“Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My”

Anyone who knows me knows that I love cats.  Cats, to me, are truly wonderful companions found in creation and a gift from God.  Along those same lines, lions are among some of the most beautiful and majestic animals to be admired in creation.  BUT, I am so tired of hearing all of the outrage over the death of a lion in the wake of the horrific atrocities that are being committed by Planned Parenthood.  It is only man who is created in the image and likeness of God.  Speaking to the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord said “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” That does not begin and end with Jeremiah, that is true of everyone of us who are living AND those who have never lived on earth because of abortion. God knows their names as well – all 55-60 million of the babies who have never lived on this earth.  They are welcome in Heaven, even if they were not welcome here on earth.

The dentist who killed the lion is being sought for extradition back to Zimbabwe to stand trial – seriously?  I get that the lion was killed illegally, but when did we, as a race of people, become so twisted in our thinking that someone who kills a lion while hunting is a murderer but the hundreds of PP workers who kill babies on a daily basis and then sell their body parts are allowed to continue with impunity?  Animal rights activists are all about the animal with no regard for the fact that it the human race to which God granted reason and an ability to commune with Him.  God gave the human race dominion over the earth: Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).   Likewise, in Genesis 1:28 God says “God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.”  We are definitely commanded, through these passages of scripture to act as God’s agents on this earth and to take care of it and to be good stewards of what He has given us.  Of course that means that we are not to destroy the earth or be cruel to animals but that does not mean that it is OK to destroy one another or worse yet those most helpless among us – the unborn.

Life is precious and ALL LIFE IS SACRED and ALL LIVES MATTER.  Unfortunately, some believe only certain lives matter and only some lives are worth saving.  Is it sad that Cecil, the lion was killed?  Sure, of course it is.  But when did you last weep over the unborn and think how sad it is that an individual was just killed?  Are we weeping at the images of the torn body parts, over the clear image of the hands, feet, head, etc. of the baby just ripped from its mother’s womb? We need a better understanding of the proper order of things – only man was created in His image.

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

This week the House of Representatives passed HR1797 – “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act”.  This bill will restrict abortions from 20 weeks forward in all 50 states.  Of course the Senate will ignore the bill and President Obama, the most abortion minded president this country has ever seen, would veto it if it reached his desk.  The House took up this legislation in light of the Kermit Gosnell conviction in Philadelphia a few weeks ago and the usual rhetoric from the left has surfaced.  Nancy Pelosi is recorded as saying “yet another Republican attempt to endanger women. It is disrespectful to women. It is unsafe for families and it is unconstitutional.”  It is always interesting to me how the Constitution is always brought into this debate and yet Nancy Pelosi also said, when asked directly by a reporter about Gosnell, that this should not be about politics because this issue of a woman’s right to choose was “sacred ground” to her as a practicing Catholic.  The last time I looked at the Constitution I saw a phrase in there that said we have the “RIGHT TO LIFE.”  Interesting, I know.  When it comes to the abortion debate, Mrs. Pelosi is happy to invoke the Constitution when she feels like something has trampled on her right or anyone’s right to choose death, but when faced with the real question of the murder of innocent lives, we need to leave the Constitution out of the debate because it’s not a political issue.  I just wish for once, our politicians would stop talking out both sides of their mouth and face the truth here.  The plain and simple truth is that abortion is MURDER!  There is no way around this, the medical facts prove that a fetus is a living human being and he/she can most definitely feel pain when killed in the gruesome manner of a late term abortion.

This bill passed the house by 228-196 margin, with six democrats voting in favor of the legislation.  This really is a victory, even if the Senate does ignore the bill.  It’s a victory for the pro-life movement because this legislation seeks to restrict and not merely control the abortion procedure.  Marjorie Dannenfeiser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List said this is what makes this legislation different from past pieces of abortion legislation.  She has indicated that this is a significant step forward in the fight to end all abortion in America.  Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, called it “the most important pro-life bill to be considered by the U.S. Congress in the last 10 years.”  I also believe this is a victory for the Pro-life movement because it keeps this issue on the national stage.  The last thing we want is for the debate to die out because Gosnell is in jail now and for people to think – “wow, glad that’s over, hope nothing like that will ever happen again.”  This is happening all over the country!  If you live in Maryland, it’s happening right in your own back yard in Germantown as Carhart continues to perform late term abortions with no consequences over Jennifer Morbelli’s death.  The Maryland Department of Health has decided that there was no malpractice by Carhart and no reason to revoke his license.  We know that abortion is malpractice and is a blight on the medical profession.  We know through Abby Johnson’s ministry (And Then There Were None) how difficult it is for abortion clinic workers to leave the profession.  It’s like a black mark on their resumes to have to put down that you worked as an abortion provider or a clinic worker.  Why is that?  Because deep down everyone knows that all abortion is bad and all abortion is wrong. However, if I had to put this in categories, late term abortion would be worse than abortion in the first trimester because of the brutality involved and the pain that is felt by the baby.  This is why this legislation is important – because it restricts and not just controls the abortion procedure.  This debate must stay fresh in people’s minds and this legislation will help facilitate keeping the debate front and center.

