Let Her Live

Abortion and God's Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:28:00 +0000

"Will God forgive me if I have an abortion?" It's a question many women have. I didn't realize how common a question it is until I wrote about this subject last time. Perhaps you are thinking about an abortion or already had one and are wondering about this. If so, please keep reading, and I think you'll find your answer.

If you are asking this question, you already know that God views abortion as a sin--as murder in fact. So the question is, what is God's criteria for forgiveness of a sin? Or more simply: What do I need to do to be forgiven?

In a word, Repent. To repent is to change your mind about your actions so completely that you change your actions. Part of that is being sorry for what you've done. Not just sorry for the circumstances that you feel forced you into doing it, but sorry that you did it, regardless of the circumstances.

Some people will think about a sin (abortion or something else), decide that they will repent the next day, and go ahead and do it. Perhaps the next day they tell God, "I shouldn't have done that. Please forgive me." And they think every time they want to commit that sin they can do it, and then just smooth things over with God. That isn't repentance. And God does not forgive someone who hasn't truly repented.

So if you are thinking about having an abortion, you will either come to deeply regret it, or you will never be forgiven. That mixture of relief and guilt you may feel is not repentance. You have not repented until you come to the place where, if you were in the same situation, you would not commit the sin that you did.

If you already had an abortion and you are sorry that you ever did it, and you wish you could undo it, and you have committed that you will never do it again--in other words, if you have repented of the sin--you are ready to find God's forgiveness and healing.

But let me warn you. God doesn't want to forgive just one sin and still have to punish you for all of the others. He wants to forgive you for all of them. And for that, you have to be willing to give up all of your sins. You don't come to the bargaining table with God. You have to surrender everything.

Imagine God as a king with subjects. Someone has led an insurrection against him, and he is going to punish the rebels. If a rebel comes to him and says, "I'm sorry about one crime I committed, but I'm not sorry about all of the rest," the king won't have much mercy on him. But perhaps the rebel comes to him and says, "I'm ashamed of everything I did. I can't make it up to you. I have nothing to give you to repay the damages. But I submit to you now, and I'll do anything you tell me now." Then the king forgives him, and adopts him as his own child, and gives him an inheritance in his kingdom.

God wants complete repentance and a complete submission to Him. In return, He forgives completely. He never brings your rebellion up to you again. He chooses to forget it, and treats you as if you had never rebelled. He gives you peace instead of guilt. He heals your broken heart. He assures you of His love for you. He gives you help to do what you ought to do when you feel like giving up. He promises that He will never leave you. He adopts you as His child and gives you a supportive family of His other children. He guarantees that no power or circumstance, including death itself, can ever rob you of your relationship as His child.

Some people try to prove their repentance by punishing themselves. They think that if they cause enough pain to themselves, God will be more likely to forgive them. They may cut themselves or develop an eating disorder. That's trying to pay for our own sin and satisfy God on our terms. Rather than submitting to God and accepting His free forgiveness, that's telling God you don't need Him. It's a sign of continued rebellion.

Whatever your situation, just submit to God and obey Him. Enjoy His forgiveness, and allow Him to heal you.

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

"Among these are Life..."

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:34:00 +0000

This Independence Day we celebrate a declaration, not only of the independence of 13 colonies, but also of some timeless truths that our Founding Fathers recognized: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

When Congress or the Supreme Court or anyone else tells us what rights we have or don't have, let us never forget that it is God Himself that has given rights to all men, based on the fact that He created them in His own image. Human rights come from God, not from government. Our Founding Fathers knew that, and we must not forget it.

The rights to life, liberty, and property are all under assault, but the chief among these is the right to life--a right which our laws fail to protect before birth (and in some cases after an injury or debilitating disease).

There are many fronts in the battle for God's gift of life. Some battle the forces of death in the legislatures. Some in the courts. Some in the battle for the hearts and minds of Americans. Some educate young people about the dangers of immorality and urge them to abstain until marriage. Others volunteer at pregnancy helping centers, persuading women not to abort. Still others stand as a last line of defense at the abortion clinics themselves, either protesting or doing sidewalk counseling. With so many different fronts, there are many gaps in which to stand.

Our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to defend the freedoms they held dear. As we honor all the patriots who have risked and given their lives in defense of our freedom, let us commit to defend the God-given right to life with equal resolve--and with equal reliance upon the Author of life and the Giver of liberty.

Wesley Wilson

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Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

The Supreme Court and a Culture of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Although none of the Supreme Court's decisions this session directly impact abortion, I believe some of these cases relate directly to our culture's respect for life.

In District of Columbia v. Heller, the court overturned the D.C. gun ban--a victory for life. It makes little sense, indeed, to say a person has a right to life, but lacks the right to protect that life. The right to self-defense flows from the inherent worth of the individual created in the image of God.

As William Blackstone explained in his Commentaries on the Laws of England, "Both the life and limbs of a man are of such high value, in the estimation of the law of England, that it pardons even homicide if committed ... in order to preserve them." Blackstone also wrote that the right of "having arms for their defense" is an auxiliary to "the natural right of resistance and self-preservation, when the sanctions of society and laws are found insufficient to restrain the violence of oppression."

Of course the Bible, upon which much of England's common law was based, encourages self-defense. As one example of many, Nehemiah instructed the people of God, "Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses." (Nehemiah 4:14)

The Supreme Court's recognition of the right of self-defense, and the corollary right to own handguns as a means of self-defense, is a welcome affirmation of the value of life. Life is, and always will be, worth fighting for.

The court's decision in Kennedy v. Louisiana, overturning death penalty laws in six states for the crime of child rape, is a blow to the culture of life. If our society truly valued its children, would we not apply the death penalty to those who commit the most heinous crime against them? The "cruel and unusual punishment" phrase used to justify the ruling must be understood by its original intent. What did James Madison and his contemporaries mean by it? Did not their states allow the death penalty for rape--and how much more in a case where the victim was a child?

To defend the sanctity and worth of every life, we cannot allow perverts to violate children. It makes no sense to protect children's lives but fail to protect them from the worst kind of assault. What penalty other than death could fit the crime of child rape? It seems to be a self-evident law of nature that child rapists have forfeited their right to live. The Kennedy ruling devalues life. All of our lives just became that much cheaper.

