How much is a life worth today? Apparently it is worth less on Sundays. I couldn’t believe the ad that sat on my computer screen. An abortion clinic in Orlando is offering a coupon for $50 off an abortion – if the woman will come in on a Sunday. The clinic offered an additional $25 off if she would agree to a milder sedative, noting that she would be able to drive herself to and from the procedure. “No escort required,” the ad reads. No conscience required either. Sometimes I feel like we are shouting into the wind – and people have stopped caring about the babies. But I know who is the author of discouragement – and I know not to listen. What can we do to keep the world from becoming anesthetized to the truth? Abortion clinics are helping women kill their babies. What can we do to help women make godly choices instead?
The world’s rhetoric has been loud on this subject and God’s word has been softened, even altered – sometimes by well-intentioned Christians who want to appear kinder and more loving. The coupon was a strong reminder that our country has chosen to turn away from God’s word. Allowing people to walk away from God is never kind, and it is never loving. If I really love someone, I will want them to be right with God. I will want them to know God loves them and he loves their babies too.
According to the clinic’s ad, life can be extinguished and Sundays are now the best day to do it. Why has abortion gone from prohibited, to possible, to permissible and now is considered by many to be a better choice? Why are Sundays the cheapest day for an abortion? Think about the familiar story of the frog, in the pot of water on the stove. The frog will stay in the pot and boil to death – as long as the heat is increased gradually. The water has come to a boil now on the issue of abortion. Today, about 3,500 babies will be aborted. It gets easier every day for a mother to murder her child.
But why do I just talk about the mother? There was a man involved in creating that baby, shouldn’t I mention him too? I could, and I could assign equal blame to the creation of the child. But this is the truth: Men don’t get pregnant – and men don’t lie on a table and sign their child’s life away. It isn’t “fair” but it is the truth of biology – and the woman knew that before she allowed herself to be impregnated. What about the young girls? This is an important group to consider. Girls are becoming sexually active too early. Unfortunately, that sad truth doesn’t change the fact those girls are pregnant with another human being – and God doesn’t give them permission to kill it.
So what about the babies that are created because of rape and incest? Shouldn’t we make certain that those women don’t have increased trauma because of a pregnancy? That is the number one excuse given to justify a woman’s “right” to choose. But this is the truth: Of the 1.3 million abortions each year, less than 1000 were because of rape and incest. My heart breaks for those in that number – but my heart grieves because that miniscule number has been used to justify and excuse the vast, vast majority of the babies who were never given the chance to live. And the “right” to choose doesn’t make the choice right. Abortion is the choice to kill a baby. God didn’t give us that choice.
I know this blog post will be seen as harsh and unfeeling by many – maybe by most. I will tell you why I wrote it. As I was staring at that ad, I noticed that I had received a text message from a friend. The day before, her text message had expressed grief for her children because they had just experienced a second miscarriage. Today’s message said that the young couple went to the doctor’s office, expecting a DNC. But the doctor found heartbeats – two of them. Join me in praying for those babies to be born, healthy and strong next spring. Joy, great joy – came in the morning! Why are some babies loved and considered the greatest blessing while others are considered a mistake to be rectified?
What makes a baby a valued human being? The choice to love. What baby doesn’t deserve to have love? There isn’t one – so God loves every one of them. Why are so many children aborted? Their mom’s choose not to love them – because they believe their own life matters more. There are some women who medically have to make the awful choice of preserving one life over another. That too is a very small number – and the only answer I could give them is to pray and trust God to direct their path and redeem it for the good. There isn’t an answer – there is God’s answer. Nothing else is perfect.
I have often raised eyebrows by saying that I am “pro-choice.” I quickly explain. Biblically, abortion is not a choice – loving the baby is. But the most important choice is this: don’t make babies that are not wanted and will not be loved by their parents. If you choose to have sex, you choose to risk making a baby. If you create a life – you must choose to love the baby’s life more than your own. That is the biblical truth on the subject. Please be careful not to soften God’s word for the sake of a person’s feelings. It isn’t the kind thing to do – it just seems like it.
I’m pro-choice – but the choice is to walk with God’s word on this subject. That is the path of love, peace, grace and forgiveness. There is no coupon for that choice. Jesus already paid the bill in full.
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