Pro-life summit: What next?
As I wrote yesterday, since the election I’ve been pondering where we are as a nation and a world.
I vacillate between thinking 1) the end of the civilization known as the United States of America is near, 2) the apocalypse is near, and 3) I’m overreacting.
Most often I think it’s a combination of #1 and #2, although I do try to temper myself.
And what if this is so, I’ve asked myself? Where does this leave the pro-life movement? Why is God continuing to allow these millions of abortions – almost half a billion around the world per decade – and with them the worldwide decimation of demographics by age and gender? What is He thinking? How does unfathomable tragedy fit into His plan?
Well, of course I know His thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are higher than mine. But I still think about these things. I’ve learned there are four ways to determine the will of God: Scripture, prayer, Godly counsel, and circumstances. So I always do try to keep an eye on what’s going on around me, just in case there is something obvious I can take note of.
So I took all this baggage with me to the summit, knowing I would be in the company of Godly counselors. My takeaways, plagiarizing Mark Harrington of Created Equal in places:
1. My first priority to stop abortion is to my family, my church, my schools, and my community. Were we to each take responsibility for our direct sphere of influence, we might get more accomplished. The world is too overwhelming a place to start.
2. Introducing Gospel conversations into our outreach needs to be more a point of emphasis.
3. Pro-lifers must consider “evangelizing” the collective Church a priority.
Regarding point #3, a viewpoint was presented at the summit that pro-lifers need to educate the Church on its critical role in stopping abortion. Generally speaking, Christian churches and church members are low hanging fruit to actively join the anti-abortion community.
We may assume church leaders understand their role, but they may not.
Then there are, of course, those leaders who know they should speak out more against abortion but find it unpleasant, for various reasons.
And there are also churches teaching heresy, that abortion is acceptable. In those cases, members are often totally unaware that their denomination supports abortion. We do them no favors by letting them remain ignorant.
So I am very high on a growing movement to prayerfully protest in front of either pro-abortion or apathetic churches. I expect to participate in this endeavor soon.
At the summit we also discussed the possibility of coming persecution. We watched a 20 minute video featuring Mike Spencer of Life Training Institute, who spoke at a 40 Days for Life rally last month. It’s a great speech, and sobering. As Mike pointed out, we may think we would have hidden Jews in our attics during the Holocaust, risking imprisonment and death to do so, but we don’t really know.
“But here’s what I do know,” said Mike. “If I will not stand for the unborn in America when there is virtually no cost for doing so, then I can know with absolute certainty I would not have stood for my Jewish friends and neighbors in Nazi Germany in 1943.”
UPDATE 12/11, 1p: The above video was shot at the 40 Days for Life campaign held outside late-term abortionist Marvin Haskell’s mill in Kettering, Ohio.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cX2Ct9vD8Q[/youtube]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
NON-Sequitur Alert!!!
Women’s group: Obama’s cabinet ‘clearly’ needs to be 50-percent female
http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/05/womens-group-obamas-cabinet-clearly-needs-to-be-50-percent-female/
Several of the women in mr. bo-jangles cabinet are already 50% female.
It’s dealers choice on the feministas other
50%.
And in response to his statement about abortion being thrown upon the ash heap of history, I would say, Bless all those who “hid the Jews” or attested to the culture of life in the marketplace.
Theirs is the Kingdom of God.
1) the end of the civilization known as the United States of America is near,
I don’t think so. It may not be what you want. It may not be what is was. Neither is much of the rest of the world. It is still “the civilization known as the United States of America“, it’s just morphing and ever-changing. There will be no distinct ‘end’.
2) the apocalypse is near,
I don’t envisage so. If it is it won’t be because of topics such as abortion. It’ll be the same old resources grabs.
3) I’m overreacting.
I guess that’s just a matter of how distraught you allow yourself to be about an ever-changing world.
Why is your god allowing these things to happen? That is one almighty question. Not one I can offer an answer to.
NON-Sequitur Alert!!!
I see Mittens has jumped back on board on the board of Marriott, the chain with pay-to-view porn.
In response to those testifying in front of abortion permissive Church’s, and in light of UN’s unveiling of Agenda 21, I am sad to see that ‘Food for the Hungry,’ (see upper-right featured article) is not the Christian Charity, as it claims, but publicly admits to promoting Women’s Health Care, and as USAIDE defines it!