The constitutional balance of power between the branches of government is out of kilter when the most important job of a president is to appoint judges. But these cases show us once again that the course of our nation depends on electing a president who will appoint judges who respect the Constitution. Someday, we must limit the judiciary to its constitutional authority. Until then we celebrate the victories, grieve the defeats, and elect presidents and legislators who will give us good kings--I mean, judges.

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Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

So Much for Free Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:30:00 +0000

I commented recently on penalties imposed on "hate speech" (a.k.a., speech the government doesn't approve of) in France. With the political left pushing for hate speech laws in the United States, it is a battle that every American who values his or her right to say things that are unpopular, will soon have to fight.

But we don't have to wait long. Elaine Huguenin, a wedding photographer in New Mexico, will be brought before the New Mexico Human Rights Division because she refused to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony.

It remains a mystery why the agency has even agreed to hear the complaint, as a spokesman for the state said the agency handles discrimination claims "in the areas of employment, housing, credit or public accommodation." Last time I checked, wedding photos didn't fit in those categories. I haven't read the New Mexico constitution, but I seriously doubt it protects the basic human right to have photographs taken of you. But we all know about the rights that courts can find in "living" documents.

How can minor "rights" override major ones? How can a supposed right not to be discriminated against trump the right to free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment? For that matter, how did the "right to privacy" discovered in Roe v. Wade trump the right to due process of law before an individual is deprived of life?

As we have just seen in the California rulings banning home schooling and legalizing homosexual "marriage," the courts are free to make up the rules as they go. The judiciary was intended to be the most conservative branch (in the sense of resistant to change) of government. It has become the most radical. Change should come as the people's representatives propose it and pass laws. The judges should see that the laws of the land (and in some cases, its traditions) are followed.

The courts are out of control, and the legislature is the only body capable of removing the judges who violate their trust and make new laws. We must get our representatives to undertake that responsibility. And it might not be a bad idea to start working toward constitutional amendments at the state and federal level allowing voter recall of all judges.

If we don't get the courts to follow the laws of the land, we won't have a Constitution left, nor will we have the freedoms it guarantees.

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Totalitarian Tolerance is Nothing New

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:45:00 +0000

The inflexible forces of tolerance have scored another victory against intolerant speech. French actress Brigitte Bardot was fined 15,000 euros for the statement: "I've had enough of being led by the nose by this whole population which is destroying us, (and) destroying our country by imposing their ways." She was referring to the Muslims of course, specifically to what she views as their inhumane killing of animals. So to demonstrate she was wrong, the government imposed the fine for even writing the statement.

This is where the politically-correct movement is heading in the United States and Canada too. We musn't criticize Islam. We can't preach against homosexuality or we risk going to jail (in Canada and some states). Those who work against illegal immigration are called racists.

Many would also love to silence pro-life activists. Have we forgotten the police brutality against Operation Rescue and other pro-life people participating in peaceful civil disobedience? Or the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances law that was finally struck down for violating first amendment rights? Or the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law that limits political speech?

In the pro-life movement, we look back to the anti-slavery movement of the 1800's for inspiration. They faced much worse restriction of their first amendment rights than we have seen. In the 1830's, the postal system in many parts of the country refused to deliver "incendiary publications," such as those that criticized slavery. John Quincy Adams fought for years to overcome Congress' gag order that kept them from even considering citizens' petitions against slavery. Anti-slavery newspaper editor Elijah Lovejoy was murdered in Alton, Ill., because he refused to stop his abolitionist writing. And the unlawfully-elected proslavery government of "Bloody" Kansas made mere possession of Uncle Tom's Cabin a crime punishable by death.

Repression wears many "respectable" faces. Today it is the face of tolerance. Evil must not be criticized, for that would make someone feel bad. So evil and oppression go on while too many nice people enable it by their silence. Martin Luther King, Jr. condemned the silent compromise with racial oppression, and the leaders of the Moral Majority movement condemned the silent compromise with other forms of evil, such as sexual immorality, perversion, and abortion.

Ms. Bardot has pledged that she will not be silent on the Islamic takeover of her country. Respectable citizens of France may be too polite to say what she says, but when they go to bed worried that the Muslim riots will spread to their city, they have to know in their hearts that she is right. Tolerance of evil is always easier, but we must always stand against that oppression that would silence all dissidents, whether in the name of tolerance or for any other reason.

Perhaps King Solomon put it best: "They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them."

And again: "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord."

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Long overdue update

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Mon, 26 May 2008 03:11:00 +0000

Sorry I've been silent so long on this blog. My wife and I bought our first house (moved in March 1) and had our first baby (born May 2). Along with a busy work schedule, I haven't taken much time to write.

But in that time Let Her Live has not been idle. Those of you on our email list know about the billboard pictured below that has been just down the road from the abortion clinic in Greenville, SC, for most of April and May. Many thanks to those who have given in support of this billboard.

As I mentioned a moment ago, my wife gave birth to our first baby, Abigail Jane, on May 2nd. She was 21-1/4 inches and weighed 8 lbs., 10 oz. It was a long and difficult labor, but we were blessed to have some wonderful people to help us. Our doula, Erin Shreve, was wonderful. I think we might have needed a C-section without her support and help. After all of the help she gave us, I don't think we will ever have a baby without a doula present, and she will be our first choice if she is available. The nurse who worked with us through the pushing stage, Marguerite Moore, was fantastic. She had the strength to coach Felicia through that long and difficult part of labor, but she exuded kindness and compassion. Dr. Laura Lebel, who delivered the baby, was already our favorite doctor in the practice, and she was willing to take the time for labor to progress until birth, instead of pushing us into a C-section.

Maybe I'll write more about this some other time, but I've been most surprised by two things. First, I've always been one to think that most babies are sort of cute, but to some degree they look alike. So I was surprised to find that our baby is the cutest baby I've ever seen. Second, I've been surprised by the strengthening of our marriage bond. We've always been blessed with a good marriage, but I didn't know I could feel this "in love" with my wife.

For those who want a picture of the cutest baby ever, here you go.

