Uniting for Life
Spring, 1991
Articles
NPRC Members Attend 18th
Annual March for Life
Members of the National Pro-Life Religious Council (NPRC)
representing several different denominations joined more than
50,000 pro-lifers in Washington on Jan. 22, in commemoration
of the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision which
legalized abortion on demand throughout pregnancy. This year
the pro-lifers braved freezing cold temperatures to march
from the mall to the steps of the Supreme Court.
NPRC's President, Rev. Ben Sheldon, a Presbyterian Pastor
from Philadelphia, who also serves as president of Presbyterians
Pro-Life said, "It is tragic that in a nation founded on the
principle that life is a sacred right, we must come to the
citadel of our government to protest the wanton killing of
1.6 million unborn babies each year." Pastor Sheldon continued,
"We have come here today to witness to the fact that most
Christians do support life and do not support abortion on
demand as the Religious Coalition for Abortion would have
America believe."
In recognition of NPRC's efforts within the religious community,
Congressman Chris Smith (R, NJ-4), Co-Chairman of the Congressional
Pro-Life Caucus, met with NPRC leaders at the march.
Another highlight of the March was an inspirational phone
call from President Bush, who took time out of his demanding
schedule with the overseas crisis to address the crowd. While
attendance may have been down this year due to the situation
in the gulf, those who braved the weather enjoyed all of the
uplifting remarks from the platform speakers including, Senator
Jesse Helms (R, NC), Representative Christopher Smith (R,
NJ-4), and Pastor Ben Sheldon.
Pro-Life Leaders Oppose
Import of Abortion Drug
Eleven pro-life leaders representing several denominations
traveled to Germany and France to meet with Roussel-Uclaf,
the manufacturer of the abortion inducing drug RU-486.
The trip, which was coordinated by the National Right to
Life Committee (NRLC), included the following pro-life leaders:
Carl Anderson, Knights of Columbus; Tom Minnery, Focus on
the Family; Dr. Joe McIhaney, American Academy of Medical
Ethics; Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum; Dr. Richard Land, Southern
Baptist Convention; Dr. Richard Glasow, NRLC; William Sherman,
International RTL; Dr. Carolyn Gerster NRLC; Dr. Jean Gorton,
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; Laurie Tryfiates, Concerned
Women for America and Dr. J.C. Willke, President, NRLC.
Abortion is Linked to "Legal
Reign of Terror"
In January of 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized
abortion, it "laid the groundwork for a legal reign of terror,"
Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, president of
the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a lecture
in Washington, January 23.
The court's decision was "inconsistent" with the fundamental
principle of the right to life on which the United States
was established. Archbishop Pilarczyk said, "once government
begins to operate inconsistently with its own principles,
the door is open to everything."
"If the foundational principles are not to apply in certain
areas," he said, "then government has taken all power to itself,
which is totalitarianism, or it has decided that it's own
will is the supreme principle, which is tyranny, or it is
saying that there really are no principles, which is barbarism."
Those principles found in the Constitution, Pilarczyk said,
"are the most basic of all our foundational documents, the
Declaration of Independence." The Declaration, he noted, said
government exists to secure and protect God-given rights including,
"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Archbishop Pilarczyk went on to say that in the 1973 Roe
v. Wade decision on abortion, "government passed beyond its
constituted limits, and undermined one of the fundamental
rights that it was instituted to defend ...If the right to
life is one of the unalienable rights, conferred by the Creator,
and if the government exists to protect and secure these rights,
then it is not consistent for the government to permit any
human life to be subject to the arbitrary will of another."
Moravians in Northern Province Vote
to Withdraw from RCAR
At its 1990 Synodical Meeting, the delegates of the Moravian
Church, Northern Province, voted to withdraw its membership
from the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR). However,
because of the Moravian Church's committee structure, the
standing Committee on Church and Society will be allowed the
opportunity to explore membership in RCAR, but only as a committee.
The vote against RCAR came after several years of diligent
work within the church by a group of pro-life Moravians called
Mor-Life.
Guest Sermon
Who Are The Holy Innocents of Today?
Scripture: Jeremiah 31:15-17; Matthew 2:16-18
What a monster of cruelty Herod must have been!! The slaughter
of the little boys in Bethlehem shouldn't have surprised anyone,
given what they already knew of this despicable tyrant, whose
reputation as a cruel, jealous ruler is unequalled. History
records that, when he became king, he slaughtered the members
of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court. During his reign,
he executed over three hundred other government officials
...
