I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.
-Martin Luther
When the news broke Thursday morning, that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) had upheld the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obama-care), a frenzy broke out; the left, right, and middle, all chimed in. As for myself, I wanted to read the literature, in order to form an opinion on something more than my opposition (or affiliation) of (or with) a certain political party.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.1 Peter 2:13-17 (NASB)
It is so effortless to go into whatever it is you are reading with preconceived notions, ideas, or concepts; really, doing that limits, purposely, your thinking on a subject.
For instance: a Republican may go through the hundreds (thousands, really) of pages skipping over the parts regarding 13 million Americans who may receive a rebate this summer because their insurance company spent too much of their premium dollars on administrative costs or CEO bonuses and, rather, go directly to the sections regarding the individual mandate, that is, beginning in 2014, nearly all Americans must purchase Obama-care-compliant insurance plans or pay a heavy fine. (ObamaCare amendment to Sec. 5000A (c) (1) & (2), Pg. 791)
Or another example: Democrats may skim right over the fact that, beginning in 2014, the employer mandate requires that large employers provide their employees with Obama-care-compliant insurance plans or pay a heavy fine (26 U.S.C 4980H Pg. 1; ObamaCare Sec. 1562 f, Pg. 152) and jump to the part showing how 129 million people with pre-existing conditions will now have access to affordable health coverage, that is, starting in 2014, insurance companies can no longer charge you more or deny you coverage altogether because you have cancer or diabetes.
My point is this: there are positives as well as negatives inside the “Affordable Care Act”—aka “Obama-care”.
As I have read; I, as noted, found positives and negatives. Then, section 1303 happened.
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. 15 But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 16 saying, “ What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” 18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “ Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; 22 for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed (Acts 4:13-22 (NASB)
The elders and scribes, who observed Peter and John (v13) were amazed (“thaumazó”)—literally, to be astonished out of one’s senses, awestruck, to wonder, or admire—because they spoke with such conviction, confidence, and boldness; they had authority on their side; His name was, and is, Jesus Christ.
Like Peter and John; with Jesus Christ as my authority and author of my conscience and convictions, now, I must stand.
- Planned Parenthood, Annual Report 2009-2010“Thanks to Planned Parenthood’s tireless efforts in the face of stanch opposition, the new law expands care to millions of women and protects women’s access to reproductive care. The heroic victory culminated on March 23, 2010, when President Barack Obama put his pen to the landmark legislation, ushering in a promising new era of health care.”
Yes, you read that correctly; Planned Parenthood, known for its lobbying for pro-choice (abortion) legislation, takes much credit for helping form and drive the “Affordable Care Act” which the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) upheld Thursday. Why did Planned Parenthood laud Obama-care so?
Again, Sec. 1303, as well as, the HHS Mandate.
What is the HHS Mandate?
On February 10, 2012, HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius finalized a mandate under the Affordable Care Act that requires all employer health plans to provide free contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections.
Yes, it is true, contraceptives are already widely available; the difference, now, is this: it will be paid by someone else—regardless of any moral or religious convictions. Beyond that, however, it will require employer health plans to provide free sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs. (HHS Mandate Pg. 2)
And, again, lest you have any doubts: Planned Parenthood applauded the provisions made in the HHS Mandate.
Also in the HHS Mandate:
- Children will receive coverage of free contraception counseling and education, contraception, sterilization and early-abortion pills as stated in the HHS Mandate. (read above)
- Healthcare service providers are not required to inform parents of services provided to their children because of Privacy Provisions (HIPPA 164.502 Pg. 17 and 164.510 Pg. 25-26)
- In February, 2012, the Obama Administration said that for religious organizations, the coverage would only go to employees and their dependents “who desire it” (77 Fed. Reg. at 8728 Pg. 4); then, in March they changed their position and announced that this coverage would automatically go to all employees and their children. (77 Fed. Reg. at 16505 Pg. 3)
- Children/Dependents (ages 0-26), as “beneficiaries”, are “automatically” and mandatorily enrolled into the HHS Mandate Coverage (77 Fed. Reg at 16505 Pg. 3; 76 Fed. Reg. at 46624 Pg. 4)
Back to the scripture (above): (verses 16-17) “16 saying, “ What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.”
Two things: first, a great sign, a “noteworthy miracle”, of power has taken place by Peter and John in the name of Jesus—the truth was given to the people of Jerusalem. Second, in verse 17, note what they (the scribes and elders) did with the truth—after admitting that not even they could deny the truth of what Peter and John and delivered to them—the people show they would rather turn and look the other way than look at the truth, that is, the massive amounts of evidence that lie before them. How often is the truth presented right before our eyes and we look the other way?
