Alan’s monthly letter for January 2007
Dear Friend,
Jennifer, a staunch pro-choice advocate from Atlanta, thought for a brief moment about the pastor’s question: “If it could be proven to you that the unborn is a human being, would that change your mind about your abortion?” Jennifer quickly responded, “no, it wouldn’t change anything... I’m not a murderer.”
I was watching FX’s TV show called “30 Days” and the episode featured Jennifer, a pro-choice activist, living for 30 days at a Christian, pro-life maternity home. At one point, Jennifer was talking to a pastor who heads up the maternity home. Of course, it came as no surprise to me that Jennifer wouldn’t change her mind about her abortion even if she learned her unborn baby was a human being.
Earlier in the program, the TV show host explained that Jennifer chose to have an abortion because she wasn’t ready to become a mother and having a baby would have hampered her career. This was the real reason she wouldn’t change her mind. Believing the unborn is a human being would have been an inconvenient truth. Becoming a mother (although she already was one if she was pregnant) would have cost her too much. Instead, her solution was to kill her child, but believe, contrary to the evidence, that she was just terminating a mass of cells.
Rather than face the challenging life situation of bringing an unwanted child to term, she made her difficult life problem just go away. It seemed like the easy route and the right choice. It’s not the right choice, but the temptation for many Americans faced with difficult life problems is to short cut the solution at a grave, moral expense.
Of course, forgiveness is an option for Jennifer and millions of others. God is eager to forgive the sin of abortion. He has many times already.
As we approach the 34th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade this January 22, let’s not forget the tragic reality of nearly 50 million babies who have lost their lives due to this Supreme Court decision. 3,500 more babies die in the U.S. every single day (500 more than died on September 11). In the time it takes you to read this newsletter about 14 abortions occurred.
We work against incredible odds and the stakes are high. But we also serve a God who is able to accomplish anything through His people. Here are some ideas to help stop the killing.
- Remember to pray this month not only for the laws of this country to change, but also for the hearts of people to change so we can one day keep abortion illegal.
- Pray for organizations that are pro-life (like Stand to Reason and others) that seek to change the hearts and minds of people as well as laws that allow abortion.
- Financially support organizations and individuals that are pro-life.
- Become equipped to dialogue on abortion so you are prepared to make a thoughtful defense for your views.
For the sanctity of life,
Alan Shlemon