The Right to Choose

I was thinking about the “pro-choice” rhetoric Hillary is throwing around, and the fact that rarely do pro-choice advocates ever finish the sentence.  Choose WHAT?  Suddenly it struck me.  Why didn’t I see it so clearly before?  When we “choose” to kill an innocent person, we are choosing against one of the Ten Commandments.  “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). 

So, if we think we are smart enough to reframe one of God’s commandments, what is to stop us from reframing all of them?  We just come up with a few arguments out of our creative imaginations and call it the “right to choose.”   If we can choose to kill, we can surely choose to steal or lie or commit adultery or throw our parents under the bus or worship idols or .... well, anything at all.  We can make it a law or failing that, bring it to the Supreme Court and hope they will make it a law.

But—to paraphrase words President Obama is fond of using—at some point, we have to decide if that is the kind of people we want to be.

And if in reading this you realize that you have fallen short of keeping God’s laws (as I surely have), please know that there is forgiveness and restoration in Jesus Christ, when we turn from our sins and call on Him for salvation.  He can even give forgiveness and healing for those who have killed their own children.  What a great salvation!

Thanksgiving Day Injustice

For Thanksgiving Day yesterday, Planned Parenthood published Thanksgiving "Discussion Points".  Nothing about being thankful for the gift of life, of course!  No, we were all encouraged to talk up with our families the idea of abortion as reproductive JUSTICE!  No, I'm not kidding.  A mother destroying the life of her unborn child is now being held up as JUSTICE.  Obviously not justice for the innocent child whose life is taken.

This is of great concern to me not only because I am 100% Pro-Life, not only because it's such a constant battle to constantly dicipher of politically correct doublespeak in which many cultural and political leaders are engaging, but also because I am so vitally concerned about justice.

This is part of the problem with this new doublespeak:  When a word can mean anything at all, in reality in means nothing at all.  If cutting an unborn baby apart or sucking it out with a vacuum (or any other method of destruction) can be called justice, then justice means nothing at all.  And this makes the term ineffective when we try to talk about real issues of justice for downtrodden, oppressed or enslaved people.  Once we accustom ourselves to thinking of justice as our personal right to do anything we want even though it destroys the life of another, we have then stripped the term of its power to discuss real and important issues that dramatically impact the lives of people.  Next thing you know, maybe PP will be claiming that when we recite "with liberty and justice for all", we are praying for abortion "rights".

The Biblical prophet Isaiah described our days perfectly:
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!" (Isaiah 5:20)

Are we now at the point where anything goes, anything can be made to sound good, and half of our words mean nothing at all?

A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE & THE WAR ON WOMEN

My husband and I have been talking about "rights" lately.  It seems to me that we human beings have got confused about that a time or two.  It seems to me we are bogged in a mire of confusion right now.  The founding documents of my country, the United States, talk about being "endowed by our Creator" with "inalienable" or unchangeable rights.  God-given rights.  Not rights we assigned to ourselves because that's what we wanted to do, but rights that are good in the natural order of things.  Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.  Freedom of speech.  Freedom of religion.  These rights and others have stood the test of time.  These rights do not infringe on the rights of others, and if some would warp them to do so, we have had the good sense to realize that the expression of one right cannot be interpreted or used to infringe on the rights of others.  I can practice my own religion, for example, but if my religion says I should amputate the right hands of all men, I cannot practice that, because my right to practice my religion stops short of injuring others.

How different from some of the "rights" many people are pushing today.  Today many of our governmental and cultural leaders have decided that there are new "rights" people are "entitled" to.  We don't want to ever say it in such a way that it shows clearly that another's rights are being violated, so we never say "a woman's right to end the life of her child."  We don't even like "right to an abortion".  We want to make sure nobody thinks about the victim or the violation of another, so we use nicey euphemisms like "a woman's right to choose", "a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions," "reproductive rights", etc.  It's more than euphemisms.  It's doublespeak.  It's talk that consists of words having no relation to reality.  Recently I read that even the UN is determined to push "reproductive rights" as a universal right.  If anyone thinks differently, they are fostering a "war on women."  That's what some would have us believe.

If it is my right as a woman to choose when to end the life of my children, it is a right of a far different nature than the inalienable, God-given rights described in our founding documents.  I can practice my religion without hurting anyone.  I can speak my mind without hurting anyone.  I can live in freedom and seek happiness in many ways that hurt no one.  But I can never have an abortion without hurting someone.   Actually, I can never have an abortion without killing someone.  Without denying that same life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that I enjoy to someone.  It's impossible.  Abortion by its very nature ends a life.

It's pretty bleak when I think about how the idea of "rights" are used today.  Whatever we decide we want to do, we just manufacture the "right" to do it, it seems to me.

I am somewhat encouraged, however, when I remember that in the past we have fallen into this pit a number of times before and still managed to climb out of it.  I remember that there was a time when the Supreme Court of our beloved land declared that a slave had no rights that a white man need respect.  Some people wanted to have slaves.  They found it profitable, so they gave themselves the right to do it.  Thank God we later came to our senses and even the Supreme Court realized that it is not infallible.