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Will God Forgive Me If I Abort?

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Recently a pro-life counselor and I spoke with a young unmarried couple contemplating abortion. I'll call them Jen and Larry. They both professed Christianity, but didn't appear to understand what being a Christian means. At some point we mentioned God's forgiveness, and Jen asked too eagerly, "Does God forgive an abortion?"

That question requires more than a one-word answer, because either "Yes" or "No" would be misleading, with possibly fatal consequences. I tried to explain that sin, including the sin of abortion, is very serious--not something to be planned, committed, and forgiven automatically. But I also wanted her to understand that God can forgive someone who has truly repented of an abortion.

I have tried to think of a clearer biblical answer. Here's another attempt. Question: "Will God forgive me if I have this abortion?"

Answer: No, not in your present spiritual condition. Not with that attitude. God's forgiveness is not automatic. It comes only when our sorrow for our sin is real enough that we would not do it again if we could do it over. If you have this abortion, you may or may not ever find forgiveness. God will only forgive you after you have come to the point that you deeply regret this abortion. You will first have to realize that you have violated one of the most sacred laws of the God who made you, and that nothing you can do can ever make up for it.

While that may not be the best answer, any answer must address the common "Grandpa in the sky" view of God that makes God's forgiveness a common and expected thing. This popular "cultural Christianity" takes the sacrifice of Christ for granted. It turns the sinner's only hope of mercy into an insurance plan for continued sin, and tramples under foot the mercies of God. "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid."

As Christians we must be careful to let sinners know that forgiveness is available, but we must also guard them against presuming upon His mercy and continuing in sin.

Update: Jen later scheduled an ultrasound, and after seeing her baby, she told a counselor that she would keep the baby.

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Presidential Candidates and the Human Life Amendment

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:38:00 +0000

The American Family Association (AFA) has released it's Voter Guide for the 2008 Presidential Primary. The outcry must have been mighty, because the AFA rewrote it and released it again. The specific issues are designed to highlight differences in the positions of the GOP candidates.

The first edition, which only included the top 6 Republican candidates, gave the candidates' positions on the Human Life Amendment (HLA) as an indication of whether they were pro-life. Only Mike Huckabee supports the HLA.

The revised version includes 7 GOP candidates looks at two criteria: overturning Roe v. Wade and federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. All the candidates except for Giuliani and McCain come down on the side of life on both issues. That's a change from earlier positions for Romney and Thompson.

While the first version of the Voters Guide could be misleading, as Huckabee appeared to be the only pro-life candidate, support for the Human Life Amendment is an important benchmark.

What is the pro-life strategy for ending abortion on demand in the US? In Phase 1, we work to restrict abortion as much as possible at all levels of government and to get judges who care about the original intent of the Constitution into office--especially on the Supreme Court. Then those judges overturn Roe vs. Wade by declaring restrictions that violate Roe to be constitutional. At that point abortion is still legal in nearly all states. The issue of abortion has been returned to the states, and some GOP candidates, such as Fred Thompson and Ron Paul, would stop federal involvement there.

In Phase 2, we work at both state and federal levels to restrict and ban abortion wherever possible, unhindered by Roe. Abortion will be banned with varying exceptions in many states, and still be legal in many others.

In Phase 3, we work to enact the Human Life Amendment to the Constitution to recognize the right to human life from the moment of fertilization.

Through all three phases, we must work to save individuals from the horror of abortion and to create a culture of life that views all human life as intrinsically valuable.

A constitutional amendment is not a federal intrusion into state authority--indeed most states must agree to it. So why is Mike Huckabee the only candidate of the top 6 GOP contenders to embrace the HLA?

If abortion is murder, why should we stop short of victory? On abortion there is no substitute for complete victory. While all Republican presidential candidates pledge to support good judges, I want a president who will lead as far as he can to the ultimate victory of life. I want a president who supports the Human Life Amendment. I realize the HLA won't happen for several more years, but I want a president who knows where we need to go, not one who is content to stop at Phase 1.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Ten Reasons Why the Pro-Life Movement is Winning

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:02:00 +0000

Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has an excellent column demonstrating the progress of the pro-life movement.

We are closer to achieving our goal of winning the fight to end abortion and restoring protection to children in the womb than the mainstream media is reporting. To help you see the truth of that statement and to inspire you to renew your commitment to the fight, here are ten signs that point to the fact that the end of abortion in America will come sooner than you may think. Of this much I am certain, we will not have to wait for the next generation to plan and carry out victory celebrations. That will be our task.

This does not mean that you can relax or take anything for granted. Just the opposite, in fact. The closer we get to victory, the harder the other side will fight to keep abortion legal and the more hostile they will become. Still, we now know the key weaknesses of the abortion movement ... as well as the pro-life dynamics that the other side can do nothing to stop. So be of good cheer and stout heart! We have the devil of abortion on the ropes. And here are ten signs that point to our eventual victory.

Sign 1: The survivors

The surest sign of our ultimate victory is the strong and ever-growing involvement of young people in all aspects of the fight to end abortion. And if you ask them why they’ve joined our fight, they will tell you: “It could have been me!” In speaking up for the unborn, the youth of America are also speaking up for themselves. This is an awareness and motivation that abortion advocates can do nothing to stop. And as a result, our pro-life movement receives a new strength and motivation each day from these survivors.

Sign 2: The flow of conversions

Another reason for confidence is simply to look at the flow of conversions. In which direction does it go? It goes from pro-abortion to pro-life. There is, for example, an international organization of former abortion providers called the Society of Centurions. These men and women – to whom I have the privilege of ministering – once served as doctors, nurses, technicians, security guards, and other roles to operate abortion mills. Now they have repented of their killing and become pro-life. Some of them – like Dr. Bernard Nathanson and Norma McCorvey – have high-profile testimonies. But most of them try to get on with more normal lives in the privacy of their own communities.

Since when, however, have you heard of an organization of former pregnancy resource center directors who have repented of saving babies and are now pro-abortion? It just doesn’t happen. With the notable exception of politicians – individuals notorious for abandoning their principles in exchange for votes or praise from media elitists – the flow of conversions is in one direction ... and that is from death to life.

Continued here.