Hidden inside the Individual Mandate, the Abortion Premium Mandate requires all persons enrolled in insurance plans in State Exchanges that include elective abortion coverage to pay a separate premium straight from their paychecks to fund all types of elective abortions. (Obama-care Sec. 1303 ( b ) (1) & (2), Pg. 779-80)
Though many of the Obama-care-compliant insurance plans do include coverage in an abortion premium; not all do (Obama-Care Sec. 1303 ( b ) (1) ( A ) ( i), Pg. 779). The catch, though, is this: first, insurance companies are not allowed to communicate in advance to employees which plans include this abortion premium. Second, it may “only” be disclosed in the fine print of the “summary of benefits and coverage explanation, at the time of enrollment.” (Obama-care Sec. 1303 ( b) (3) ( A), Pg. 781) And finally, employees will discover that their plan contains an abortion premium either by seeking it out in the fine print once they have enrolled, or noticing the separate surcharge taken from their paycheck. (Obama-care Sec. 1303 ( b) (1) & (2), Pg. 780)
Obama-care says that this separate premium will not cost less than $1 per month per enrollee, but does not say how much more it would cost. (Obama-care Sec. 1303 ( D) (ii) (III), Pg. 780)
Lets do the math.
The U.S Department of Labor reports that there are approximately 154,000,000 people in the U.S. labor force. Lets say half of plans, in the exchange, include the Abortion Premiums, and lets say at only $1 per month (I am aiming low here), the yearly income into this fund would be $924,000,000. Further extrapolating: an abortion, on average, cost $450; at the aforementioned rate, this fund could completely subsidize 2 million abortions per year. (Currently there are 1.2 million abortions per year in the U.S)
I have heard people compare the practice of abortion to a modern-day Holocaust, and though I cannot disagree , the difference is: if you hold the view that abortion is a modern-day Holocaust, now, this would make it a subsidization—i.e you are paying for it—of the Holocaust.
Verse 19-20: “19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “ Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
This response is interesting; it is Peter and John assuming that rulers they stood in front of were not speaking on God’s side, though they assumed they probably in fact were. It was a defiant response but they had no choice but to defy the court’s order, for it had stepped in between the conscience and God.
I am not one to bash our leader, the President of the United States, I think 1 Peter 2:13-17 is clear enough on its self, that we should submit to our authority; and, too, everything should be put against the bar of scripture. Saying that, however, does not restrict myself, or anyone else for that matter, from speaking out when a subject matter as delicate as abortion goes against the bar of scripture; when conviction from the Holy Spirit (as in the case of Peter and John in Acts 4) stirs your soul to take a stand.
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;1 Peter 3:15
I have hope for this country, I do, I love America from the good to the bad. My greater hope is beyond America, though; my hope is beyond anything on this planet, in this universe, or in this galaxy; my hope is this: I am eternally bound for Heaven and whether then, or in these days, abortion will in fact end. Because when the day comes and the Lord calls us home, the senselessness of ending a human beings life inside the womb, as we know it, will be over. I have hope—I know—that our Lord is Sovereign and His Will will be done; He will work all things to good. And as I dwell here on earth, my temporary home, this does not mean that I should sit on my hands and wait—no—it means I should be ready…..and stand.
13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:13-14
7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Genesis 2:7
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Psalm 51:5
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.
Genesis 5:1
6 “ Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.”
Genesis 9:6
All of these verses—and these were just a few of many many more—clearly make the case in scripture that God is the creator of man, and that man was and is created in His image—this is an undeniable truth from scripture.
22 “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.23 But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Exodus 21:22-25
Here, in the O.T legal code, it teaches clearly that harm to an unborn baby would carry the same penalty as harming a born baby; that a baby inside the womb has the same legal status as a baby outside the womb.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
Luke 1:41
When Mary—who was carrying Jesus Christ, Lord Incarnate, in her womb—visited Elizabeth, the baby—that is, John the Baptist—inside Elizabeth’s womb leaped at the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do not underplay the significance of this, rather, underscore it: John the Baptist was the prophet that was to point people to Jesus; he was a herald to the King (Luke 1:17; 76) and even before his actual birth he was pointing to Jesus. But, if John the Baptist was in the womb and, by some definitions, not actually alive yet—how could he do this? You can finish drawing this line.
Are you a non-believer? Or, are you one who needs a reason that abortion is in fact murder from somewhere beyond scripture?
