Immanuel Lutheran Church

There are three specific sanctity of life concerns in proposed health care reform legislation:

1. End-of-life or Advance Care Planning issues -- Concerns include: 1) ambiguous and undefined language, 2) family  members of patient not permitted in doctor's office during discussion of end-of-life decisions, and 3) knowledge that an organization known as Compassion & Choices (formerly the Hemlock Society) is assisting the writing of this section on end-of-life care.  Important questions include: What are the worldviews of the medical professionals who must counsel the elderly or dying?  What are their motives?  From where do their code of ethics come?
2. Abortion --  While the word "abortion" may not appear in the proposed legislation, the phrase "family planning services" does.  One of the nation's largest family planning providers is Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA).  PPFA lists among its services both the abortion pill (RU-486) and in-clinic abortions.  Many concerned citizens reasonably conclude that proposed legislation, if passed, will provide for taxpayer-funded abortions for women and girls without any limitations.
3. Ethics -- Of great concern is how insurance companies, employers, or even individual medical professionals may be forced to provide, pay for, or participate in medical procedures contrary to their personal beliefs.  Who will select and comprise the proposed Health Benefits Committee?  What will this committee determiine to be "generally accepted standards" and "essential benefit"?

PLEASE PRAY for the members of Congress, that they be motivated not by special interest money or political power, but by the very Spirit of God who values each human life.  Pray that no group or "class" of people -- the preborn, those with disabilities, or the elderly -- be put at risk.

Abby Johnson is the former director of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Bryan/College Station, TX.  She resigned from that position after helping to assist an abortion.  The ultrasound technology used during the procedure "spoke" truth to Abby and forever changed her thinking.

When Abby saw the baby moving to avoid the instrument of death, she knew she couldn't be a part of Planned Parenthood.  She was already "uncomfortable" with Planned Parenthood's business philosophy.  "The money wasn't in family planning, the money wasn't in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that," said Abby.

Abby, who resigned on October 6, is not the first to resign from her employment with Planned Parenthood or other abortion clinics.  An organization called the Society of Centurions is a group of people whose hearts and minds have been changed by truth.  Members of this group are former providers of abortion who have abandoned their practice and now embrace the sanctity of human life.  Their number includes physicians, nurses, paramedical personnel, technicians, receptionists, and security personnel.

Why the name "Centurion"?  The organization explains in their brochure: "The Centurion who stood at the foot of the cross of Christ suddenly became horrified at the crucifixion he was ordered to carry out.  When Christ died, this Centurion dropped his sword and fell to his knees exclaiming, 'Surely, this was an innocent man!'"

The former abortion providers go on to explain, "Those of us who have participated in the killing of unborn children are the Centurions of today.  We have dropped our swords against the unborn child.  Now we must recognize the depth of our guilt and deal with the ramifications . . . To revitalize our humanity we need to forgive and be forgiven, to reconcile and be healed."

To learn more, visit www.centurions@plam.org 

Please pray that the hearts and minds of many be changed by Truth.  Pray that God's creation and redemption of all human life be honored.  Pray for courage to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 24:11).  Pray for discernment and care in reaching out to those who grieve their sin (Psalm 147:3).  Pray in Jesus' name.

To be "racist" is to be contrary to who God is, what He has created, what He has done through Jesus Christ, and how He wants His people to live.  God tells us that He created humans in His image -- male and female (Genesis 1:27).  From that first man and woman came all the people of the world: Adam and Eve's sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4), Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:17-19), and all the people at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:8-9).  At that time, God caused the people to spread out across the earth.  In the New Testament, we read: "From one man God made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth . . ." (Acts 17:26).  There is only one race: the human race!

To be sure, there are different people groups, cultures, and ethnicities.  There are Irish, Norwegian, and Chinese people.  There are Germans, Nigerians, and Polynesians.  But, there is only one race: the human race!

Evolution opposes God's creation of one race.  Darwin introduced the idea of racism by claiming that different groups or races evolved at different times.  Followers of Darwin believe that some people are more like their "ape-like ancestors" than others.  The Australian Aborigines, for example, were considered to be the "missing link" between an ape-like ancestor and the rest of mankind.  That resulted in terrible prejudices and injustices.  Racism increased following the social acceptance of evolution.