(from: http://fh.org/about/faq “Where do the grants come from?
Most of our grants come from USAID — the United States Agency for International Development”)
It is important to be wise as the serpent gentle as the dove, esp, right now.
‘Food For the Hungry’s’ official ‘transparency’ statement:
From: http://blog.fh.org/tag/hivaids/
“• Where do the grants come from?
Most of our grants come from USAID — the United States Agency for International Development. In emergencies, some funds can come from UFDA — USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. Food for the Hungry has been blessed to receive many such grants over the years. We have a track record of accomplishing, monitoring and reporting on our work in serving the poor.”
US AIDE’s mission statement (READ: ‘Planning Policy’):
From: http://www.usaid.gov/results-and-data/planning/policy
“• Education helps improve health outcomes.
Greater educational attainment, especially for girls, leads to overall health improvements as well as to reduction in fertility…”
And this:
“• According to guidance accompanying appropriations, basic edu
cation funds are to be used to impart basic literacy and
numeracy skills, and to promote systems and programs that will
result in improved learning of basic skills around the world.”
Assessment: Accompanying USAID appropriations are mandatory adherents to their ‘guidance policy’. The Guidance Policy states clearly that teaching methods of reducing fertility is beneficial.
I hardly doubt they are talking of natural family planning. And I hardly doubt that there is any doubt in the minds of FH that being open about this mandatory adherent to the US AID grants they are receiving, would dampen Christians from giving them money so they sheepishly skirt the issue.
I could be out of bounds, but, if I’m not wrong, and they are advocating hormonal birth control and abortifacents in obeyance to the mandatory compliance guidlines of their biggest sponsor, US AID, doesn’t it make you think?
from: http://fh.org
• Through care groups, FH staff teach women about health practices. These women pass on the information to other women, transforming the community’s health.
A better bargain: Gospel For Asia.
If you are interested in making charitable giving a part of your Christmas list,
give with confidence here! This charity mission is run and operated by natives in the region, gospel For Asia is not working for any fertility “Planning” agency and has no interset what-so-ever in becoming one of their subsidiaries:
At GFA you can buy two goats for the price of one at Food For the Hungry!
Here’s Why:
Missionaries are native Indians. They are familiar with the language and culture, so no time or resources are used to assist missionaries to acclimate, nor do they crave the common creature-comforts of even the most modest western missionaries, once again reducng costs. The idea of paying 2.00 for a cup of star bucks in an airport, much less for a flight half-way around the world is irrelevant. Your money will go directly into the mission, with no third parties managing donations, as you have with FH:
from: http://fh.org/about/faq
“Why is the donation envelope addressed to Albert Lea, MN?
We found using an agency that provides donation processing services reduces our administrative costs. We don’t have to add another building, processing equipment, or additional staff. It keeps our overhead costs lower and gets donations working in the field more quickly.
Reality,
I notice that your name isn’t a link to a blog, like some of our other commentors. Have you thought of having your own blog? If not, why not?
My observation has been that the vast majority of blogs run by fundamentalists of whatever genre are incredibly bad. They only score visits because other fundamentalists are happy to have their position confirmed and can sit around the camp-fire together. Sites such as Jill’s are amongst the few who do meet a higher standard of quality.
Rationalist blogs however, need to maintain a constant level of quality and content otherwise people will go find better ones. I’ve followed and subsequently dropped quite a few because of that. The potential visitors have higher expectations. I simply don’t have the resources to establish and maintain a blog that meets my own requirements. There are already plenty of sites doing a better job than I would.
I like this idea. Perhaps all of the various prolife communities (Christian, Muslim, Agnostic, Secular, Buddhist, Hindu, NONEs etc..) can concentrate on convincing their own communities. Leverage the variety of prolife communities to the maximum effect.
If there is a specific community that needs help perhaps it can ask for assistance from the other communities.
Sounds like a good idea Tyler. You can all sit around the camp-fire having a singalong while the world turns, the universe expands and civilization advances.
Laughing at Kenthebirther’s non-sequitur alert…….. and adding: The same could be said for the nominal men in Obama’s cabinet!!
“civilization advances”
Where is civilization advancing? For the most part things have gotten worse in the past 20 years. Our technology is better, but CONSTANTLY relying on that technology to do EVERYTHING has made us weak-minded simpletons. We can now plainly see why so many sci-fi writers have depicted future societies as completely dysfunctional and helpless after a calamity destroyed our technology.