Loving God and Loving our Neighbors -- a Balance?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Wilson) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:43:00 +0000

Many things in life, particularly the Christian life, are represented as needing balance. Extremes, sometimes dangerous, are on both sides. In many areas this is probably true.

Our love for God is not one of those areas.

The basic commandment is to "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength." James emphasizes the need to "keep himself unspotted from the world." Jesus says we must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him.

These are not words of moderation or balance.

So, what are we to do? Go become monks and nuns so we can pray more? Create our own sub-society and minimize our interaction with those around us?

Some Christians and religious people have thought so, but that is not the call God has given us. Right next to the instruction to love God supremely usually comes the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. That involves a lot of interaction with those around us. We don't love our neighbors by tossing some Gospel literature over the fence once in a while. We don't love those hurting from the destructive lifestyles popular in our culture by giving them a "God bless you", "be thou warmed and filled" and going our way.

Neither do we love others by promoting or excusing their sin. The doctor who cares about his patient will tell him to do what he needs to to be more healthy -- stop smoking, lose weight, exercise ... whatever it is. He who loves someone in sin will tell him he needs to be saved from it!

Many groups have promoted either purity or love of others as though the two were in opposition. But the same God who thundered from Sinai "Thou shalt have no other gods" gave the commandment "Love thy neighbor". The same Jesus who drove the polluters from the temple showed compassion to the poorest and brought salvation to the worst.

Some of Christ's followers have also learned to excel in both aspects of love. They have demonstrated that loving God as we should leads us to love our neighbors as we should.

J Hudson Taylor loved the Chinese more than almost anyone of his time. But he loved God supremely. Jim Elliot loved the Aucas, not because they were a likable set of people, but because he loved God. Francis of Assissi could lead his followers to do good among the peasants because, somewhere back in that monastery, he learned to really love God.

The brightest lights in any dark place are those who love God with the greatest purity. Let us let our light shine that men may glorify our Father. We do that by loving others while we keep ourselves unspotted.

I am not endorsing all aspects of any of the organizations with which the Christians I have cited were affiliated. Certainly not the Roman Church of which Francis, made a saint by Christ's blood and not the Pope's decree, was a part. Francis was an early reformer and a shining light within that organization. When I worship in heaven with him, whatever points he still didn't get right won't be so important any more.

Excellent editorial on sexualization of culture for girls

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:59:00 +0000

Carol Platt Liebau has an excellent article at Townhall.com. When is our nation going to wake up and protect our girls? Perhaps when we start protecting the unborn. From her article:

Recent reports of a policy allowing 11- to 13-year-old students at King Middle School in Portland, Maine to receive contraceptives without parental consent elicited a storm of press coverage and shock on the part of everyday Americans, given the students' youth. Just last week, a news story from Ohio reported that three girls, two 13 years old and one who is 14, were having sex with as many as fourteen boys and men, even as the CDC announced that one million cases of Chlamydia were found in the U.S. last year -- the highest ever reported for any sexually transmitted disease. All the stories are only the latest symptom of an underlying cultural pathology – one that relies on the silence and timidity of responsible adults in order to flourish.

Societies, like parents, get the behavior they expect from their children. Given the messages transmitted by our popular culture, it’s hardly surprising that even middle schoolers would conclude that developing a sex life is not only acceptable, but almost expected of them. American society has come far from the days when parents, clergy and the culture stood together to encourage young women, in particular, to resist sexual behavior that could have lifelong negative repercussions for them. Then, sexual modesty was honored, even in the breach; today, when it comes to sex, the cultural mandate is to “just do it” – and most of the time, that mandate goes unchallenged.

Continue reading Liebau's editorial at Townhall.com

Bob Jones and Romney

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:45:00 +0000

Dr. Bob Jones, III, chancellor of Bob Jones University, and Dr. Robert Taylor, Dean of the university's College of Arts and Sciences, received much criticism for their recent personal endorsement of Mitt Romney. Political conservatives criticized their endorsement because of Romney's recent (and politically expedient) conversion to conservatism. Some Fundamental Christians criticized their endorsement because of Romney's Mormon faith.

As a conservative Christian, a politically-involved pro-life activist, and a recent graduate of Bob Jones University, I understand their endorsement of Romney, but I think their trust is misplaced.

Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor understand that nominating Rudy Giuliani would compromise the Republican Party's commitment to its core principles—especially its opposition to abortion—and would guarantee the election of Hillary Clinton. Many Republicans would feel compelled to support the Republican candidate, whoever he was, and whatever he believed. It would be the worst kind of defeat for Republicans. It would be a defeat from within, an abandonment of the reason that many of us are Republicans.

Just as some Republicans would vote for anyone to defeat Hillary, Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor appear willing to support anyone remotely conservative who could defeat Giuliani. So these men no doubt looked at the polls, the campaign machinery, and the money of the other candidates, and decided Romney had the best chance to defeat Giuliani. They must think they can trust him, though I don't know why.

I'm sure they considered his Mormon faith. I would prefer to vote for a Christian as would they, but in an increasingly unchristian culture, we don't always have practicing Christians running (this time we do), and I would rather vote for an unbeliever who shares Christian values than an ignorant or incompetent Christian who doesn't understand how Christian values should impact government policy. In short, supporting a Mormon for a particular job, including the Presidency, is not an abandonment of Christianity, as some have claimed.

I am, however, surprised that Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor trust Romney. His recent support of abortion as governor is well-known. His pledged support for the political goals of homosexual radicals, including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), during his senate campaign is also well-documented. He now says he has changed his mind. Will he change his mind on these issues when the political winds blow a different way?

Say what you will about President Bush, but he has never backed down on the right to life or the war on terror. I don't always agree with him—especially on illegal immigration and American sovereignty—but when he has a firm conviction on a matter, he doesn't waver. A president must be ready to stand on principle when even his own party opposes him. Romney is not that kind of man.

Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor have watched politics long enough that they should know to watch a politician's record more than his rhetoric. Dr. Dobson understands that. Perhaps they think it better to be lied to or betrayed than for the GOP to betray its own principles.