As Christians, we believe that all human beings in the world are Homo sapiens.  More and more scientists agree that race is a social construct derived mainly from perceptions conditioned by events of recorded history.  These scientists say the word "race" should be abandoned because it's meaningless.  Christians know that using such a term can also be harmful.  History proves what happens when we put people into categories and try to suppress them.

The Bible doesn't use the word "race."  It does, however, tell us that we're all related, for all human beings are descendants of the first man Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45).  Because Jesus Christ also became a descendant of Adam, being called the "last Adam" (15:45), this is why the Gospel should be preached to all tribes and nations.  The Christian can recognize that it is sin that causes the idea of "race" to divide one human being from another.  But, the Christian also knows that it is Jesus Christ who died to save us from sin and to restore the relationship between God and His beloved creation.

What can we teach our children about human beings of every tribe and nation?  In Jesus Christ, we learn that racism and Christianity are poor companions.  Christians who believed this were instrumental in abolishing slavery and speaking up against the Holocaust.  They can be instrumental in defending all human life today.

To learn more, please visit: www.creationinstruction.org (the website of LCMS instructor Brian Young) or order One Blood from www.answersingenesis.org

PLEASE PRAY that Christians everywhere trust God's Word and, in so doing, help remove harmful ideas of "racism."  Pray that the Holy Spirit change hearts, minds and behavior... in Jesus' name.

Marriage is so important to society that it is uniquely protected in the law and culture.  It predates the law and the Constitution, and is an anthropological and sociological reality, not primarily a legal one.  No civilization can survive without it, and those societies that allowed it to become irrelevant have faded into history.

Homosexual activists realize the power of legalizing same-sex "marriage."  It will normalize what God calls "sodomy" or sin.  This is " . . . a chance to wholly transform the definition of family in American culture.  It is the final tool with which to dismantle all sodomy statutes . . . and change how society views and treats us"  (Michealangelo Signorile, OUT magazine, 5-96, p. 30).  To learn more, please visit: www.nationformarriage.org and www.exodusinternational.org

PLEASE PRAY that people courageously speak up using God's Word for marriage and family.  Pray that men and women consider what is best for children.  Pray that those practicing an unhealthy lifestyle be transformed by the power of the Word.

What does God -- the Judge of all Creation -- say?  After He created man and then woman, God announced the institution of marriage: For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (Genesis 2:24 RSV).  (God established two other institutions, the church and the government.)  God, in His wisdom, knew what was best for mankind and society.  He said, It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18).  So He made for Adam a helper, encourager, friend and lover -- and then commanded them to be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth (Genesis 9:7 RSV).

If we depart from God's plan, do consequences exist?  God's design for marriage has been the bedrock of culture around the world.  5000 years of recorded history give evidence that civilization has been built upon God's institution of marriage.  The institution of marriage represents the very foundation of human social order.  Everything of value sits on that base... including the value of children.  When this bedrock is weakened, society begins to crumble.  Tampering with God's design, as proven in the Netherlands and Belgium, spells doom for the family and everything related to it.  God's Word warns against all harmful forms of sexual behavior -- including premarital sex, adultery, prostitution, incest, pedophilia, and homosexuality -- because such practices wound ourselves and others.

How does the Christian respond to the following questions?