Hitler felt the Jews and others did not have the right to live.  A similar thing happened between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes in modern Uganda just in recent times.  "Rights" manufactured in the human imagination.  "Rights" to enable wicked people to do whatever their evil hearts imagined.  Those "rights" took the lives of millions, but they did not stand the test of time.

We need to get back to the God-given, unchangeable rights.  A woman's right to choose to terminate the life of her child is NOT one of those.

The Values for which I will stand, pray, & speak

 
A dear & greatly respected friend has been corresponding with me about my Facebook posts.  He feels my posts are "hateful" and "bitter."  I don't agree.  I do not FEEL hateful or bitter towards anyone.  But my discussion with him caused me to realize that others who may disagree with me may see my posts differently than me, and I admit that I did actively work against the re-election of President Obama.  Now, after the election, I still find myself wanting to speak up for the same causes.   The truth is, I am much more issue-oriented than I am personality oriented.  I spent some time praying about this, asking God to guide me in future posts and to show me anywhere where I was wrong in what I posted.  I admit that I might have passed some potentially offensive posts in my zeal to see America go in a different direction.  As a result, I decided to think through and write down in firm form the values I will speak up about, and the kinds of posts I will not make or pass on.  Since I first wrote this on Facebook, I've added a couple of other things, & I'll continue to do so as God brings more to my mind.  For now, this are my own private rules.  They apply not only to Facebook, but to all public discussions.  Also, I am glad to say that I have many friends who disagree with me, some of them on almost every point below.  I still value them as friends and respect their right to make their own choices.  But for me, I have to speak up for the values that matter to me.  Some will see that I did not list my obvious interest in helping African children, fighting child trafficking & slavery.  I am trying to keep this as short as possible, & I feel those interests naturally flow out of the second point.  My support for the value & dignity of human life reaches far further than abortion, although that is included.  It is that core value which causes much of the ministry for which I, and Every Child Ministries, have become known.  Well, here are my values & private rules.  It might be interesting for others to do something similar.

THE VALUES FOR WHICH I WILL STAND, PRAY, AND SPEAK

Testimonies that honor my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and encourage other Christians.

 

The unique, innate value & dignity of human life as created in the image of God from conception until natural death.

Respect for all people as created in the image of God whether or not I agree with their views, decisions or lifestyles. This respect not to be interpreted as approval of their choices.

 

Respect for people’s right to make their own choices, up to the point those choices do not infringe on the life or right of another human being.

 

Religious freedom for all & discussion of ways we should react when those views are threatened or ignored.

Human sexuality, marriage and family as God created them to be & as a standard towards which we should strive.

Support for the nation of Israel to exist and to defend that right.

Exposing the progress of the imposition of Shariah law in non-Islamic countries.

Exposing the increasing persecution of Christians and speaking out as their voice.

Financial responsibility including minimizing debt, spending resources wisely for the good of all, and emphasizing programs that empower people to stand on their own and not to become permanently dependent on government.

Limited powers of government and strict, literal interpretation of our founding documents.

Truthfulness, transparency, and normal use of words without reinterpretation and doublespeak. Accountability from public officials and cultural spokespeople.

Factual exposés related to the above principles.

Prayer for all elected & appointed officials.

 

WHAT I WILL NOT SAY OR PASS ON

 

 Name calling and nastiness or villainizing of entire groups or political parties.

Nit-picking not related to the above principles.

 

Anything that just complains or expresses anger about those with opposing views without contributing in a positive way to the discussion.

Complaints & demands for recounts related to the election.• Respect for all people as created in the image of God whether or not I agree with their views, decisions or lifestyles. This respect not to be interpreted as approval.

 

 

A woman's right to choose--what?

On this day when many in my nation mourn the shameful and infamous decision of Roe vs. Wade that legalized a mother's right to end the life of her child at her will, I am always forced to ponder the meaning of the words we use to describe these issues. President Obama reaffirmed again his commitment to "a woman's right to choose." Why do people rarely complete that sentence? The verb "choose" is transitive. It needs a direct object to complete the thought. You can't just "choose". You have to choose something.

Oh, but if we leave the sentence dangling, the last word in our minds sounds so positive. We all like choice. If we completed the thought and the sentence, we'd be faced with the negative reality that the choice the president supports is a woman's choice TO DESTROY THE LIFE OF HER CHILD. We don't want to really think so much about what we are choosing, so we let the sentence dangle on the last positive-sounding word.

It's not positive. There is nothing positive about destroying the life of another human being. If you support a child's right to life, I challenge you to always finish the sentence, and challenge others to finish it, too.

IT'S HARD TO ARGUE WITH THE LOGIC

A Must-See Video that means a lot to me. Tell me what you think!