It is better still to support a real conservative. 51% of voters who attended the Values Voters' Summit last weekend thought Mike Huckabee was such a candidate. And for those willing to support conservative candidates with lower poll rankings who best fit their views, men like Wayne Wilson and Duncan Hunter are hard to surpass.

In the primary season, the best candidate to defeat a liberal like Giuliani (and eventually Hillary) is one that conservatives can trust, not Mitt Romney.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

The Cry of the Aborted

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:07:00 +0000

Thanks to Randy Murphy for sharing this poem and artwork with us.

We can speculate on what the dead unborn would say, but we know from Scripture that the blood of the innocent does cry out to God. We learn that first from the murder of Abel.

I suspect the cry of the souls of the unborn would be similar to the cry of the souls of the martyrs recorded in Revelation 6:9-10: "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"

May God have mercy on our land and bring our nation to repentance quickly.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

My Pro-Life Choice for President

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Wilson) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 07:29:00 +0000

"I’ll stop the illegal immigrant invasion within a month of taking office by using the overwhelming force of our military to secure the border."
"Liberals insult American workers saying we won’t do certain jobs. That’s odd. I’ve worked a lot of those jobs, myself, and was happy to have the work."
"Our rules of engagement make it nearly impossible for our soldiers to fight. ... All that’s going to change. We’re going to completely win this war [on terror] within my first term in office. "
"Even though our Declaration insures our God-given inalienable right to life, it is obvious we need a Human Life Amendment in the Constitution. I will nominate only pro-life judges and we’ll need to elect a pro-life Senate to ratify those nominees, but political power and Supreme Court
Justices come and go. The Constitution is much harder to change. Therefore, my long-term commitment is to an amendment. "
"In the meantime, as soon as I take office I’ll turn loose the full weight of the federal bureaucracies against all those who take innocent life. I’ll direct OSHA, the FBI, the EPA, and any other agency I can think of to inhibit, regulate, and burden the abortion industry."
"Hard-working Americans need more than tax reform, we need a tax revolt. I will support any initiative that eliminates the IRS and repeals the 16th Amendment."
"I will direct the EPA to back off their absurd number of gasoline formulation requirements and let us immediately drill for oil and build new refineries and nuclear and coal plants."
"Anyone who can believe the man-made global warming hoax probably deserves to be so snookered. "
"There is hope for homosexuals. I don’t believe God made them that way or that they have to stay that way. ... Many have already come out of their darkness and back into the mainstream; you can, too. There is hope for us all in Jesus. "

Does that sound like any Presidential candidate you ever heard? If you heard of a candidate for President who said these things, would you support him?

Now you have. These statements come from the website of emerging Republican Presidential candidate Wayne Wilson.

So, who is Wayne Wilson? No, he's not a governor from a liberal state trying to convince us he was a conservative all along. He's not a mayor from a liberal city trying to convince us he's the only candidate who can beat someone even further left. He's not a multi-term senator displaying
his aptitude for blowing with the winds of politics.

He's never held political office. He's not even a lawyer.

He's a middle-class, middle-America conservative Christian who's worked several different jobs from construction to warehouse management to Christian school principal to truck driver.

You will, I'm sure, judge him by the policies he articulates and the way he handles himself in the upcoming months -- just like any other candidate. But if I had time, I could tell you much more about Wayne Wilson.

I could tell you of the time, over the years, put into pro-life organizations; Of collections of children's clothes taken to help a co-worker who had lost his job; Of jobs quit over principle; Of years of preaching in nursing homes; Of conversations with wayward young people, trying to get them to do right.

I could tell you about a life of Christian consistency that stands up to the scrutiny of those closest to him, because Wayne Wilson is my father.

If one thing about my father stands out, it is his strength. He could always afford to do right, without apparent regard for the consequences. And when the rest of us were not sure what was right, he could usually see it very clearly. I know now that is because he fears the Lord, and as he explained in Sunday School a few weeks ago, a person who truly fears the Lord will be absolutely fearless toward all others.

When choosing a President, we need a man who fears the Lord more than any other qualification. The woman seeking that office clearly does not, and neither do most of the men.

By now you've thought about the political likelihood of electing someone who doesn't already hold high public office. One of my friends already cited the proverbial "snowball's chance". But another of my friends several weeks back, when asked about a choice for 2008 said, "Can we throw the current bunch of clowns out and start over?" We can if we will step away from political calculations of probability and into the closet of prayer.

I ask you then:

Begin praying that God will give us a President who fears Him.
Read Wayne's positions on the issues and see whether this is a man you could support.
Go back to prayer and ask God what He would have do coming up to the primaries next year.
Sign up for Wayne's newsletter and, if God lays it on your heart, help out financially .
On your own website or blog, add a link back to the website.
Keep praying for a President who fears God. Coming into this election, this is the most important thing we can do.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Abortion: The Ultimate Cover-up

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:25:00 +0000

Crisis Pregnancy Centers often receive phone calls from people seeking abortion. I answered such a call recently from a woman who was calling on behalf of her married daughter.

I asked if the daughter had received a medical pregnancy test and an ultrasound to verify that it was not a tubal pregnancy—services that we offer at no cost. The caller was impatient. "You don't understand. This isn't her husband's baby. She has to have an abortion. She doesn't have a choice."

Stories like this are all too common. Some women who use abortion to cover up infidelity schedule an abortion for a week when their husbands are on a business trip.

It's not just women who cover up immorality with abortion. Abortion is the favorite tool of child molesters and rapists.

There's the 27-year-old Florida high school drama teacher Andrew Foster who was having sex with students and used abortion to hide the crime when he impregnated an 18-year-old.

In Connecticut, Adam Gault, 41, has been charged with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl. He tried to hide that crime with an abortion performed by a Planned Parenthood clinic.

Earlier this year Michael Britt, 43, a Connecticut abortion clinic janitor and owner of a modeling agency, lured teenage girls into having sex with him in order to become models. He reportedly took a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old to the abortion clinic to cover up his crimes.

That case came on the heels of another Connecticut case where 22-year-old Kevon Walker impregnated his 14-year-old girlfriend three times in six months, and ended each pregnancy with abortion.

John Blanks, Jr., of Ohio used abortion to cover up his incestuous sexual abuse of his daughter.

