I agree that one life saved is worth the fight and that a reduction of even a small percentage in the number of abortions would be a victory, I do believe that the battle of abortion is more about life than about numbers. When our focus is on reduction rather than eradication, our ethical standards have to shift. For instance, which area should we focus on reducing abortions? Should we focus on minorities, on the poor, or on the rich? Should our efforts at reduction focus on sex education, economic improvement, or visible fatherhood? In other words, which lives are worth saving and which lives are to be ignored?

The Obama administration claims to have abortion reduction as its goal (and I hope that it happens), but President Obama's track record is not one that speaks of abortion reduction (click here for an example). However, Obama's hero, Abraham Lincoln, did not have slave reduction as his goal. Instead, Mr. Lincoln saw slavery for what it was, an evil brutish act that robbed people of their basic human rights. Lincoln fought to end slavery and Wilberforce was used by God to pave the way.

Abortions will be reduced as we continue to fight to see the practice of abortion ended. Until that day arrives, however, we must continue to stand firm on the priniciple that an unborn child is a human life. Any policy that continues to allow for on-demand abortion does not take into account the value of the unborn life.

I would like to ask President Obama if it is his goal to reduce genocide or end it? My hope and prayer is that he would like to end genocide because it destroys innocent human life. I hope to end abortion because it does the same to victims who are far less capable of defending themselves.

Do Words Reveal Our Character: The Ugly Abortion Issue

Kevin Bussey at the Recovering Pharisee blog has an interesting post that focuses on an article written by a college student in The State Hornet, the news paper of California State University, Sacramento.

In an attempt to show her disdain for Sara Palin and her anti-abortion statnce, Briana Monasky goes so far as to say this in Sara Palin Hardly Represents Women,

That may be my main issue with Palin, the first female candidate for this position. This should be monumental. I should be incredibly proud to finally see a woman on the stage. Instead, I am ashamed that my country is letting her run. When I hear that women are pro-life I simply don't understand. Beyond that, as a victim of sexual assault I consider it devastating to think that a woman may have to carry a child to term conceived from an act of hate. I hope her dad rapes her and she has to carry that child to term. I bet you she wouldn't. I bet she'd grab a coat hanger herself and take care of it.

Though my heart goes out to this young woman for the terrible tragedy that she has experienced in her life, there is no excuse for anyone even suggesting that this kind of harm come to a woman running for office simply because she disagrees with her views on abortion. This article does go go show just how high emotions run on this volatile issue (for instance, let's not excuse anti-abortion activists who have blown up clinics), but I want to point out something else that becomes evident from Ms. Monasky's follow-up article after she received heavy criticism.

All anger aside, I stand behind the statements I made about her. One line lacked eloquence, but it was supposed to. To take what I said and somehow attribute it to who I am as a person is equally offensive.

Jesus was very clear about this, in Matthew 15:11 and 18, Jesus tells us that it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person for what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. If we cannot make judgements on a person's character based on the words that come from their mouth (or their pen), in both public and private, then how will we ever truly know who anyone is "as a person." Our words matter and our words are a window to our heart and soul. Be careful of the words you choose, they will reveal something of your character.

For more on the use of strong language, see Mark Dricoll's comments on strong language in the pulpit at Passion for Preaching

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Running Out Of Excuses

Tom Strode of Baptist Press has written an interesting article on new developments in stem cell research that are progressing toward making embryonic stem cell research as outdated as it is barbaric. Stem cells are important in research because they can develop into many kinds of cells throughout the body (to make it simple, its as if you have a multi-purpose cell just waiting for orders to become whatever it is ordered to be).



Adult stem cells have always shown hope and have been used in the past to treat a variety of diseases. Scientists, however, have argued that compared with adult stem cells which are said to be multi-potent (can develop into most cells), embryonic stem cells are pluripotent meaning they can develop into any of the cells of the body.



Thus far, embryonic stem cells have not created the "miracle" cures that were promised by scientists and politicians. However, recent research has developed a method for reprogramming adult stem cells to take on the pluripotent properties of embryonic stem cells, thus eliminating "the ethical issue of stem cells" without eliminating the research potential. Even cloning pioneer Ian Wilmut startled the scientific world by announcing he had abandoned research, or therapeutic, cloning in favor of the reprogramming method in November.



This new research should be significant in political policy of the United States. We wait to see if our government will embrace this new research or continue to defend the unneccessary and barbaric act of embryonic stem cell research. Let me suggest that if our government does not embrace the new methods, then their political ambitions will be laid bare for the world to see.

As I have argued elsewhere (Hopes Falsely Tied To Embryonic Stem Cell Research), the push for embryonic stem cell research in politics and the media has more to do with the abortion issue and the devaluation of human life than with any potential research breakthroughs. This has already been evident in the largely ignored Wake Forest study that showed promise for using amniotic fluid which would pose less risk to human life and yield the same cells sought after in stem cell research.

Read Strode's full article, Is Embryonic Stem Cell Research Obsolete for more information on this important issue.

The Politics of Abortion and Infanticide

I rarely speak to politics in this arena and I am rarely moved to tears. However, the following video simultaneouosly brought tears to my eyes and provoked me to bring politics to the fore in this post. I publicly support no candidate, but this video should be seen by every person in America. I do not know the group who made the video and of course all things are open to scrutiny, but we should all seek to be informed.

Mathew 25:40- "As you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." There is none smaller than the unborn child. May God have mercy upon us when we have not stood up for the "the least of these."