Trust Women

I've been seeing pleas for funds from NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) making the abortionist George Tiller into a hero because his motto was "Trust Women." Right off let me stop and say this, lest anybody misunderstand me: I don't condone murder and I don't condone the murder of George Tiller. The one who committed that act did a terrible thing. But--to make an abortionist into a hero is certainly a stretch in my book! His murder may have been a tragedy, but that does not make him a hero.

Now--about trusting women. The same group that is distributing wristbands in "honor" of Abortionist Tiller is the very same group that works against all attempts to make sure women have full information when they are considering their response to an unplanned pregnancy. NARAL does not want women to learn about fetal development, get ultrasounds or see pictures of their unborn children or even models showing development at each stage. They apparently don't trust women to make the "right" choice if they were presented with all the facts.

"Trust women" is just a nice-sounding myth, just pro-abortion rhetoric. If pro-abortion groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood really trusted women, they'd trust them not only with the choice, but with all the information to make the choice. I suggest something better. "Trust God and Trust His Holy Word", where He said, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.
Jer 1:5 (NKJV)" It is God who is forming us in our mother's wombs, and when we suck out or cut up or poison His handiwork, it is a great and sad loss for us and for the world. That's one more reason why I am pro-life.

A Black Man Will Be President--Why Can't I Smile?

The first black man in history has been elected president of the United States. With my love for Africa, I should be out dancing in the streets. I have a black daughter and two black granddaughters. I should be shouting for joy. I know the encouragement this is to all my African American friends. Just to think that it could be done, that we've come that far, that such a thing is now possible. I should be dancing all night, like the schoolkids used to do in Congo the day after exams were over, as they did in Ghana when they defeated the American team in football. I went out and celebrated with them. We drove around town and honked and cheered and wrapped our heads in the Ghana football flag. For black people, the election of a black president is a far greater victory. Why can't I celebrate now?


I can't. Yes, it's wonderful just to know that a person of color can achieve such a status. Yes, I'm thrilled about that. But to have this specific black man as president causes me great distress. I'm distressed because he has promised Planned Parenthood that the first bill he will sign will be a Freedom of Choice Act overturning all present restrictions on abortion like parental notification and all of it. Yet what kind of babies are eliminated more frequently than any other kind by abortion? Black babies.



I'm distressed because I've been reading that he plans to immediately restore funding for UNFPA which would use US taxpaper dollars to fund abortions overseas, even funding forced abortion in China. But me, I love Africa. That's the special place in the world that God has laid on my heart, in addition to my own homeland. It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach to think that my tax dollars may be used to fund abortions of precious African babies. Yet it appears that such things are very high on O'Bama's agenda--so important that they may happen right away almost as soon as he is sworn in.



Well, if it happens, I intend to raise my voice. I hope that others will not be so caught up in their own economic problems that they fail to raise their voices as well. The Bush administration might be criticized on many points, but policies that disregard the human lives of the unborn are NOT THE CHANGE WE WERE LOOKING FOR.



I have a suggestion for Mr. O'Bama. All presidents find that it's easier to make promises than it is to keep them. We know you made pro-abortion promises, and the American people were so caught up in their own miseries that they hardly noticed. Please, you don't have to carry through on every promise. Don't carry through on this one. Please. Why destroy your own people? Please.

THE VALUE OF A CHILD, EVEN A GIRL CHILD

I just found out yesterday that I am going to be a Grandma for the dozenth time. Our oldest daughter Carrie is expecting her seventh. As we drove home from Carrie's I envisioned myself cuddling and loving that new baby we are soon to welcome in our family.



I couldn't help also remembering things I'd read recently about what is done to babies in some parts of the world, especially if they happen to be girls. (I couldn't help but think about that since so far, Carrie has five girls and only one boy.) I read that some mothers feed their newborns rice with the hulls still on, so that the rice will slit the newborn's throat. For economic reasons, mind you. Families can't afford the huge dowries that are required by their custom.



I thought about parents in some parts of Africa where our mission, Every Child Ministries, works, who sell their children into prostitution to gain a few dollars, give them as slaves to idol shrines, sometimes just to obtain a good crop or success on some business venture, sell them to traders to serve as bonded labor, diving into the river to gain a few oysters to sell.



What is the value of a child? As a Christian, I see every person at every age from the moment of conception to the grave, at every shade of ability and non-ability, of every color and language and culture to be made in the image of God, carefully crafted by His hand. That's what it says in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. "So God made man in His own image. In the image of God created He him, male and female created He them" (Genesis 1:27). If people don't believe this, if they believe human babies are just animals or biochemical machines, then I can understand how it is that they treat life as cheap. For them, they can treat children as economic pawns to be bargained for their own comfort and convenience. For me as a Christian it is not so. As a Christian I value human life because God made us all special and gave to us a unique dignity in His creation.



That's the underlying base that has caused me to become a mother to millions. That's the reason I "adopted" my BIG African family. And it's the reason we will welcome Carrie's baby. And it's the reason we will vote Pro-Life in the upcoming election. The value of a child can never be overestimated.