“ the world turns, the universe expands”
Human beings are tiny specks in the universe, but by the mere fact that we are human we have an obligation to secure justice among our race, don’t you think? And what is more unjust than killing innocent children? Personally I believe that only God has the right to seek vengeance, but we deliver it upon the most helpless and innocent among us, for the crimes and sins of others.
December 2, 2012
Sunday Service – Consecration of the Heart of the World to the United Hearts and Unity in Families
Marantha Spring and Shrine
St. Joseph is here and says: “Praise be to Jesus.”
“Tonight I have come to advise you – be apprised of the times in which you live, but do not be overwhelmed by them. Pray and let prayer be your refuge; be united in this.”
“Tonight I’m extending to you my Fatherly Blessing.”
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December 3, 2012
Monday Service – Peace in All Hearts through Holy Love
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Jesus is here with His Heart exposed. He says: “I am your Jesus, born Incarnate.”
“My brothers and sisters, always seek the humble – the little path; for it is in this way you will pursue the Chambers of Our United Hearts. Do not seek self-importance, but importance in My Eyes. I will raise you up, and you will be My Light in the world.”
“Tonight I’m blessing you with My Blessing of Divine Love.”
Don’t feed the troll, y’all…
Re: Jill: I feel for you! The human heart has a certain natural maximum capacity for anguish before it hits an “overload” threshold, and where even the most faithful person is tempted again to ask “Why? How long? Will no one stop this? What is the meaning of this?” That’s one of the main reasons why our hearts, precious and valuable as they are, don’t make good guides for our lives (i.e. we shouldn’t “follow our hearts” ANYWHERE! C.f. Jeremiah 17:9), and why trust in God, at its roots, is a raw act of the will (whether our hearts follow us, or not).
We don’t need to despair, even if the United States is about to fall, or even (and I confess, I almost frantically yearn for this!) if the Parousia is near. We are all in the Hands of God, Who knew from all eternity that all of this would happen, and who prepared everything so that even the most foul evil (concocted by the devil and by those who follow him, wittingly or unwittingly) will redound to even greater good (cf. Romans 8:28). Those who say otherwise (there are a few anti-Christian trolls I could mention, at this point) are not only crass and boorish, but they are (forgive me) simpletons who have not seriously and critically thought through these matters for so much as ten seconds. An atheistic “existing universe” is nonsense, as is any idea of morality without an existing, infinite God. Be of good courage (even if our hearts refuse to be of good cheer); God is in control, even of this.
“But here’s what I do know,” said Mike. “If I will not stand for the unborn in America when there is virtually no cost for doing so, then I can know with absolute certainty I would not have stood for my Jewish friends and neighbors in Nazi Germany in 1943.”
Hm, wow. that’s an excellent, sobering point. May I have continuously more courage in defending the unborn. I know I’ve majorly failed in this way many times.
I also really, really like the point about beginning to affect change in our own circles of influence.
People are more likely to listen to someone they know and trust, rather than what they hear in the media. It’s more impactful for me to tell someone I work with about how horrible abortion is, than for them to hear about it vaguely on some website somewhere, where they’re more likely to write it off as political kooks. I think we underestimate how much influence we have on those around us.
Because, really, change isn’t going to happen from the top-down, but from the bottom-up. It’s going to start with us impacting the communities where we find ourselves, it’ll start in the living rooms of family and friends, over coffee, among our friends and co-workers. And sometimes, I think, that’s the hardest place to be bold. Who wants to step on the toes of those they love? Who wants to risk being outcast by those they hold most dear? We want to be nice! We want to be liked! We don’t want to cause discomfort to the nice, but apathetic, people around us!
But then, if I am not speaking up for the lives of unborn babies, and offering love and healing to women broken by abortion, what good am I?
Test
Paladin says: trust in God, at its roots, is a raw act of the will (whether our hearts follow us, or not)
Very profound. Thank you for sharing this.
Lrning,
:) Happy to do so; I inherited it from those who are wiser than I, and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have survived this long with my mind and my heart (and even my body) relatively intact, were it not for that truth.
One other point, re: the main topic, from Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
“God does not call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful.”
We’re not failures if we fail to save the nation, save the culture, or even save so much as one aborted baby. We’re simply called to TRY to save all of them, despite the cost, whether we succeed or not.