1. Isn't this a civil rights issue?  No.  Homosexual activists often use this argument, but more and more black leaders are speaking out against it.  Being "African-American," for example, defines one's skin color and ethnic heritage.  Being homosexual defines one's sexual behavior or practice.  This is not a civil rights issue; rather, it is a health issue.  The practice of homosexuality is high risk behavior as documented by the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
2. Shouldn't any two people who love each other be committed to one another?  Sure, and people do it all the time but we don't necessarily call it marriage.  Friends are committed to one another, a parent is committed to a child, and grandparents are committed to grandchildren.  All of these are forms of love and require commitment.  None of those commitments are marriage.
3. What is the reality of same-sex marriage?  The legalization of same-sex marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family because the younger generation becomes confused about sexual identity and loses its understanding of lifelong commitment, emotional bonding, sexual purity, the role of children, and the "sanctity" of marriage.  Marriage is reduced to a partnership with attractive benefits and sexual convenience.  The goal of homosexual activists is to push for all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.) without limiting the number of partners or their gender.
4. Who will suffer most from legalized same-sex marriage?   Children will.      
5. Isn't it true that what kids need most are loving parents, regardless of whether the parent is a  mother or father?  No.  Children need a loving mother and father.  Thirty years of research have proven that the most loving mother in the world cannot teach a little boy how to be a man.  Likewise, the most loving man cannot teach a little girl how to be a woman.  Little boys and girls need the loving daily influence of both male and female parents to become who they are meant to be.
6. Aren't homosexuals born that way?  Isn't it therefore intolerant to prohibit them from marrying?  There have been many attempts by researchers to prove that homosexuals are born that way.  None has proven the case.
7. Isn't banning same-sex marriage like banning interracial marriage?  Not at all!  Being black or white, Hispanic or Asian, is not like being homosexual.  
8. Haven't we seen all kinds of family diversity in various civilizations throughout history?  No.  Anthropologists tell us that every human society is established by males and females joining in permanent unions to build a life together and to bear and raise children.  The differences we see in family from culture to culture are primarily variations on this model: how long the male and female stay together, how many spouses either can have, and how the work is divided.  But there has never been a culture or society that made homosexual marriage normative.
9. How does a same-sex marriage threaten any one else's marriage?  Homosexual activists want a new national policy saying that having a mom and dad is no better than having two moms or two dads.  That policy would turn some very important issues upside down.  Marriage would become merely an emotional relationship that is flexible enough to include any grouping of loving adults.  If it's fair for two men or two women to marry, then why  not three or five or seventeen?
10. Doesn't the increase in divorce prove that traditional marriage isn't doing so well?  Is the answer to erase marriage laws?  We have laws against murder, but people still commit murder.  Do we erase murder laws?  Of course not!  When laws aren't working, legislators try to fix them.  We should work to strengthen marriage.  Same-sex marriage, like "no-fault" divorce, is a social experiment that cannot strengthen marriage, family, or society.
11. Isn't the Christian called to show compassion and understanding?  Can we deny happiness to a homosexual or lesbian? If someone is heading off a cliff, the compassionate response is to try to stop him, not allow him to fall off and then treat his injuries.  It is the height of compassion for people of Christ to oppose this societal disaster -- with its litany of pain and suffering.
12. What can the Christian do?  Respectfully urge your legislator to move quickly to pass a constitutional amendment protecting marriage in Iowa.  Support the Federal Marriage Amendment by writing your Congressman.  Write a letter to the editor.  Talk to your family and friends.  Share information.  Do a Bible study.  Pray.  For more information, visit:  Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, The Alliance for Marriage, or the American Family Association.   (Appreciation for much of the information gleaned for this section is given to Dr. James Dobson and his book "Marriage Under Fire: Why We Must Win This Battle".)

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them (Mark 10:13).  Why did they do it?  Why did the disciples attempt to keep little children from Jesus?  They must have believed they had a good reason -- the children would be an inconvenience.  Rape, incest, fetal abnormality, the mother's life -- many today believe these are the reasons for most abortions.  Not so!  The sad truth is that 93% of abortions are performed because the child is perceived as an inconvenience.

Studies show the top three reasons for abortion are: 1) "A baby at this time would interfere with work, school, or other responsibilities."  2) "I cannot afford a baby."  3) "I do not want to be a single parent," or "I'm having problems" with husband or partner.  (Source: The Alan Guttmacher Institute 2/2000)

Jesus loved His disciples and would forgive them.  But still, He was indignant at their choice.  His choice was to Let the little children come to Me.