In most, if not all, of these cases, the abortion clinic has failed to report the sexual abuse of minors as required by most states, enabling the abuse to continue.

Abortion is the ultimate cover-up of sexual crimes and immorality. Perhaps that's the biggest reason its supporters fight to keep it legal. Andrea Dworkin, a leading feminist, wrote in Right Wing Women:

In the garden of earthly delights known as the sixties counterculture, pregnancy did intrude, almost always rudely;...one of the real obstacles to female [immorality] on male demand....It was the brake that pregnancy put on [immorality] that made abortion a high-priority political issue.

Or put another way, abortion is the insurance policy of the sexual revolution.

It's past time to liberate women from the abuse of men who cover up their crimes with abortion.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

New Pro-Life Presidential Candidate Wayne Wilson

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 17:38:00 +0000

As a pro-life American, the first issue I look at when deciding on a candidate to support is the issue of life. Then I look at many other issues to decide between pro-life candidates. Right now, I'm very concerned about illegal immigration, the war on terror, free speech, and gun rights, to name a few. After those, I'm concerned about taxes, social security reform, and other fiscal issues.

In my last post, I listed the announced Republican presidential candidates that I believe hold a strong, consistent position on protecting life from conception to natural death. I need to add Republican candidate for President Wayne Wilson, who has just joined the race, to that list. From his issues page under the Abortion heading:

Even though our Declaration insures our God-given inalienable right to life, it is obvious we need a Human Life Amendment in the Constitution. I will nominate only pro-life judges and we’ll need to elect a pro-life Senate to ratify those nominees, but political power and Supreme Court Justices come and go. The Constitution is much harder to change. Therefore, my long-term commitment is to an amendment.

In the meantime, as soon as I take office I’ll turn loose the full weight of the federal bureaucracies against all those who take innocent life. I’ll direct OSHA, the FBI, the EPA, and any other agency I can think of to inhibit, regulate, and burden the abortion industry. If the bureaucrats there refuse, I’ll fire them and replace them with those who will. They are to serve at the pleasure of the administration.

I will sign any restriction of abortion that crosses my desk.

Wilson is not a career politician. In fact, he's never held public office, but in our climate of entrenched corruption in Washington, perhaps we are ready for an outsider with conservative Christian values that represent American values, not Washington values. Wilson isn't the only candidate counting on that.

It is easy for us to complain about many of our elected officials, and we have that right. It is harder to pick a good candidate, donate to his campaign, and support him all the way. That requires some personal sacrifice. Perhaps that's the reason many of our favorite candidates don't win--we'd rather complain about the bad ones than put good ones in their place.

No matter which of the solidly pro-life candidates you support, let me challenge you to give the largest donation you can afford before the end of the month. On October 15 we will find out how much money the candidates have raised through September 30, and that will be a measure of which candidates are viable. As pro-life people, let's make our voice heard financially.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Ron Paul Views License as Liberty. Life Loses.

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:06:00 +0000

Although I've never agreed with Ron Paul's isolationist foreign policy, some of his answers at the Values Voter Debate on Monday evening should cause great alarm among pro-life and pro-family supporters. He showed a lack of understanding of true liberty, which explained his "No" answer on these two questions:

Bobby Schindler: My beloved sister Terri Schiavo was starved and dehydrated to death in the land of abundance while the world watched – because she was disabled and unable to speak for herself. Would you pursue or support legislation that would protect the cognitively disabled and vulnerable people from being dehydrated to death by having their food and water taken away?

Dr. Rick Scarborough: Will you agree to prosecute the broad range of illegal adult pornography rather that just the most extreme material, and prosecute all violators of federal obscenity law, including the new, so-called "white collar pornographers"?

(For a transcript of questions, see http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57685)

How could Ron Paul--widely hailed as a pro-life candidate--refuse to support legislation to protect innocent life? He explained his reasoning (libertarian more than conservative) in his closing statement:

We cannot go to Washington to dictate to us how we improve our personal behavior. You don't dictate--you don't legislate virtue.... You do that from your family, your friends, and your neighbors, but not from the federal government.

We come back to a fundamental question: What is the role of government? I agree with Rep. Paul that our federal government has greatly exceeded its proper role. But the Bible teaches that God established government to restrain and punish evil. (See Genesis 9, Romans 13, and I Peter 2:13-14.)

Moreover, the liberty that Rep. Paul prizes was given to man by God at creation. God gave us the ability to decide our own actions. But God placed limits on those actions. True liberty exists only within the boundaries of morality. No porn addict can legitimately claim he is exercising freedom. He is a slave to his own sinful desires. Although governments cannot break that slavery--only the blood of Jesus does that--governments have the responsibility to curtail it as much as possible to restrain evil, promote good, and protect the innocent victims of pornography.

As Alan Keyes has said, "No one has the right to do wrong."

We don't want to take this idea to the extreme of having government dictating our faith, but we must understand that every law is an attempt to dictate someone's idea of virtue. It is wrong for Mexicans to flood our southern border to take advantage of our benefits without putting back into the system, so we made it illegal. It is wrong for other nations (or terrorists) to attack us, so we have a strong national defense. It is wrong to murder, so we have laws against it--unless you are not yet born or are disabled.

Before Monday, I thought Ron Paul was firmly pro-life, but now I know better.

Monday night he made it clear that he doesn't believe the government has any business protecting the disabled from "being dehydrated to death by having their food and water taken away."

So the list of announced presidential candidates with a clear and consistent pro-life record includes: Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, John Cox, Alan Keyes, and Hugh Cort.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Romney and Abortion

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:41:00 +0000

Those who trust Mitt Romney's current statements on his abortion position would do well to read Warner Todd Huston's article, Mitt Romney's Abortion Flip-Flop Not Like Ronald Reagan's.