So, when the Magi came searching for the King, whose birth
they believed was presaged by the appearance of that star,
Herod was profoundly disturbed. And not just "disturbed",
but filled with implacable hatred and fear. His evil mind
doubtless began to formulate his diabolical plan right then
and there. Matthew tells us that he secretly called the Magi
and found out from them the exact time the star appeared;
with that information, he must have calculated how old the
child would be, and, when the Magi failed to return, he immediately
gave orders to kill all the boy babies 2 years old and under
in Bethlehem ...
This slaughter of the innocents is marked in the liturgical
calendar of the church by what is known as HOLY INNOCENTS
DAY, which always comes on December 28th. Matthew says that
this dreadful event, almost too horrible for us to think about,
was a fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy about Rachel weeping
for her children. That passage from Jeremiah 31 has important
application to our own day.
Jeremiah describes the capture of Jerusalem and the captivity
of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. They were probably shackled
together and forced to begin the long, death march to Babylon.
Their agonizing journey took them on the eastward road out
past the tomb of Rachel, some 4 or 5 miles from Jerusalem.
Jeremiah imagines the captives hearing Rachel weep in sorrow
and pain over the suffering of her children who were passing
by her grave.
The account of Rachel's death is given to us in Genesis 35.
She is tenderly buried by Jacob after the birth of Benjamin
...
And now, centuries later, Jeremiah imagines the spirit of
Rachel crying pitifully from her roadside tomb as the long
lines of defeated, dejected, and demoralized captives - the
descendants of Benjamin - file past on their way to Babylon.
How can this fearful massacre of the little boys of
Bethlehem be a fulfillment of Jeremiah's words written 500
years earlier?
Jeremiah was thinking primarily of the people of Judah and
Jerusalem now being taken into hopeless and cruel captivity.
In a figurative sense, Rachel represents the land of God's
promise, stripped and left destitute of her children. And
so she weeps bitterly in hopeless despair, for what hope is
left to them now that their children have been so cruelly
torn from their bosoms just as Jerusalem's children - "Rachel's
children," if you please,- were torn from hers?
As we view the tragedy of our world today, with its cheapening
of human life, are we not also tempted to hopelessness and
despair?
Look at the holy innocents of our modern age!!!
Look at the easy acceptance of abortion in our society -
while those of us who cry out against it are viewed as fanatics,
or extremists, or crazy .....
Look atthe way we are acquiescing in permitting doctors
and hospitals to let infants die from neglect, if they are
born with defects or other problems deemed incurable or hopeless
....
Look atthe slippery slope toward euthanasia that
is taking place in nursing homes and hospitals, as we let
the aged and the infirm die also from neglect, or even worse,
by "pulling the plug" on them ...
Many have compared what is happening today with what took
place in the 1930's in Germany. But there is a critical
difference! In Germany, people whom the government
described as "useless eaters" or "human garbage" were systematically
starved to death under coercion by a totalitarian state. But
in our own country (and in places like Holland), it isn't
a coercive state which is forcing this on people. People are
doing it by choice ...
I say, as we view this in our modem world -I believe
that we can hear Rachel weeping again for her children - the
holy innocents of today's world...Our children are our richest
treasures, and our attitude about children
will determine our attitude about everything else.
Our children are being led captive to a foreign land, bound
with the chains of our perverted culture, and we face a situation
as hopeless and despairing as any that Jeremiah envisioned
for the desolate city of Jerusalem after her captivity in
587 BC, or that Matthew envisioned for Bethlehem after her
children were so cruelly slaughtered ...
There is a vast network of public and private organizations
and efforts which are draining off billions of dollars in
tax money as well as private foundation grants, in order to
promote massive population control measures over families,
schools and even churches.
The organizations and movements which promote this erroneous
teaching are many, but one in particular is especially blameworthy
and I refer to the Planned Parenthood Federation, which actively
advocates two of the leading frauds of this modern age, namely
the "overpopulation" hysteria and the so called "sex education"
program.
And Rachel is weeping for her children - the children who
will never be born, the children who are corrupted and twisted
by society's efforts to achieve the so-called good life.
But I do not want to leave you there.
For Jeremiah didn't despair. God showed him that there was
hope.
vs. 16: "Restrain your voices from weeping and your eyes
from tears."
Your work will be rewarded!
(Your children) will return from the land of their captivity.
There is hope for your future.
And the hope on the horizon that I see is ultimately the
sovereign purpose and power of God which cannot be thwarted.
God will prevail. His way and His truth will not be crushed
.
Thank God for dedicated and faithful Christians in every
church who pray and are willing to take a stand for truth
and righteousness and Godliness.
Jeremiah says, your work willbe rewarded.
And let us thank God that even the slaughter of the innocents
in Bethlehem was part of God's sovereign plan, which eventually
led to the Cross. Those little innocent boys in Bethlehem
lost their lives, in a sense, so that Jesus' life could be
spared, so that eventually Jesus could give his life for them
and for us and for all mankind.
