A Culture of Life
John 1:1-4; (1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (4) In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (NIV)
That Word that was with God in the beginning spoke the world into existence, and then took on flesh in Jesus of Nazareth. Notice that life was in him and that he was the light of men. Jesus is the Word from whom all life springs and the life he gives is the light of men! He advocates life and promotes a culture of life at every point!
Remember when Moses was born, that his mother had to hide him in a basket in the Nile River for him not to be killed. Pharaoh was having all male Hebrew children killed to limit the Hebrew population to maintain political control. That was a culture of death!
Fast forward to the birth of Jesus! Herod heard that this child the Magi were looking for was King of the Jews, so to maintain political control he had all male babies from two-years of age down killed to eliminate anyone who might assume his throne. Another culture of death!
It was an enforced law under Nazi German that any non-arian lady carrying a baby was to have the baby aborted! That law was enforced consistently! Additionally, the Nazi’s exterminated between one-million and one-million-five-hundred-thousand infants during their reign of terror! A culture of death to be sure!
Since 1973 America has aborted sixty-million children. Today, in New York City half of the black babies are aborted! Now, several states have laws that codify third-term abortions. In some cases the child can be allowed to die, or be eliminated after birth, if the mother and doctor agree that it is best not to allow the child to live! That is a culture of death!
Since Rowe VS Wade became law in 1973 the country has lined up in opposing factions, Prolife and Pro-choice! The Pro-choice argument revolves around the idea that the mother has a right to “choice” over what she does with her body. In other words, since the fetus is inside her it is a part of her body and if she wants to abort that fetus she can based on the right to have control over her body and her reproductive rights.
It has been said that,” if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is probably a duck!” At eight weeks in the womb a fetus looks like a baby. At eight weeks that same fetus feels pain. At twelve weeks the fetus has a heartbeat. At sixteen weeks the genitals can be identified. At eighteen weeks that fetus can hear sounds from outside the womb. At twenty-four weeks the fetus can cry. If it looks and sounds and acts like a baby, I figure that it is a baby!
I recognize that my argument is simplistic, but most things get way to complicated and when boiled down to their simple form you will likely arrive at the truth.
I have heard the argument that since the baby is inside the mother and connected by the umbilical cord that the child is part of the mother. That child is still an individual that deserves the best shot we can afford it to live a good, healthy life and to avail itself of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!
Do I want Rowe VS Wade overturned? Of course I do! Am I so naïve as to think that would end the abortion debate in this country? I know better! I feel certain it would intensify! I think it is important to have our countries laws reflect a culture of life, not a culture of death. Will abortions continue? Sadly, yes they will!
The solution to abortion will not be resolved by way of law! It can only be addressed in the human heart. Hearts need to be changed to reflect that culture of life that the Word brought to this earth when he created us.
Life is in Christ, and He alone can light people’s life from the inside out to embrace A Culture of Life! There is no other solution to abortion…. Sadly! Pray!!
Tom West is a retired pastor and can be reached for comment at 602.758.1168