Even if he is telling the truth that he was "personally pro-life" while going along with the pro-abortion agenda, he seems to lack the strength of conviction on this issue. I don't see how pro-life people can support Romney in the primary when candidates with clear pro-life records such as Mike Huckabee are strong contenders in this race.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

A New Member of the Family

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:35:00 +0000

Congratulations to board member Daniel Wilson and his wife Jennifer on the birth of their third child, Susannah Hope, yesterday. Susannah weighed in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

We rejoice with them in their new blessing from the Lord.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Recycled Chinese Slogans Could Help 'Pro-Choice' Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:05:00 +0000

According to a recent LifeNews article, China is changing its slogans for its family-planning programs, which include a one-child-per-family policy enforced by compulsory abortions and sterilizations. The slogans are part of an ongoing effort to improve China's image as a brutal, repressive, Communist regime as it prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. Somehow the emperor's new clothes don't hide the truth any better.

In the interest of multi-culturalism and saving the planet through recycling, I'd like to offer some of the discarded Chinese slogans to the "pro-choice" protesters who are always looking for a new slogan to make abortion look less like killing babies. As China is no longer using these slogans, I'm sure it wouldn't sue for copyright violation. Isn't copyright violation China's national sport anyway? Maybe they will add that to the Olympics next year.

Anyway, these discarded slogans are now available to our friends at Planned Parenthood:

"Raise fewer babies but more piggies." We could update that for our culture to "Fewer babies means more money! (at least for abortionists)."
"One more baby means one more tomb." No change needed here. In fact, this would be a great selling point! Just tack on, "We will throw your baby in the dumpster for free--no tomb needed!"
"Houses toppled, cows confiscated, if abortion demand rejected." This is my favorite "pro-choice" slogan, but I'm having trouble updating it for our culture. Perhaps "Will riot if abortion on demand is rejected."

The new Chinese slogans include:

"Both boys and girls are parents' hearts." They'd better not use that one here. It sounds as if children might be a good thing!
"Mother Earth is too tired to sustain more children." Wait! Isn't that Al Gore's campaign slogan? He needs to sue for copyright violation. But that might interfere with the Chinese division of his campaign fundraising machine. I see his dilemma already.

I hope these slogans help our pro-abortion friends advance the cause of "choice." As China has shown us by example, the only way to control population growth is by forcing "choice" on everyone.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Pro-life Billboard Targets Atlanta Abortion Center Again

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:54:00 +0000

This week the pro-life billboard you see at left goes back up outside an Atlanta abortion center, giving a vibrant voice to babies in the womb.

For eight weeks in May and June of this year, the billboard stood directly across the street from the entrance to the Piedmont Pointe shopping center, which contains Summit Medical Associates, Abortion Advice Services, and one office of Atlanta SurgiCenter, among other businesses.

The billboard is paid for by Let Her Live, a non-profit group in South Carolina that aims to post these billboards in the immediate vicinity of abortion centers across the country as silent witnesses against the killing of the unborn. In addition to advertising the Let Her Live website, the billboard lists a pro-life hotline run by the Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett.

While the impact of this billboard is impossible to measure, we know it is seen by thousands of people who drive Atlanta's busy Piedmont Avenue every day. It is also seen daily by the abortion clinic employees and by anyone who visits the clinic. Additionally, we know of two phone calls to the hotline during the billboard's last showing, and of a complaint from a media executive.

We ask all pro-life people to join us in praying that God will use this billboard to save lives, to bring women into counseling centers where they can hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved from sin, and to turn the tide of public opinion against the wickedness of child-killing.

If you want to help with this effort please make a tax-deductible contribution today. We welcome checks or online contributions with your credit card or PayPal account.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Freedom of Conscience vs. the Right to Contraception

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:30:00 +0000

A liberal friend of mine recently asked me what I thought about doctors refusing to prescribe "emergency contraception" such as Plan B to rape victims. He referred to an MSNBC article on the subject.

In summary, a woman who had been raped went to an emergency room where she talked to a rape counselor and was examined by an ER doctor. The rape victim asked for the morning-after pill, and the doctor refused to prescribe it, allegedly because it was against his religion. She went back to the rape counselor who referred her to another doctor who wrote the prescription.

This happened a few years ago. Plan B is now available over the counter to people 18 and older.

The issue, however, remains. Should a person's desire for some form of medical care force the doctor to act against his or her conscience?

I believe the answer is a clear and resounding "No."

First, the doctor's objection to "emergency contraception" for moral, ethical, and medical reasons is reasonable. He has an obligation to "first, do no harm." We require new drugs to be approved by the FDA for this reason. We expect doctors to follow this principle in prescribing treatment to be sure the cure is not worse than the disease. Based on this principle, American Medical Association policy prohibits doctors from being involved in executions.

Plan B, the best known "morning-after" pill, works by preventing ovulation, preventing fertilization, and preventing implantation of a fertilized egg. A doctor treating a rape victim should be aware that he may, in fact, have two patients, as fertilization can occur in less than one hour. In that case Plan B would prevent the newly-formed human from attaching to the uterine wall, causing the death of the embryo.

Second, medical care, as nearly every other industry in the United States, is an open market. If you don't like your doctor, go to another one. My doctor might not be willing to try a treatment that works for some people but injures others. He is fulfilling his ethical obligation to do no harm with a treatment he believes is harmful. My doctor's knowledge of the treatment's risks may be my greatest protection. I can always go to another doctor who believes the treatment has a chance of success.

Third, freedom of conscience is one of the most basic human freedoms. It led to the settlement of many of the early American colonies. It is still sought by millions of legal immigrants. Freedom of conscience was recognized in the First Amendment right to freedom of worship; in the long-standing exemption from combat for conscientious objectors to all killing; in the patient's right to refuse medical care; and in the AMA's policies.

The MSNBC article alleges: "Catholic and conservative Christian health care providers are denying women a range of standard, legal medical care." Really? What standard, legal medical care? The article lists birth control prescriptions, abortion referrals, infertility clinic services for lesbians and unmarried women, and sterilizations. None of these are medically necessary, life-saving procedures.

What solution would the article's author propose? Perhaps a government mandate that physicians must do certain procedures on request, regardless of their best judgment? I certainly wouldn't want the government telling me how to do my work, and in my line of work, not one life depends on my judgment.

The article acknowledges: "In the end, the women in all of the incidents above were able to get the treatment they wanted, even if they had to go elsewhere." So the free market and respect for a doctor's freedom of conscience is denying needed medical care to no one.

