Sanctity of Life Sunday: Why Should You Care?
This Sunday, churches around the country will celebrate the value of human life. In honor of Sanctity of Life Sunday, we’re reminding our readers about the importance of this issue. We often hear the term “social justice,” yet abortion frequently is not considered a “justice” issue. God calls us to value life throughout the Bible. Psalm 139: 13-19 is one such passage that speaks to the Lord knowing us before we were born or capable of love for Him. He loved and created us as unique individuals for His glory. As Christians, it is our duty to care for and protect human life, including the unborn. The magnitude of the numbers are disturbing. Since Roe v Wade in 1973, over 60 million abortions have been performed in the United States, with 652,639 abortions in 2014, as found by the CDC.
Often when trying to justify an abortion, people say that the child is not truly a human life because it is not fully developed. Although the child is not fully formed, it does have many capable functions. By 24 weeks, the child has a fully developed skeleton, developing layers of skin, and can both feel and respond to pain by that period of time. While over half of the states in the U.S. ban abortions after 24 weeks, and many states ban third trimester abortions, there are still nine states in the U.S. that have no restrictions on abortion whatsoever: Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and West Virginia. According to data provided by the Oregon Health Authority, almost 9,000 abortions were performed in Oregon during 2016.
What can I do to help?
There are many groups, both Christian and secular, which are actively advocating to protect the lives of unborn children. Pregnancy Resource Centers provide confidential and compassionate assistance to women in any circumstance. They are dedicated to providing free ultrasounds, pregnancy testing, and direction on how to prepare and care for an expected baby, no matter the circumstance. Oregon Right to Life PAC “advocates for the most vulnerable human beings whose right to life is denied or abridged under current law. We work to re-establish protection for all innocent human life from conception to natural death.” Their efforts to raise awareness and combat progressive abortion agendas in the Oregon Legislature are tremendous, and help further the cause of Christ by giving a political voice to the most vulnerable.
Don’t let Sanctity of Life Sunday pass without pause. Visit the websites above. Donate your time and resources. Stay current on the political tug-of-war that is happening in our country, including bills that are being debated on the pain threshold of the fetus among others. Include abortion in the social justice conversations within your church.