Here are some quotes regarding whether or not the life inside the womb is indeed a human-being; when life begins:
“I think we have deluded ourselves into believing that people don't know that abortion is killing. So any pretense that abortion is not killing is a signal of our ambivalence, a signal that we cannot say yes, it kills a fetus.” (1)
“In the top drawer of my desk, I keep [a picture of my son]. This picture was taken on September 7, 1993, 24 weeks before he was born. The sonogram image is murky, but it reveals clear enough a small head tilted back slightly, and an arm raised up and bent, with the hand pointing back toward the face and the thumb extended out toward the mouth. There is no doubt in my mind that this picture, too, shows [my son] at a very early stage in his physical development.” (2)
“It is possible to give ‘human being’ a precise meaning. We can use it as equivalent to ‘member of the species Homo sapiens’. Whether a being is a member of a given species is something that can be determined scientifically, by an examination of the nature of the chromosomes in the cells of living organisms. In this sense there is no doubt that from the first moments of its existence an embryo conceived from human sperm and eggs is a human being” (3)
“There is simply no doubt that even the early embryo is a human being. All its genetic coding and all its features are indisputably human. As to being, there is no doubt that it exists, is alive, is self-directed, and is not the the same being as the mother–and is therefore a unified whole” (4)
Who are these quotes from?
Quote one is from Faye Wattleton, who was the youngest President elected to Planned Parenthood (a Pro-Choice, Pro-Abortion organization), and is now the President of the Center for the Advancement of Women.
Quote two is from David Boonin, who authored the book “A Defense of Abortion”—yes, this was, and still is, a startling confession. The full quote ended this way: “…And there is no question that the position I defend in this book entails that it would have been morally permissible to end his life at this point.”
Quote three is from Peter Singer, a philosopher and public abortion advocate.
Finally, quote four is from Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of the NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws), one of the most influential abortion advocacy groups in the world; Nathanson, also, once served as medical director for the largest abortion clinic in America.
Bernard Nathanson performed his last abortion in 1979 after the ultrasound-technology was advanced and Nathanson was able to view an actual abortion. Nathanson, then, proclaimed himself to be pro-life, even producing the 1985 film “The Silent Scream”, an anti-abortion documentary which depicts the abortion process via ultrasound. (Note: the video is, as you may expect, graphic in nature)
Nathanson regrettably said: “I am one of those who helped usher in this barbaric age”.
Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 verdict which legalized abortion in the United States, is built on a claim that there is no way to say for certain whether or not abortion kills because no one can say for certain when life begins.
“Biologically speaking, human development begins at fertilization”
-The Biology of Prenatal Development, National Geographic, 2006
"Every baby begins life within the tiny globe of the mother's egg... It is beautifully translucent and fragile and it encompasses the vital links in which life is carried from one generation to the next. Within this tiny sphere great events take place. When one of the father's sperm cells, like the ones gathered here around the egg, succeeds in penetrating the egg and becomes united with it, a new life can begin."
-“Beginning Life”, Geraldine Lux Flanagan. Pg. 13
“I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly, I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy.”
-Hippocrates, 400 B.C., Greece
"By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception."
-Dr. Hymie Gordon, Chairman, Department of Genetics at the Mayo Clinic
"Human embryos begin development following the fusion of definitive male and female gametes during fertilization... This moment of zygote formation may be taken as the beginning or zero time point of embryonic development."
“Essentials of Human Embryology”, William J. Larsen, Pg. 1, 14
With when a life is an actual life nailed down, one must, too, consider now the process of the baby’s development.
Day 18-25The heart is beating.Day 40Brain waves can be recorded.Week 5The foundation for every organ system is already established and is beginning to develop.Week 7The baby makes its own blood in the liver, bone marrow, and spleen.Week 8The elbows and fingers become evident. Some reports show that the baby can respond to touch by reflex. The child is about ½” long.Week 10The arms and legs purposefully move. There are 20 tiny tooth buds present in the gums. The eyelids are developing and begin to close. Fingerprints are evident in the skin.Week 14The baby swallows and can suck its thumb. You can see the beginnings of the fingernails and toenails. The baby is about three inches long.Week 16The baby is approximately four inches in length and weighs nearly three ounces. The baby is moving, but the mother will not likely feel it. Through ultrasound, you can see the gender of the baby.Week 22The baby is about 7.5 inches long and hair is visible on the head and body. The baby can feel pain, possibly as early as 18 weeks.Week 24The baby is now weighing about a pound. Children born at this stage have been known to survive, although this is not for certain. A baby can hear the mother’s voice and heartbeat.Week 28With the support of hospital care, a baby born at this stage is capable of breathing air, and the brain is developed enough to regulate body temperature. The baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste, and touch.Week 34Now weighing about five pounds, the child’s eyes are wide open, the head is covered in hair, the fingernails and toenails are completely grown, and the baby has active sleep and wake cycles.Week 40At 20 or more inches long, typically, the baby is head down in the mother’s pelvis and awaiting birth. The wonder of life is about to be realized once more as the child enters the world. ( 6)
Dr. Nathanson went to the grave with regret, but he also went fighting for life. Even after his change from pro-choice to pro-life, because of the overwhelming amount of evidence, Nathanson, still, considered himself a Jewish atheist; in December 1996 he was converted to the Catholic faith and at his baptism said this: “I was in a real whirlpool of emotion, and then there was this healing, cooling water on me, and soft voices, and an inexpressible sense of peace. I had found a safe place.” (5)
For years, Nathanson ran on the wicked side of the abortion debate. For years, thereafter, Nathanson ran as hard and fast as he knew how in an attempt to rectify the wrongs he had perpetrated. Both were in the wrong direction.