Let's continue to let doctors be doctors, not victims of an ideology that would deny one of the most basic human rights—freedom of conscience—to them.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Saving Babies One by One

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:55:00 +0000

"Will I go to hell if I have an abortion?" the young woman sitting across from my wife asked. This was the woman's first question, and it was obvious she was leaning toward abortion. But she had some doubts, and she knew it wasn't right.

My wife shared the facts of fetal development with her and explained the abortion procedures along with their risks using the crisis pregnancy center's medically-accurate literature. At the end of the discussion, the young woman decided to make an appointment later in the week for an ultrasound. By the time she returned for the ultrasound, she had decided to keep the baby.

My wife and I are thrilled that she had a part in saving this precious child's life and guiding the mother away from the devastating decision to kill her child. But these life-giving decisions happen every day at crisis pregnancy centers across the country.

Legislative changes are crucial, but as we work for those changes, remember that minds are changed, hearts are won, and lives are saved one by one.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a tax exempt 501(c)(3) SC nonprofit corporation dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

The Value of Human Life Comes from Its Source

noreply@blogger.com (Wesley Wilson) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:23:00 +0000

My wife and I recently had the privilege of attending the National Right to Life Convention in Kansas City. Wesley J. Smith explained some of the common lies and deceptions used to support embryonic experimentation, including embryonic stem cell research. (Read his blog to stay informed on these issues.)

Smith said that whenever pro-life people debate life issues, we always reach an irreconcilable difference with our opponents over the core question of what makes a human life valuable.

Does a human life have the same worth while a blastocyst (young embryo) as it does during later stages of development or in childhood? Does that human life deserve the same protection in a test tube or incubator as in its mother's womb. Is human life as precious when an injury prevents swallowing, requiring the person to be fed through a feeding tube?

In short, what is valuable about human life?

Although there may be pro-life atheists, the pro-life movement bases its view of human worth and dignity on the Bible's account of creation. God made humans as a unique creation, distinct from animals. He later gave commandments concerning the importance of human life--anyone who takes another's life forfeits his own. From the biblical perspective, all human life is sacred and worthy of protection from the moment of fertilization until natural death. This foundation unites Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and Muslims on the issue of life.

The anti-life crowd has no such standard. Life is worth protecting if it meets a certain level of "quality." The minimal quality of life is, of course, never defined, which suits moral relativists fine. To some, human worth depends on physical ability. A person who is substantially disabled consumes more than he produces, so he is expendable.

To others the quality of a person's life depends on his reasoning ability. Smart people are more valuable than dumb ones, and those below a certain IQ should be discarded.

To those who deny God, there is nothing better about human life than animal life. In a written debate on this subject, the person I debated wrote:

It is perfectly fine to terminate the life of a being without self-awareness. If the being had self-awareness beforehand, and is likely to attain it again then it is most ethical to keep the body alive until the self-awareness is reattained.

After further questioning he wrote:

I'm not versed enough in cognitive science or developmental science to determine at what point a human's mind is turned on.

So the value of a life depends on its mental abilities, whether human or animal. We've seen where this arbitrary valuation of life leads in the state-sponsored eugenic horrors of the twentieth century. But for centuries disabled and retarded people faced neglect and cruel abuse until Christians took them in and cared for them. Not surprisingly, the same people often took in abandoned infants.

We will never agree with our opponents on what makes life valuable. We have a consistent unwavering position. Theirs is subjective.

In the debate on the value of life, let's not get pulled into debating quality of life. If we abandon the sanctity of life and fight on their terms, we lose, because our arguments are not based on absolute truth.

Let's never be ashamed to declare that the value of human life comes from its Creator.

Wesley Wilson

Book Review: Like Always

noreply@blogger.com (Guest Column) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:11:00 +0000

LIKE ALWAYS

by Robert Elmer

(WaterBrook Press; 978-1-4000-7165-4; PB; 308 pages)

"You wish Will didn't have to worry so much, and that it was just like it always was when our kids played together and we had barbecues on the back patio and Easter egg hunts in the Abells' backyard." (p. 224)

For Merit Sullivan how can life ever be Like Always when her husband Will trades his secure job of a lifetime in the Bay area for a dream to operate a rundown resort in the wilderness of Idaho? When her son Michael returns from Iraq an emotionally wounded stranger? When she finds out in one day that she's pregnant and has an aggressive form of leukemia?

Suddenly Merit is alone in holding onto a tiny life that puts her own at greater risk. Never spiritually strong, Will is struggling to support her and leans on the pastor of the local church. Her estranged sister Sydney, a cat-loving vegetarian New Ager, attacks men in general, Will in particular, and the church for Merit's decision to keep the baby and put off treatment. Michael and her two young daughters seesaw between hope and despair.

Merit finds help and friendship in young Stephanie Unruh, the local pastor's daughter. So does Michael.

After someone leaks Merit's story, the national press descends on Kokanee Cove. Life is certainly not like it always was. But does God have something better in mind?

Rita Fedrizzi, a forty-one-year old Italian woman who found she was pregnant and had cancer at the same time, inspired Robert Elmer to write Like Always. Fedrizzi rejected cancer treatment in order to give life to her baby.

Elmer takes us through the emotions and thinking of Merit, Will, Sydney and those around them. He describes the conflict, the pain, the misunderstandings, and the passions aroused by Merit's decision in a moving tale of courage, love, and selflessness. The author portrays the characters so realistically in their challenges, hopes, and fears that I found thoughts of them pursuing me throughout the day. Readers will not want to put this story down until they complete the journey with Merit and Will.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. However, I did have one problem. The story alludes to a time of intimacy between Will and Merit the end of April being responsible for her pregnancy. But the baby is not born until Easter. This makes an eleven-month pregnancy. Other than this timing problem, it's a thoughtful, tender love story of a woman for her unexpected child, a husband for his wife, and two estranged sisters for one another. The timing does not change the issues involved.

Readers of tender heart may expect to shed a few tears.

Reviewed by Debbie W. Wilson, a human rights advocate, speaker, and author of Christy Award-winning thriller Tiger in the Shadows. Her weekly prayer list for the persecuted church can be found on the home page of Bound Together Ministries.