President's Message: Never Give Up on Life

There are certain times of the year when abortion stories abound in the media. One of those times is around the January 22nd anniversary of the 1973 abortion decisions, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. This year was no exception and several of the stories stand out for me and are worth sharing.

One item had the headline "The Blessing of Abortion." In reading the story, I found that it was about a Planned Parenthood affiliate in New York that invited members of the local clergy to bless their new abortion clinic. One of the clergymen attending called the abortion facility "sacred and holy." He added that the abortion business was "sacred ground where women are treated with dignity, supported in their role as moral decision makers...sacred ground where the violent voices of hatred and oppression are quelled."

These clergymen who support Planned Parenthood's active role in abortion conveniently overlook the violence of abortion: the death of the children and the painful aftermath to many of the women. Can killing ground be sacred ground? How far have we come when the business of directly killing the innocent is seen as an honorable community business to be endorsed by respected members of the clergy?

And then there was the couple who decided it was best to "terminate" their pregnancy to save the planet. The woman was quoted as saying, "Baby making is selfish and all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet." She and her husband now say that because they are childless they can justify one long airplane trip a year and remain carbon neutral.

These abortion stories add up to the killing of real human beings, human beings with possibilities for great contributions. Just think about a potential abortion story with a different ending: Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow. Because of severe medical problems, Tim's mother was advised by doctors to have an abortion. Due to her strong faith and courage, his mother said no, and Tim's life has been a blessing to many and certainly worth more than remaining "carbon neutral."

The legacy of Roe is not a blessing; the legacy of Roe and legalized abortion is a culture that in some circles legitimizes and encourages death and in some circles dehumanizes innocent human beings.

How do we face this culture of death? Certainly not with discouragement and pessimism. We meet this challenge with prayer and perseverance, with courage and conviction. We must be encouraged with the overall decrease in the women seeking abortions. We must be encouraged by the increase of people saying they are on the prolife side of this moral, legal and political issue. We simply need to continue to be a voice in our community, in our churches and in our circle of friends and family. We must never give up.

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