Recent Abortion Legislation

     My heart is heavy as I read the recent news of extreme pro-abortion bill that was just signed by the Illinois governor, JB Pritzker. Even heavier still when I contemplate how long this has been permitted to even be a thought in our minds.

     Oh my friends, weep for our society. How have we allowed such horror to take over our culture?
Popular arguments of so-called "women's rights" hold no stake in this ongoing debate.

     I am a woman, I greatly value my rights. I am glad to be able to have a good job, go to school for whatever I desire, to speak freely of my thoughts and opinions, to vote, to hold a public office should I desire. My rights as a woman would never give me the right to end the life of my unborn child.

     Let me draw your attention to a group of people who cried out, "no taxation without representation!" This sector of a nation rebelled against being forced to pay taxes without having a voice in parliament to speak for them. They rose up and said,

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator  with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, - That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness..." (The Declaration of Independence)

      These people were willing to give their lives to stand by their firmly held belief that they had the right to have a voice. They had the rights, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

      Do we not look back upon those founding fathers and applaud, at the very least, their courage in taking a stand? In fighting a war that seemed far too immense to undertake?

     Fast forward a few decades, slaves being whipped, sold on auction blocks, mothers being torn from their children, rape, and abuse rampant- was this not horrendous? Was it not caused by one group of people looking upon another and deeming them 'not quite human?' The North pretended it wasn't happening, the South justified it by saying that the slaves weren't human, or that they had better lives as slaves than as freemen and women, and that it was a necessary evil. 

      Look with me now to the Second World War, thousands upon thousands of Jews marched to their deaths in concentration camps while a majority of the world looked on oblivious, and those who knew what was happening, saw the Jews as completely lacking in humanity.

       Only a few decades ago women protested and fought valiantly for their rights to have a vote, to have a voice. Why do we look upon the lives of children as worth any less? 

                              History will not look kindly upon these days, and neither should we. 

     How can we even bear to look upon the days of the Revolution, excepting for the bravery of the patriots. How can we think to look upon the days of the Civil War, but for the courage of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, William Lloyd Garrison, and so many more? How can we stand to think of the days of the Holocaust, but for Corrie Ten Boom, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and other heroes? 

    Heroes of today, arise! 

Prayer warriors, be on your knees! 

Men and women, stand strong and speak loudly!

    

Children in the womb are still children, their voices are prohibited from being heard, their rights are suppressed by the voices that clamor louder. 

Yes, the lives of women matter; yes, men need to be take responsibility for their actions; yes, the foster care system is broken and filled to overflowing - all of this is true! 

None of it overrules the basic right to life that every human being has, no matter how young they are. 

In the midst of this plea, I will add, we must love and care for women who have unexpected pregnancies, and those who have had abortions. They are also precious in the eyes of God, and filled with worth and value, they have the right to be loved and supported no matter the circumstances that have come upon them. We cannot say that we value the lives of children, but not respect and value the lives of their mothers. In the midst of standing strong for what is right, we must never demonize those who are struggling and have faced tremendous difficulties. 

Every life has purpose, and should have a voice.

Do not let your voice be silent on behalf of the innocent, do not be the one to justify, do not be the one who closes their eyes to the truth.