Statement for Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) Life Conference

by Bishop, John Bradosky, presiding bishop of the NALC

I am honored to lead a church body that as a matter of first priority, gathered its theologians to produce its first word of counsel to the North American Lutheran Church on the sanctity of nascent life.

Life is holy because the source of life is a Holy God. Genesis reveals that human beings are the pinnacle of creation and given stewardship responsibilities for all other created things.

People were created to live in a holy relationship with God and one another. The devaluation of human life must always be the first move of the demonic in our midst. From such devaluation comes the promotion of selfishness, the objectification and possession of self and others. People are to be used to promote individual purposes and pleasures. Materialism and all of its associated issues become the greater good. Marriage, family, relationships and community are always devalued in proportion to the devaluation of life in a culture. In such a culture the truth of the Holiness of God and the holiness of human life must be replaced by a lie.

Paul’s words in Romans make this point. “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen. (1:22-25)

The redemptive purposes of the Kingdom can only be served by a complete transformation of our cultural values and not compromise. God is a Holy God. All life is sacred and has its origin in God the Creator. If the death and burial of Jesus sanctifies the graves of all the saints then His presence in the womb of Mary sanctifies the wombs of all who bear His children, yet unborn.

Because of the deceptive nature of evil our culture will always attempt to make what is evil seem good. The devaluation of life that leads to broad acceptance of abortion will be lifted up as a source of human freedom and human rights. The truth is we have the freedom and the right to make such choices. The illusion is that all freedom and rights are consistent with the will of a Holy God. This deception has claimed millions upon millions of victims over the course of these last years. (Since Roe v Wade) In fact none of us have escaped the consequences of a culture that devalues human life.

Because of these far reaching and tragic implications of such unholy values, contrary to the will and Word of God, the people of God cannot remain silent, but must speak, act and live in ways that express faithfulness to God and a culture that values what God values, the preciousness and Holiness of every human life from the moment of conception to its last breath.

I am honored to be with you all on this special occasion and thank you for that privilege.