Jesus also loves His people today and will forgive those whose hearts have been broken by a choice they know they should not have made.  But still, He cannot be pleased when 3,200 pre-born children everyday are kept from ever learning about Him.  Why?  Jesus loves children.  His choice is still the same.  Let the little children come to Me (Mark 10:14a).  And He took them in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16).  Speak up for the little ones!  Support the ministry of Lutherans For Life (LFL) with your prayers, financial support, and use of their Bible studies and other resources.

Please pray that we be in awe of the miracle of each human life that God "knits together" in a mother's womb.  Pray that parents be moved to bring their children to Jesus so that they might learn of Him, grow in Him, and carry forth His Good News to others.  

It's the source of the stem cells that's important!  We oppose embryonic stem cell research because it violates God's 5th Commandment.  The potential of future cures for human beings cannot justify the destruction of human beings.

Did you know that God is opening doors for research using stem cells from sources other than human embryos!

Are we telling others that there is no need to destroy one life for another?  A variety of diseases are already successfully being treated using "adult" stem cells.  These are found in a variety of tissues in our bodies and also umbilical cord blood.  Bone marrow adult stem cells have shown the ability to become virtually every other cell type.  To learn more, please visit: www.lutheransforlife.org

Please pray that scientists and those in the medical field make use of technology that does not intentionally end one life to save another.  Please pray in Jesus' name.

(Released November 20, 2009) --

Preamble: Christians are heirs of a 2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God's Word, seeking justice in our societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering.

While fully acknowledging the imperfections and shortcomings of Christian institutions and communities in all ages, we claim the heritage of those Christians who defended innocent life by rescuing discarded babies from trash heaps in Romans cities and publicly denouncing the Empire's sanctioning of infanticide.  We remember with reverence those believers who sacrificed their lives by remaining in Roman cities to tend the sick and dying during the plagues, and who died bravely in the coliseums rather than deny their Lord.

After the barbarian tribes overran Europe, Christian monasteries preserved not only the Bible but also the literature and art of Western culture.  It was Christians who combated the evil of slavery . . . and child labor.

In Europe, Christians challenges the divine claims of kings and successfully fought to establish the rule of law and balance of governmental powers, which made modern democracy possible.  And in America . . . civil rights crusades of the 1950s and 60s were led by Christians claiming the Scriptures and asserting the glory of the image of God in every human being regardless of race, religion, age or class.

The same devotion to human dignity has led Christians in the last decade to work to end the dehumanizing scourge of human trafficking and sexual slavery, bring compassionate care to AIDS sufferers in Africa, and assist in a myriad of other human rights causes.

. . . Like those who have gone before us in the faith, Christians today are called to proclaim the Gospel of costly grace, to protect the intrinsic dignity of the human person and to stand for the common good.  In being true to its own calling, the call to discipleship, the church through service to others can make a profound contribution to the public good.

Declaration: As Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, we act together in obedience to the one true God, the triune God of holiness and love, who has laid total claim on our lives and by that claim calls us with believers in all ages and all nations to seek and defend the good of all who bear His image.  We set forth The Manhattan Declaration in light of the truth that is grounded in Holy Scripture . . .  We call upon all people of goodwill . . . to consider carefully and reflect critically on the issues we here address as we, with St. Paul, commend this appeal to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

. . . [W]e are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; [and] that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions.

Because the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife, and the freedom of conscience and religion are foundational principles of justice and the common good, we are compelled by our Christian faith to speak and act in their defense.  In this declaration we affirm: 1) the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every human being as a creature fashioned in the very image of God, possessing inherent rights of equal dignity and life; 2) marriage as a conjugal union of man and woman, ordained by God from the creation, and historically understood by belivers and non-believers alike, to be the most basic institution in society and; 3) religious liberty, which is grounded in the character of God, the example of Christ, and the inherent freedom and dignity of human beings created in the divine image.

We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right -- and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation -- to speak and act in defense of these truths.  We pledge to one another, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence.  It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season.  May God help us not to fail in that duty.

The declaration ends with the following statement:

Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family.  We will fully and ungrudingly render to Caesar what is Caesar's.  But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God's.

(Note: The entire Manhattan Declaration  may be viewd at www.manhattandeclaration.org . Please consider adding your name to the list of signatures.)