Nathanson found a peace that cannot be explained in human word—so I will not try. Simply put: he found grace, mercy, and forgiveness—all of which are free gifts to us all.
As you have read, maybe this has seemed like a diatribe; in totality, it was. I have strong convictions that abortion not only is biblically wrong, but naturally wrong. In my opinion, abortion involves the destruction of a living-human person; it is a monstrous evil; a modern-day Holocaust.
When one attempts to redefine what “human” is—as was the case in Nazi, Germany when the Jews were considered “not fully human”, therefore, because the Jew was not “fully human” were not given an opportunity to speak for themselves, they were disposed of at a rate of a million per year—a holocaust happens.
I want to make my words, again, very clear: the act of an abortion is wrong.
The unborn baby is not the only victim:
1. Somewhere between 400% and 800% of suicide rates increase in women who have had abortions.
2. Hypochondria, depression, withdrawal, guilt, shame, drugs, alcohol dependency, serious emotional trauma – all of these come from abortions.
3. Six to seven times more women die each year from legal than illegal abortions.
4. The risk of pregnancy outside the womb which threatens the mother's life is doubled for women who have had one abortion, and quadrupled where there have been two or more.
5. Miscarriages are almost twice as common for women who have aborted. A study of 26,000 births indicated a more than threefold increase in the number of stillborn babies and deaths of newborns among mothers who have had an abortion.
6. Since about two or three women per hundred needs a blood transfusion, there is an increased risk of exposure to hepatitis and AIDS.
7. Bleeding is more common in subsequent wanted pregnancies.
8. Many researchers have observed subsequent premature births and low birth weights.
9. Among women who have had abortions there is an increased risk of damage to the cervix.
10. There is up to a 30% greater risk of pelvic infection
(John MacArthur: The Biblical View on Abortion – Part 1)
We all make ill-advised decisions, we are all sinners, in fact, Paul says: “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Romans 3:11-12)—and in doing so clearly makes the point that we are of a sinful nature and there is absolutely nothing we can “do” to change that.
Our hope lies in power of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”-Jesus
John 12:32
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;It will not return to Me empty,Without accomplishing what I desire,And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
-Isaiah 55:11
Jesus Christ, the word (John 1:1), took on flesh, to die a public death as a propitiation, Atonement, for sin: but why and for who? For all.
God being holy and perfect requires perfection and holiness from us; Holiness is an attribute of God’s perfect nature (he cannot lie, cheat, steal, he cannot change), therefore, since there is no one greater than God we are in desperate need of a savior and the good news is: we have one. Jesus Christ, perfectly lived the sinless-life we could not, so that he could be made a sacrifice, and God’s unchangeable Law could be removed from us. Jesus’ death on the cross is the sacrifice; three days after His death, Jesus physically rose from the dead as proof that His words, deeds, and sacrifice were true. Therefore, any who want to escape the righteous judgment of God, must receive the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross—this is done by faith, by falling on your face before a Holy God and asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins. The gift is free.
Maybe you have thought of having an abortion; maybe you have had an abortion; maybe you have supported abortion; or maybe you disagree with abortion and are a stanch pro-lifer; maybe as a pro-lifer you have ridiculed and hated on the other victim of an abortion—the mothers: all are the same in the view of a Holy God. We are sinners in need of a savior. The good news is that if we confess our sins, scripture says, “He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
Turn from your sin and enjoy the peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: you can be justified by faith. (Romans 5:1)
Here I Stand: Against the act of abortion, dedicated to seeing it end, with Jesus Christ as my Lord.
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Acts 4:13-22; 1 Peter 3:15; Psalm 139:13–14; Genesis 2:7; Psalm 51:5; Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1, 9:6; Exodus 21:22-25; Romans 1:16; John 12:32; Isaiah 55:11 )
Footnotes:
1. Faye Wattleton, “Speaking Frankly,” Ms. May/June 1997, Volume VII, Number 6, 67
2. David Boonin, “A Defense of Abortion”
3. Peter Singer, “Practical Ethics”, 2nd ed. Pg. 85-86
4. Bernard N. Nathanson, M.D., “The Hand of God”, Pg. 131
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