[I hope that you enjoyed my essay in yesterday's posting #177. The following continues the theme of recognizing the 39 years of legalized abortion in this country. Note that the following article is followed by links to several other articles. Please note in particular that the final article noted contains links to 11 other articles!]
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By Chuck Colson| Breakpoint.com: January 12, 2012 http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/18541
Even though there’s a long way to go, 2011 was a great year for the pro-life movement. I’ll explain why.
This month marks the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s hideous decision to legalize abortion on demand in the United States. Since then, some 50 million unborn children have lost their lives. The constant killing, with the blessing of both the government and the media, has coarsened our national life, and deadened the consciences of many.
And for those of us who believe in the sanctity of human life, and the Imago Dei being implanted in every human being, these 39 years have been full of frustration and anguish in our so-far unsuccessful efforts to overturn Roe.
Adding insult to injury, the Obama administration is seeking to increase access to abortion through the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — otherwise known as ObamaCare. According to CitizenLink, “Under ObamaCare regulations, insurance policies would be required to cover free to women all contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and reproductive counseling methods that the Food and Drug Administration has approved.”
Knowing all this, it would be easy to get discouraged. But I’m not, and you shouldn’t be, either. First of all, as Christians we believe in the sovereignty of God. So despair is a sin! Never despair!
Secondly, the pro-lifer cause is gaining tremendous ground in the states. Let me list just some of the signs of progress. According to Americans United for Life (AUL) five states have reacted to ObamaCare by restricting insurance coverage of abortion: Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Good start.
In addition, more than 30 states have either introduced or are laying the groundwork to introduce an opt-out bill as soon as their legislative calendars allow. Many have already passed such legislation like Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Utah, Mississippi.
Meanwhile, AUL sees “an unprecedented level of pro-life activity in the states,” with 70 pro-life bills passed in 2011. In all, pro-lifers in 47 states got their legislators to consider 460 bills, and they’re keeping the pressure on daily.
In Kansas, pro-life lawmakers are seeking to bolster legal protections for doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care providers opposed to abortions or abortion-inducing drugs. These legislators hope to block even indirect taxpayer support for abortion.
In Ohio, Gov. John Kasich signed four bills into law last year that either put additional restrictions on abortion or benefited the pro-life movement. Says Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, “Never in the history of the pro-life movement have we had so many legislative measures enacted in one year.”
These Ohio laws prohibit public hospitals from performing abortions and ban abortion coverage in the insurance plans of local public employees. Pro-life college groups now cannot be denied use of school funds or facilities. Kasich also signed a law that makes it harder for minors to get abortions without parental consent. And the polls continue to show us gaining in public support.
Okay folks, 2011 was a good year for the pro-life cause. And no, we haven’t overturned Roe v. Wade — yet. And we face entrenched interests that will fight us tooth and nail. But that’s because the tide is turning! So even as we mark 39 years of abortion on demand, hang in there! And keep fighting the good fight.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Further Reading
The 12 Days of Pro-Life Christmas: Marking Victories in 2011 and Information
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/12/26/the-12-days-of-pro-life-christmas-marking-victories-in-2011/ Charmaine Yoest | LifeNews.com | December 26, 2011
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Record number passed in 2011-Cornelius Frolik | The Oxford Press | January 2, 2012
http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/oxford-news/record-number-passed-in-2011-1306652.html
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Congressional Panel Says ObamaCare Violates Conscience Rights Karla Dial | Citizens Link | November 2, 2011 http://www.citizenlink.com/2011/11/02/congressional-panel-says-obamacare-violates-conscience-rights/
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Why Won’t Abortion Go Away As an Issue? - January 18, 2012, by Jerry nEWcombe
http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/2012/01/why-wont-abortion-go-away-as-an-issue/
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The Culture of Death Grows Desperate: War Declared on Crisis Pregnancy Centers By Albert Mohler|Published Date: January 17, 2012
http://worldviewchurch.org/columns/featured-column/1118-the-culture-of-death-grows-desperate-war-declared-on-crisis-pregnancy-centers
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The quiet triumph of life
by Gary Bauer
01/23/2012 http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=48960
[Asked by NPR last week to assess the state of the political battle over abortion, NARAL President Nancy Keenan responded, “The bottom line here is that elections matter.” That truism was never more true for the pro-life cause than in 2010, the “Year of the Tea Party.” The Tea Party’s purpose was to demand fiscal responsibility from lawmakers and to elect candidates who would address the country’s towering budget deficits.]
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Full of life-ROE V. WADE || Marvin Olasky January 28, 2012
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/19068 [This article contains link to 11 other related articles as well as a link to the magazine's pro-life archives.]
"Revitalized by young activists and growing support, the pro-life movement faces new tensions ... In 2010 Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, watched the march and gave Newsweek her thoughts of the unfolding nightmare: "My gosh, they are so young. There are so many of them, and they are so young." "Some numbers show the pro-life movement's revival. Students for Life has doubled the number of its chapters in the past five years, and now has more than 600. The prayer group 40 Days for Life began in 2004 and now has vigils in about 400 cities. Care Net has doubled the number of centers in the past decade, and now has more than 1,100 affiliates."
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