Sanctity of Life Week 2011

An abortionist in Philadelphia was charged last week for 8 murders (among other charges)- one overdosed woman patient and 7 babies who were born alive, only to have their spines severed using scissors. It is good to see that this monster is finally being brought to justice, after what appears to have been a serious lapse in oversight allowed him to continue practicing far far longer than he should have. The grand jury reports that the state department of health found gross violations as early as 1989 and failed to see they were corrected. How many lives could have been saved if the local government had been fulfilling its committment to the community? More details here.

I encourage you to view this amazing video (Facebook login not required). It is mind-boggling to me that someone could see these images and still call this a fetus and refuse to grant her personhood. Thankfully there are signs that the tide may be beginning to turn. Former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson's book Unplanned (according to an e-mail I received last week from Living Hope for Life) had sold out it's first run from the publisher the first day it was released, and was ranked #8 bestseller on Amazon.com and #3 at Barnes and Noble.

On Sunday there was a prayer walk outside the abortion clinic in Germantown, Maryland where Leroy Carhart is now performing late-term abortions. Though the news only reported "a few hundred," organizers counted about 600 atendees walking the block and praying for peaceful change. I was unfortunately prevented from being there by illness, but Natedawg was there and perhaps will be able to write an update at some point. Monday was the annual March for Life, on the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It is appalling how many years this holocaust has continued in our country.

For the Sunday walk in Germantown, organizers printed posters for atendees to carry. On one side in big letters it said "Pray for the Protection of Life" and on the other was a list of ten things to pray for during the 1.1 mile walk. At the top of that list was 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." May that be my prayer this week and going forth.

Thoughts on the recent tragedy in Arizona

I'm a little late to the party.  By now, thousands of bloggers have already weighed in on this issue, but I am going to comment anyway.  If you have paid any attention to the news, then you are aware now that a nut shot several people outside a Tucson, Arizona, grocery store, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and Judge John Roll.  Roll was killed in the attack, and Giffords is expected to make a recovery. 

Predictably, some commentators immediately suggested that a member of the TEA party is responsible for the attacks.  Sarah Palin was also implicated because of her infamous map of targeted Democrats.  Some lawmakers, including Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) are taking advantage of the occasion to talk about gun control.

Here are my thoughts on the passing scene...

• The attacks are a tragedy.  This news does not make me happy.  I do not wish for any harm to come to my ideological opponents in the Democrat party.  All I want is for them to be defeated at the polls by large margins.
• The attacker, Jared Loughner, is not a conservative.  He's not a liberal.  He's a nut.  He shot all those people because he's a nut, and that's what nuts do sometimes.  Among his favorite books listed on his blog are Mein Kampf, The Communist Manifesto, and Atlas Shrugged.  (Essentially, the free market manifesto.  A rather odd juxtaposition, don't you think?)  His acquaintances also think that he has a few screws loose. 
• Gun control?  Seriously?  Do we really have to pass a new law every time something bad happens?  And isn't it rather tacky to use a tragedy like this to push your pet cause?
• As for blaming Sarah Palin for the attacks...good...grief.  Seriously?  Some crosshairs on a map made a guy flip out and kill a bunch of people? 

I don't know about you, but I find this encouraging.

The 112th Congress is opening by reading the entire Constitution, something that the House has surprisingly never done before. They also approved new rules, including a requirement that all bills cite the Constitution.

House Speaker John Boehner: "Hard work and tough decisions will be required of the 112th Congress. No longer can we fall short. No longer can we kick the can down the road. The people voted to end business as usual and today we begin to carry out their instructions."

I fully realize that Republicans haven't always been much better than Democrats in following the Constitution. The Tea Party was hugely influential in the last election, however, and if the new Congress is listening to their constituents they will begin to change things in Washington. Here's hoping that this is a real, and lasting, change from "politics as usual."

Late Term Abortion

I just viewed this video from the pastor's lunch on December 15 and I strongly encourage you to do the same. In the video, Kelly Stauffer gives a compelling account of her own experience with late term abortion as a girl of 14. If you are interested in staying up to date on the Germantown clinic and abortions performed by Leroy Carhart, see Kick Out Carhart online. There are events scheduled for January 22 and 23 with details to be determined. I am personally praying for awareness (by citizens and legislators), peaceful outcry against these unspeakable practices, and most importantly for a change of heart for all involved.