And around the throneof God, those Holy Innocents
are praising and worshipping the Lamb,as Psalm 8 tells
us.
"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained
praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the
avenger."
And his enemies will be silenced and God will reign supreme
and Jesus Christ will be Lord of heaven and earth ...
The above are excerpts from a sermon preached on January
20, 1991 at Bethany Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Havertown,
PA, by the Pastor, the Rev. Benjamin E. Sheldon. Pastor Sheldon
is also the National President of Presbyterians Pro-Life and
the President of the National Pro-Life Religious Council.
Reprinted with permission.
News Notes
United Methodist Group Begins Lobbying Campaign Against
"Freedom of Choice Act" Ephrata, PA - The Taskforce
of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality is conducting
a grassroots lobbying campaign against the "Freedom of Choice
Act." The taskforce's director, Mr. Steve Wissler, asked members
of all denominations to "call their congressmen during January
and February and urge them to vote against the Freedom of
Choice Act." Wissler indicated the group's goal was to counter
the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights' (RCAR) lobbying
efforts in support of the measure. "RCAR is trying to tell
Congress that abortion is a religious freedom which shouldn't
be restricted in any way," Wissler said. "We intend to show
Congress that most Christians respect unborn human life and
do not support RCAR or its support for abortion on demand."
Cardinal O'Connor Speaks to "Seminarians for Life"
Washington (Jan. 22) - At a special mass for Seminarians
for Life, John Cardinal O'Connor of New York stated that Catholic
leaders in the pro-life movement must not forget the importance
of "the power of Christ" in the abortion struggle. In his
homily, the Cardinal said, "One dynamic, one dimension that
has been missing from the pro-life movement and I say this
critical of no one - has been a widespread, deep, passionate
commitment on the part of priests". He also said, that as
ordained priests, he hoped that the seminarians would maintain
their "sense of urgency" about the priority of abortion.
More Than 450 Attend National Lutherans for Life Convention
Indianapolis (Nov 9-10) - The Convention's theme,
Not One Should Perish, reflected the deep pro-life commitment
promoted by Lutherans for Life at its national convention.
Keynote speakers covered a wide range of pro-life topics and
included, among others, Dr. Richard Land, Director of the
Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Church,
and psychologist, Dr. William Coulson. The convention also
included a special youth program to help teenagers become
more involved in the pro-life movement.
"The Heart of the South Beats
for Life"
June 6-8, 1991
Mark your calendar NOW and plan to attend the 19th annual
NRL Convention. Gather with hundreds of Pro-Lifers from across
the country and abroad. Meet new friends and renew old acquaintances.
Learn the latest facts on abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide!
NRLC '91 will immediately follow the annual Southern
Baptist Convention. This presents a unique opportunity for
those persons interested in attending both. Help us spread
the word through your church and in your area.
All Pro-Life Areas:
Lobbying, Organizational Development, Education, Fund-Raising,
Voter Identification, Political Action, State and Federal
Legislative Activities, and MUCH, MUCH MORE!
Learn from pro-life experts in such specialized fields as
ETHICS, LAW, AND MEDICINE.
Spread the word among the youth in your area to attend the
National Teens for Life Convention held in conjunction with
NRLC '91. There will be special youth-oriented workshops and
sessions.
Childcare information available... infants through 12 years.
(4-12 will enjoy out-of-door activities).
Rush Limbaugh is a highly sought after luncheon and dinner
speaker, and his "Rush To Excellence Tour" travels to 45 cities
a year. Rush was nominated by the National Association of
Broadcasters for the Marconi Award as 1990 Syndicated Radio
Personality of the Year.
NPRC Seeks New Members
This is your opportunity to join with other Christian pro-life
leaders to help restore legal protection to the unborn child.
The National Pro-Life Religious Council, Inc. (NPRC) is a
Christian pro-life coalition which acknowledges Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior, and is called to witness to and affirm
the biblical standard of the value, dignity, and sanctity
of human life.
NPRC's Board of Directors consists of leaders of pro-life
religious groups or pro-life groups with a religious outreach.
Associate membership is open to any individual, church, or
group who subscribes to NPRC's principles.
NPRC currently has members working within pro-life groups
associated with the following denominations/churches: American
Baptist, Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Evangelical (National
Association of Evangelicals), Lutheran, Lutheran-Missouri
Synod, Mormon (LDS), Presbyterian, Southern Baptist, United
Church of Christ, and United Methodist.
Please join NPRC today and help us end the tragedy of abortion!
Click here for a membership form! |
