Case for Life

From Case for Life website....

Only One Issue

What is the Unborn?

Pro-life advocates contend that elective abortion unjustly takes the life of a defenseless human being. This simplifies the abortion controversy by focusing on just one question: Is the unborn a member of the human family? If so, killing him or her to benefit others is a serious moral wrong. It treats the distinct human being, with his or her own intrinsic worth, as nothing more than a disposable instrument. Conversely, if the unborn are not human, elective abortion requires no more justification than having a tooth pulled. As Gregory Koukl points out, "If the unborn are not human, no justification for elective abortion in necessary. But if the unborn are human, no justification for elective abortion is adequate."

Some argue that abortion is a complex moral issue. However, there is only one question to resolve, not many: What is the unborn? Everything comes back to that one question. This is not to say that abortion is easy for most women. To the contrary, a decision to have one may be psychologically complex and perhaps even agonizing for some. But the topic today is not psychology, but morality. Everyone in the abortion debate agrees that abortion kills somthing. But whether it's right to take the life of any living being depends entirely on the question, What is it?

Common justifications for abortion are only valid if it is already assumed that the unborn are not human beings. Ask yourself if a justification for abortion also works as a justification for killing toddlers or other humans. If not, the argument assumes the unborn are not fully human, like toddlers.

" Women have a right to make their own private decisions."

Imagine that a woman has a two-year-old in front of her. May she kill him or her as long as the killing is done in the privacy of the bedroom? Of course not. Why not? Because the child is a human being. If the unborn is also human, they should not be killed in the name of privacy any more than a toddler.

Abortion advocates respond that killing a toddler and killing a fetus are two different things, like comparing apples with oranges. But that's the issue isn't it? Toddlers are human beings. Are the unborn also human beings? That's the one issue that matters.

"But many poor women cannot afford to raise another child."

When human beings get expensive, may we kill them? Bring out a toddler. Suppose a large family collectively decides to quietly dispose of its three youngest children to help ease the family budget. Would this be okay?

The answer from abortion advocates is the same. They agree that it would not be right to kill the children, but come back saying that aborting a fetus is not the same as killing children. So, once again, the issue is the same. What is the unborn?

"A woman should not be forced to bring an unwanted child into the world."

Abortion advocates argue that it's not fair to the child to be brought into a family where he is not wanted. He's better off not being born. So the fetus is aborted for the sake of the child.

Bring out the toddler again. Suppose that he is unwanted. In fact, by the time he's five-years-old, let's say that he's also abused and neglected. Should we kill him now to spare him future trouble?

The answer is obvious, but it brings us back to the one issue that matters. What is the unborn?

"No woman should be forced to raise a child with physical disabilities."

Suppose that you have in front of you a small boy with mental problems. He's not very bright, cannot speak or understand much of what is said, and has a strange look from head to toe. Would it be morally permissible to kill him because of his condition.

Abortion advocates would agree that we cannot destroy him. He should be treated with care as we do for all human beings that have injuries or cannot speak for themselves. Again, this brings us back to the toddler. If the disabled unborn are human, like the disabled toddler, we shouldn't kill them for not meeting our standard of perfection. This brings us back to the one issue. What is the unborn?

"Every woman has a right to decide what is right and wrong for herself."

Would you force your morality on an abusive mother who was physically mistreating her two-year-old? You better. No human being should be abused.You see the issue is not about forcing morality; it's not about privacy; it's not about economic hardship; it's not about physical disabilities; it's not about unwantedness.

The issue is reduced to one question: What is the unborn?

From the heart of a child

Sometimes, through the innocence of a child, the meaning of a truth can be overwhelming.

I have heard many quotes over the years concerning passion for reaching and preaching/witnessing to the lost. Here are a few……

"So long as there is a human being who does not know Jesus Christ, I am his debtor to serve him until he does." Oswald Chambers.

"A believer is ready to serve everybody wherever he can. He cannot but profess the gospel before men, even though he foresees that he can reap nothing but ridicule and scorn for it; yes, he is ready also to give his life for the gospel." C.F.W. Walthers

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,..The Apostle Paul, Romans 9:1-3

"Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." C.H. Spurgeon


Last night, as I sat in front of my computer, I came across a rather sober reminder of how quick the rapture of the church will occur. Take a moment and check out this link. Go about halfway down the page and watch a 45 second clip titled, ‘Are You Ready’.

Go ahead and watch it now and then come back for the rest of this post.

Pretty amazing huh?

I showed the clip to my wife and seven year old son. My seven year old was recently saved a couple months ago. I had the privilege of personally leading him to the Lord. After viewing the clip, my son looked straight at me and asked what was happening. After taking the time to explain to him the rapture doctrine (as I understand it biblically), he asked me if the rapture would hurt. I told him no, I was pretty sure that the rapture, if we are on Earth to experience it, would be an awesome occurrence that would take us immediately to the presence of the Lord.

He was satisfied with that answer and then stated that he was glad everyone in our family was a Christian. I told him, well, everybody in our family living here in this house was a Christian, but not everyone in our family was a Christian. He asked who that was and I told him that my brother, his uncle, was not a Christian.

My son's eyes were instantly filled with tears.

‘We have got to get him saved’, he said with tears running down his face. I told him that ‘we’ can’t save him, only God can do that. I explained to him that I had been witnessing to my brother for years now with no result, but I keep trying every time we talk or see each other. My son, with a stare of disbelief at me said, ‘I’ll be right back’, and ran off into the other room. A few seconds later he was back in the office, with tears still streaming down his face, holding the phone in his hand and said, ‘Let’s call him now and tell him again.’

Tears welled up in my eyes this time.

I had talked with my brother a few days earlier and shared the law, repentance and the saving grace of Jesus Christ for the umpteenth time with him. I told my son it was too late in the evening to call him tonight but I promised him that the next time I talked with my brother; I would let him join in. We prayed together for my brother’s salvation and thanked God for ours.

I can’t remember who said this, ‘If they can’t see the tears in your eyes when you’re sharing your faith, at least let them hear the tears in your voice’.

Praise God for the salvation of my son and his real concern for the lost. May we all have that same concern when we share our faith.