Jill,
A few thoughts regarding your three questions.
First, as to why God is allowing this monstrosity to continue. I think that what we desire (an end to abortion) is the fruit of conversion and fidelity to God. The truth is that Western Civilization has utterly imploded, with every one of our once great institutions in moral ruin. Our political, legal, scientific, educational, medical, and even religious establishments have been corrupted. Should we be surprised that God has abandoned us to our own perversity, as Paul stated in Romans?
I often think of a woman’s comment on my blog, one left two years ago. She commented that there was a time when the perinatologists were the baby doctors who took on the hard and difficult cases, and could be counted on to do all within their power to bring endangered babies through difficult pregnancies. She then ruefully pointed out that today they are the first to push for abortion in the hard cases.
She’s not entirely wrong.
How we use our technology and medicine, the judgments of our courts, the laws written by our politicians all reflect who we are and what we have become. I think the scriptural admonition to “Seek first His kingship over you, His way of holiness, and then all these things shall be given unto you,” is applicable here.
Perhaps the deaths of these innocents are being permitted in order to bring the world to its senses, because God desires each one of our conversions.
My thoughts are this: First of all as citizens we have a responsibility to participate in the democratic process and I think it is happening at a far greater amount in recent years. People are expressing themselves and alot of debate is taking place. This is good. It takes time for all of us to process new information. Christ said He is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Therefore, knowing that to be true, we know it is going to happen. However, He said no one knows when or where, but look for the signs. I believe that morally we are at an all time low in this country and for sure it crept upon us through ignorance and by being pursuaded to do so by the power of secularists and a secular education system. The whole sexual revolution was foisted upon us by way of science developing the hormonal birth control pill. It was made available by way of the practice of medicine to prevent unwanted pregnacies for both unmarried and married couples. Many viewed this as “liberating” for unmarrieds when in fact it had just the opposite effect from a spiritual point of view. The clergy does not for most part seem to get it. A lot of clergy simply do not have the skills or knowlege to teach anything about the subject. Education and continued political pressure is the only way to overcoming this horrific crime against humanity known as abortion. It is the most destructive force ever to come upon this land we love. Those of us fight for the lives of children cannot give up.
City of Angels:
Thanks for the info. GFA it is from now on.
Paladin says:
Those who say otherwise (there are a few anti-Christian trolls I could mention, at this point) are not only crass and boorish, but they are (forgive me) simpletons who have not seriously and critically thought through these matters for so much as ten seconds.
Always good to see your comments. The lack of critical thinking as exhibited here from our trolls is a real problem, the root of which I would like to ask you to comment on from the standpoint of your being an educator. Is it what the schools are teaching? Are the methodologies or is is it that people cannot think on a subject matter longer than it takes to burp out a tweet?
Paladin:
Meant to say above…are the methodologies (heavy reliance on computers etc.) used in educating serving to dumb down the students as it affects the development of analytical and critical thinking skills? When we were youngsters a research project took multuple trips to the library and hours of seraching and referencing and thinking about the subject matter. Maybe it is too easy in many instances today because of computers putting things at our fingertips? Just searching for answers.
One has to wonder too about the effect of sin on the intellect. If millions of people are consuming porn and stealing from their employers and envying those who have more and gossiping and tearing down others’ reputations and so on…perhaps these all contribute to a darkening of the intellect.
burp out a tweet?
lol
Hello, Jerry!
In answer to your questions, I’d be inclined to say “all of the above”! Certainly, the attention-span of youngsters has decreased, over time (and there are innumerable factors contributing to that, I’m sure: higher-and-higher-intensity stimulus, advertising which sprays more and more images per second, video games and movies which overstimulate and condition one not to “track” the same idea, the near-disappearance of paper books whose themes and plots require high vocabulary and long attention, diet with plentiful sugar and caffeine and other reckless ingredients, etc.). Absolutely, the educational system (at least in the western world, and certainly in the USA) is far more interested in social engineering than it is in education, per se. Without doubt, sin darkens the intellect, and mortal sin turns people into walking idiots (at least insofar as the target of the sin/addiction/etc. is concerned), so an habitual culture of sin cannot but make the culture less mentally-agile. And you’re quite right, I think: Facebook (and yes, I have a page there! :) ), and especially Twitter, encourage “micro-thinking” (which doesn’t do much for one’s ability to think a complex issue through, from beginning to end).
