Words of Wisdom
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
“You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb; I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
(Psalm 139:13 -16)
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the babe leaped in her womb.” Elizabeth to Mary “As soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”
(Luke 1:41 & 44). (Note: In the New Testament, the Greek word “brephos” describes the unborn, newborns, and youth.)
“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 to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” (The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776)
“If any candidate for public office or other position of public responsibility does not understand the simple truth that life begins at conception, and will not commit to protecting that life through all stages of development until natural death, he or she does not deserve my trust support and will not receive my vote.” (Rakazzi)
A Review of Ch. 1-6: Restoring America’s Soul
This weekend on Crossroads we move into Chapter VII of Rita Dunaway’s book entitled Restoring America’s Soul. However, our program begins with a quick review of the six chapters we’ve covered so far.
In Chapter One, Rita set out to counter some of the negative perceptions about conservatives. She described a true conservative as one who works to “conserve” from our rich heritage that which is good, and also one who speaks out about what we are FOR as much as for what we are AGAINST.
In Chapter Two, she emphasized the importance of maintaining a civil tone in our conversations and debates, particularly when we get into hot button issues of politics, religion, and morality. That also includes the need to listen carefully to others if we want them to listen to us.
In Chapter Three, she talked about the importance of promoting virtue in our culture and of making decisions based on what is true and good rather than just on our “feelings”. Therefore, we must avoid falling under the spell of catchy phrases like “Just listen to your heart”, or “If it feels good, do it.”
In Chapter Four, she took a step back to examine how political conservatism is directly connected to the strong influence the Bible had on the early settlers and Founding Fathers, and which helped shape a limited federal government that is in keeping with the enduring principles embodied in our Constitution.
In Chapter Five, we examined the popular notion that liberals care more for the poor than do conservatives because of their support for big government handouts. However, in a book entitled Who Really Cares for the Poor, Arthur Brooks reports that conservatives are much more generous than liberals in their private giving. He says that “Liberals who accuse conservatives of being greedy or lacking compassion are just dead wrong, and the cold, hard data prove it.”
In Chapter Six, we talked about the need to defend our Religious Liberty from growing attacks by LGBT and pro-abortion activists, secular humanists, and Democratic Party policies and personnel. So, when our Constitutional “rights” come into conflict with their “rights”, who wins, and why does it matter?
Chapter Seven: The Savvy Pro-Lifer
That brings us to Chapter Seven this week, which is all about the Savvy Pro-Lifer. Once again, as in Chapter 6, we have a case of conflicting rights. This time it’s a case of an unborn baby’s Right to Life against a mother’s so-called “Right to have an abortion”. So how can the Savvy Pro-Lifer help change the culture for life and, in the process, help the mother choose to save her baby’s life?
As a reminder, we want first of all to emphasize what we are FOR, not just what we are AGAINST. However, in this case it’s so easy just to say that we are against abortion because it is so obviously wrong. Science confirms that this is a real human life from the moment of conception, and the Bible teaches that it is wrong to take the life of an innocent human being. Case closed.
But how do we go about making the case for life to people who may not believe in God or in the authority of Scripture? In such a case, it won’t work to start out by quoting the Bible.
The Case for Life at the County Fairs: S.L.E.D.
One way that we have found to be very effective in reaching all people, regardless of age or religious beliefs, is to have a pro-life booth at our local County Fairs where we display small fetal models. They range in age and size from seven weeks to 26 weeks so everyone can see in virtual reality what these little babies look like as they develop within their mothers’ tummies.
Children especially, including young teens, are instinctively drawn to these small models. Many of them want to hold them in their hands or or even take a free one home with them. We also show them an ultrasound video of a little baby moving around and playing in his mommy’s tummy. We call it the little baby’s playroom.
So this display shows exactly what we are FOR. These little babies are not just shapeless blobs of tissue that we can throw into the garbage when they intrude on our personal plans. They are as much human as we are, different only in Size, in Location, in Environment, and in Degree of Dependency — or S.L.E.D. for short. And they deserve to be welcomed in life and protected by law.
The Case for Life at the Movies: Gosnell and Unplanned
Another powerful way of bringing home the case for life is to expose the horrors of abortion itself and to show the reality of what we are against. Two great films have come out recently that do that in a powerful way. The first one was “Gosnell: America’s Biggest Serial Killer”.
This is the account of an abortion doctor named Kermit Gosnell who operated a filthy abortion clinic in Philadelphia that later became known as the “House of Horrors”.
After a thorough investigation, Gosnell was charged in 2011 with eight counts of murder, with performing illegal late term abortions, and even with the deaths of babies who were born alive after a botched abortion. He was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison without parole – plus 30 years.
Despite a near media blackout during the early stages of the investigation, the story later got national attention, especially after release of the film, as people realized that the scenes depicted in Gosnell are not an exception; they happen every day behind the curtains of abortion clinics across America.
The second film was “Unplanned”, the true story about a young post-abortive woman named Abby Johnson who simply wanted to help other women terminate their “unplanned” pregnancies. As a rising star with Planned Parenthood and one of the youngest clinic directors in America, she was involved in some 22,000 abortions and counselled countless women to exercise their “right to choose”.