Day 12 Reflection by Carmen Pate – 40 Days for Life Campaign

Pray to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, to end abortion in America.

SCRIPTURE

 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.

— Ephesians 3:20-21

 REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, 40 Days for Life

God’s power working in and through His people is unlimited and far beyond our comprehension when we submit to God’s Word and Spirit. He receives glory when we are obedient to His calling and faithfully serve Him in His strength.

Consider God’s hand of providence on this nation because of the faithfulness of a few who were totally committed to God and His truths.  It is interesting to note the words of Mother Teresa  of Calcutta: “Yours is the one great nation in all history which was founded on the precept of equal rights and respect for all humankind, for the poorest and weakest of us as well as the richest and strongest.”

Mother Teresa, in addressing the Supreme Court of the United States said, “Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being’s entitlement by virtue of his humanity. I have no new teaching for America. I seek only to recall you to faithfulness to what you once taught the world. 

She continued, “Your nation was founded on the proposition very old as a moral precept, but startling and innovative as a political insight that human life is a gift of immeasurable worth, and that it deserves, always and everywhere, to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect.”

It is time to restore that dignity and respect. Our God is able. Are we willing to remain faithful until His work through us is done?

PRAYER

God Almighty, Who is powerful and willing to supply, our hearts cry in unison for You to restore dignity and respect to human life, not only in America, but around the world. 

Lord, may our hearts remain faithful to your calling, and may You begin Your transforming work with me.

Keep me ever mindful that with You Lord, nothing is impossible; without You, I can do nothing. To You be glory forever and ever, Amen.

Another tragic loss

Another tragic event has scarred Maryland with the death of a 29 year old woman on Thursday, February 8, 2013 in Germantown, MD.  Through the careless butchering of Leroy Carhart, Jennifer Leigh Morbelli and her baby are both dead.  Mrs. Morbelli was a kindergarten teacher from White Plains, NY who, at 33 weeks pregnant, decided that she could not have her baby.  The Maryland Coalition for Life and Operation Rescue have both reported that Mrs. Morbelli was looking forward to the birth of her daughter, Madison Leigh.  So what happened?  I don’t know and we may never know the whole truth of this situation.  Only God knows the whole truth behind this tragedy. 

This morning, February 11, 2013 in Germantown, MD, the Maryland Coalition for Life organized a press conference and invited the media.  There was an impressive list of pro-life groups represented at this conference including The Maryland Coalition for Life, Priests for Life, The Christian Defense Coalition (could not locate a web address), Students for Life, the National Black Pro-Life Coalition, Center for Human Dignity from the Family Research Council, the Susan B. Anthony List, Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Archdiocese of Washington.  A representative from each of these groups spoke at the press conference and everyone expressed the same sorrow and horror over this event and the same anger over the fact that Leroy Carhart is in his clinic today with two new patients.  Two women arrived yesterday to begin the same four day abortion procedure that killed Mrs. Morbelli.

Michael Martelli of the Maryland Coalition for Life called upon the state of Maryland do a number of things in response to this tragedy.  He called upon them to investigate this murder, close down the clinic, revoke the Dr. Carhart’s medical license, ban late term abortions in the state of Maryland, give serious review to the safety of these procedures, and pass a fetal pain law in the state which would protect babies at 20 weeks gestation and beyond. 

Certainly this was a tragedy that did not need to occur.  Why Mrs. Morbelli and her family felt that having an abortion at 33 weeks was their only option, I’ll never know.  But what I do know is that family is suffering today.  Mother and child are expected to be interred together later this week.  I don’t know if she had other children, but there is a husband who is dealing with enormous loss today.  We must pray for the Morbelli family, for the repose of the soul of Jennifer Leigh Morbelli and daughter Madison, and for Leroy Carhart.  Perhaps he will finally wake up to the devastation he is causing.  Perhaps he will have an epiphany and the scales will be removed from his eyes.  We must be careful to never judge but to always pray for Dr. Carhart and all those involved in the abortion industry – that the goodness of the Lord will lead them to repentance.

“But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:2-4)ImageImageImage