One of my biggest griefs, in fact, is the near-ubiquitous inability of moderns to have the simple patience to examine an issue carefully, methodically, using sane reason and patience, being able to question one’s starting assumptions (including one’s own “sacred cows”), and so on. Militant, combative and anti-theist atheists (as opposed to the sensible ones.. and I’m blessed [if they’ll forgive the expression] to know several!), who often crow and pride themselves on their “logical ability”, are some of teh worst offenders in that regard.
Thanks, Reality, for answering my question. I tried to run a blog for a short time but I just couldn’t find enough content. I already had wittier friends writing their own blogs about daily life and it’s hard to compete with more professional bloggers on more serious subjects. I think about it, though. I’m working on a couple projects that perhaps I’ll publish.
Paladin, I can’t remember if I’ve asked you this, but have you seen the movie “Idiocracy”?
The first time I watched it, I thought, ‘oh how dumb.’ The second time I watched, I said, “OMG, this is brilliant!!” I decided to give it a third pass. I’m afraid. I’m very afraid. Lol!
Gerard Nadal, your comment really hits home, especially “She then ruefully pointed out that today they are the first to push for abortion in the hard cases.”
I have a friend who was pro-life, but then got pregnant and was pushed by her lazy doctor and her unsupportive family into having an abortion because “there is risk, and after all it would be for the best.” There was no proof or dx to suggest the baby wasn’t developing properly (no tests, no ultrasound). In her situation, the “risk” was based on statistics, not the actual baby and mother sitting in front of the doctor.
I go to the same health care providers and I can tell you that the last two pap smears I had were practically drive-thru! Without exaggeration, I can say that the mammogram technicians show more patience and compassion than the two ob/gyns I saw! Heck, my vet spends more time with one of the cats than those two ‘human’ doctors.
GERARD NADAL IT IS ABOUT TIME!!!
Don’t mean to shout but it is so nice to see you!! :)
Gerard? That you?
Ninek:
Don’t worry. Once Obamacare kicks in, drive-thru medical service will seem like eternities.
Hey guys, it’s good to come home. I’ve had a wickedly brutal year with family illnesses and tragedies. You’re right, Carla, it’s about time!!
:-)
Paladin:
Re the 1:39 post I’d say you covered all of the bases! Thanks.
Gerard,
I am very sorry to hear that. :(
Praying for you.
Gosh, I luvs this thread!
Welcome back, Gerard. it really is wonderful to have you hang-out with us again.
after the brilliant comments by Jerry and Paladin …. I see extra merit in those large ‘abortion photos’. If the upcoming generation shuns and objects to utilizing the intellectual gifts of reason, argument, ‘wrestling’ with an idea because ir represents ‘too much work’, then using images because “one picture equals a thousand words’ makes all kinds of sense to a culture that has shifted its learning mode to pictures + videos.
All that being said: I woner if such imigry CAN be more effective in being presented. By contrasting the babies aborted with coins, we mark their gestation SIZE – not necessarily their humanity. Would it be technically feasible to have BEFORE and AFTER photos? One with how a babe looks at a particular gestational age vs an AFTER an abortion photo. And absolutely INCLUDE photos of disabled children in utero..
John McDonell:
“One with how a babe looks at a particular gestational age vs an AFTER an abortion photo”.
A very intriguing thought. I can see the power in that! I can see a side by side. Would you have a third frame with the disabled child…not sure what you have in mind with that.
Hi Jerry,
Too often children with these difficulties ie. Downes Syndrome are aborted as a convenient escape for orthodox medical practitioners. These babies are often not as physically disfigured as imagined. I know medical techniques (now) that can ‘cure’ a person with incurable genetic diseases.
One was done decades ago by a University of Chicago researcher. He injected some adult bone-marrow cells into an infant while the babe was still in utero, so that newly-forming-cells would have a ‘guide’ in proper development. This IS NOT now common practice, but calling for abortion for ‘futile’ cases, is far too easy when the prevailing attitude towards abortion is lax.
There are currently computer programs that can predict a babies’ facial appearance as an adult. Would it help to link one of these with a 4D image available through ultra-sound imaging?
Hi John:
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back here. What you describe being done decades ago I suppose is akin to the use of stem cells now. I like your idea of 4D imaging.