However, all that changed after she participated in several particularly horrible abortions and faced the unpleasant truth that Planned Parenthood was more interested in making money than in helping women. She turned against her employer, joined an active pro-life organization that included volunteers who had been protesting outside her former clinic, and has since become one of the most effective pro-life speakers in America.
Together, these two films have presented us with two of the most powerful exposes of the abortion industry in America, particularly of Planned Parenthood. As a result of the recent release of “Unplanned” alone, some 100 women have already left Planned Parenthood to seek other employment.
The Slippery Slope of Abortion
When the Supreme Court issued its tragically misguided decision to legalize abortion in the 1973 case of Roe v. Wade, it was in response to the outcry against so-called, back-alley abortions and the demand for abortions that would now be “safe, legal, and rare”.
As we now know, when you open the door to one exception, it is often followed by demands for many others. Those include laws like the one that was recently approved in NY and now also in Virginia that would permit late-term abortions, partial-birth abortions, and even abortions right up to the moment of and even after birth.
Pro-Life Pitfalls and Goals
That leaves pro-lifers like us with two big challenges. On the one hand, Rita suggests several pitfalls that we should avoid in countering pro-abortion activists, as well as some goals that we should pursue in defending the Sanctity of Life.
Pitfalls to Avoid:
- To begin, we should avoid making our message only about the baby. Pro-lifers care equally about the mother and the baby, and need to extend support to her in many different ways. Don’t allow the pro-abortionists to make that false charge that we are concerned for “only the baby”.
- In addition, don’t let the pro-abortion lobby caricature pro-life activists as only a bunch of old-fashioned, old people. This is a cause that cuts across generational lines. In fact, young people represent the clear enthusiastic majority of those who participate in pro-life rallies and marches. We must also emphasize that science and technology support the pro-life cause, such as by the use of ultrasounds to confirm the reality of life in the womb.
- Finally, we must remember to guard our tone. Yes, it is true that the Bible condemns murder, which includes that of an unborn baby. However, those who are unchurched and untaught will generally reject that argument, so we must be prepared to support our case with irrefutable facts and science.
Goals to Pursue:
- Eliminate all taxpayer funding for organizations that perform and promote abortion. This would apply to state and local groups such as the Mexico City Policy and the Hyde Amendment which would prohibit federal funding for such groups overseas.
- Establish legal personhood for every member of the human family that would entitle them to rights of citizenship and protections to all “persons” under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
- Refuse to allow abortion clinics to return to a state of legalized “back alleys”. For example, even though Virginia has passed laws that require abortion clinics to follow the same regulations and standards that apply to other post-surgical clinics, the abortion lobby complains that they are too strict and too expensive.
Sadly, as indicated earlier in the case of Planned Parenthood, their claim to be pro-women has little credibility when they are willing to accept a return to the unsanitary and unsafe conditions of the “back-alley abortions” they claim to hate.
Rita’s “Elevator Speech” on the Savvy Pro-Lifer
To put all of this into perspective, Rita offers what she refers to as her “elevator speech”, in which she summarizes the importance of defending the Right to Life of every unborn baby, as follows.
“Every life matters, and every single human being, no matter what circumstances he or she may be born into, has intrinsic value and dignity. That’s why I support efforts to protect every member of the human family from conception until natural death.
I know it sounds attractive to let women choose for themselves whether to have an abortion or not, but the bottom line is that in a civilized society, there are some choices we must place off-limits, specifically ‘choices’ that interfere with the right to life of another human being.
So, if science demonstrates that a new, distinct human being exists from the time of conception, then it is the explicit duty of government – and the moral duty of society – to protect him or her. A humane society simply can’t allow one human being to end the life of another, innocent human being.
I know that some pregnant women are unable to provide for a baby or are not in the position to parent a child. But there are plenty of resources available from pregnancy resource centers and other programs to help mothers in need, and there are countless loving families eager to adopt a baby and provide a caring, stable home. No situation is beyond hope.”
How to Order Rita’s Book
If you would like to review these issues and join us for the final chapters of Rita’s book, you can order it online at www.ritamdunaway.com or from Amazon at www.amazon.com/Restoring-Americas-Soul-Rita-Dunaway/dp/1643074172. Blessings Christian Bookstore located here in Harrisonburg may also have a few available, but you need to check quickly.
Crossroads: Where Faith and Culture Meet
To hear more about all of this directly from Rita, please join us this weekend on the following Valley radio stations: WBTX (1470 AM and 02.1 102.1FM) at 4:00 p.m. today (Saturday) and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. That is followed by WSVA on Sunday at (5:50 AM and 92.1 FM) and at 8:30 AM. Finally, it will also be available on ESPN on Sunday at 9:00 AM and 1360 AM as well as at 106.9 FM. You can also listen to this and earlier programs by clicking on the Crossroads menu available on our home page at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.
Crossroads is entirely listener supported, and we are so grateful for your prayers, your encouragement, and for your financial support. If you would like to help, please send your tax-deductible donation to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803.
Finally, from Dean, on behalf of the Crossroads Team, thank you for joining us and for your faithful support.
Yes, Working together we can make a difference, for God and Country