51 years ago today, on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States made a horrendous mistake in declaring a “constitutional right” that is no where in the Constitution. Under the guise of “privacy”, the court ruled that a woman had a “right” to kill her unborn baby, a ruling which unleashed almost 50 years of nearly indiscriminate slaughter of the unborn in our country.
Thankfully, in 2022, the court reversed itself and corrected their mistake. And while abortion is no longer a federal “right”, it is still legal in many states, including California. However, since the over-turning of “Roe V. Wade”, it is estimated that some 32,000 children have been saved from the fate that millions of babies have suffered since Roe went into effect.
Yesterday, Sunday, January 21st, we observed “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday” at The Fount. And while abortion continues to be a controversial subject in America, even in the church, we at The Fount stand for Life and for the protection of all life, including the unborn.
Our Scriptures are clear. No where is the “termination” of innocent human life approved. In fact, the very definition of “murder” is the killing of innocent human life. And the sixth Commandment says, simply, “You shall not murder.” What could be more innocent than an unborn baby?
Psalm 139 says this:
Psalm 139:13–16 (NRSV)
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.
Jeremiah echoes:
Jeremiah 1:5 (NRSV)
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;”
Christian proponents of abortion “rights” cannot argue from Scripture for their position, they can only argue from secular points of “bodily autonomy”, which totally ignores the place of God in one’s life. They insist that abortion is simply a “medical procedure” meant to correct a “mistake.” Or they resort to using the very rare occasions of rape or incest in order to argue for abortion. All of these arguments are flimsy, especially in the context of a biblical faith.
Our culture will probably never agree on abortion. But let us who claim the name of Jesus as Lord, stand together and lift up the sanctity of human life!
Especially here in California, we have much work yet to do!
In Hope,
