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Christianity Today, October, 2009

The Village Green

Speak Out Publicly

The pro-life movement needs people who are willing to speak out in the public square.

Clenard H. Childress Jr., founder of BlackGenocide.org. | posted 10/14/2009 09:18AM

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Political change is giving the abortion lobby an upper hand. What's the best action for pro-life Christians to take next? Melinda Delahoyde, president of Care Net, Clenard H. Childress Jr., founder of BlackGenocide.org., and Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, suggest the next steps for the pro-life movement.

For the pro-life movement, last November looked like the beginning of a walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The American people elected the most pro-abortion candidate in our nation's history. Moving at warp speed, the Obama administration began to implement its agenda. It bears repeating: The most dangerous place for an African American to be is in the womb of his or her African American mother.

What at first looked like our worst nightmare, however, has proved to be our finest hour. In early spring, social prognosticators were dumbfounded by polls showing an unprecedented shift in the minds of Americans on abortion. The 9 percent shift was a stark change from last year, when a Gallup poll showed a 6 percent majority in favor of abortion rights.

The election of Barack Obama, along with his pro-abortion ideology, raised the level of awareness on the abortion issue as never before. Heroic Illinois nurse Jill Stanek, whom one liberal branded "the worst person in the world," testified before Congress about the atrocities caused by botched abortions at Christ Hospital in Chicago. We need to protect children who have survived abortions as well as the unborn.

Shortly before his death, Martin Luther King Jr. posed this question: "Where do we go from here?" King relied on the church to be the catalyst and voice for those who had been disenfranchised and denied the American dream. Most of the pro-life movement comes from the same institutions that birthed and swaddled the anti-slavery abolitionist movement of the 19th century.

The pro-life movement has been given a window of opportunity—now we must seize the moment. What we thought was meant for evil is meant for our good. We cannot determine the conditions or the presidential administrations we are called to work under, but we can determine our dedication.

The prophet Elijah went into the public square under the worst of rulers. Ahab and Jezebel clearly detested his message. God's decision to bring change initiated Elijah's confrontational demonstration in the public square. God needed those who would take his message to Mount Carmel. It was time to heal the heart of the nation.

"How long will you waver between two opinions?" Elijah's question implied a period of confusion, but he also announced that God had turned the Israelites' hearts back to himself (1 Kings 18:37). Because God had prepared the hearts of the people, the season had come for Elijah. All that was needed was someone willing to speak out in the public square.

Pro-lifer, God has turned the hearts of the people to hear your message. The masses will respond, and the sacrifices to the god Moloch will come to an end.

Related Elsewhere:

Clenard H. Childress Jr. is a pastor in Montclair, New Jersey and founder of BlackGenocide.org. Melinda Delahoyde and Charmaine Yoest also suggested the pro-life movement's next moves.

Christianity Today's previous articles on abortion include:

Reducing Abortion for Real The current proposals to lower the abortion rate will only make things worse. A Christianity Today editorial (March 16, 2009)

We're Not Finished | Abortion is not simply one item on our social agenda. (March 20, 2008)

Saving Black Babies | Abortion has cost 13 million African American lives. (February 1, 2003)

You Say Choice, I Say Murder | Before prolife arguments can reach the undecided American, we have got to look at the language we use. (June 24, 1991)

CT Classic: The Abortion Wars | What most Christians don't know about the history of prolife struggles. (October 6, 1989)

Reversing Roe v. Wade | It may take more than a single court decision to counter abortion on demand. (September 20, 1985)

Abortion and the Court | The Roe v. Wade decision runs counter to the moral sense of the American people. (February 16, 1973)

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October 2009, Vol. 53, No. 10

Comments (13)

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Displaying 1–5 of 13 comments

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Charlie in UK

October 22, 2009 9:43am

After seven days there appears to be no comment. Why do we keep on arguing about abortion, rather than seek its prevention in the power of our Saviour? In the meantime thousands of unborn babies are being killed. On judgement day we will have to give an answer for what we did not do, rather than how good our arguments were.

Lou

October 20, 2009 10:55pm

The trolley test would is very much like the logic employed by those who justified the slavery of blacks. If one was on a runaway trolly and there were two tracks this speeding car could take. On one track was a white man who would be killed instantly and on the other was a black man would also be killed. Some would see both outcomes as being morally equivalent. The slavery apologist, like the abortion apologist, found that to be absurd. The victims change, but the justifications of the morally depraved people who attack them are much the same.

http://ketch22.wordpress.com

October 19, 2009 12:49pm

Carry, you are ignorant... very ignorant. Your psychologist's opinion is based on his pre-conceived notion that a "fetus" is not a child... of course his lab result would be that there is a distinction. Then you base your response, "I would steer the trolly to hit the woman", on the same pre-conceived, ignorant thought process. IT WOULD BE A DEAD CHILD... GOD SAID HE KNEW US IN THE WOMB! You base your definition of life on comfort... what fits your lifestyle or way of believing... we can't do that... we have to base our definition on Gods definition of life. The baby is alive, it is growing, it is human... therefore it is a human life! In the scenario you give, if I had no choice but to kill one or the other... i would choose neither and let God decide which way the trolly went. If the track was already set a certain way, I would leave it and not make the choice. I cannot choose who lives or dies.

Andy Tucker Christian brotherhood

October 18, 2009 5:32pm

Constitutional rights!! Crooked north, east? I was caught by antichristian army so no friends around(92-09). Not a lot of brave people. And universities corral and businesses.. We need support for anti abortion politicians. States should have rights. This is a real matter for christians. To christians a unborn is a new cell, is a new person! It is a fact!!! Greedy people lie and turn crazy and become abortionist and violent abortionist. And sexual assault victims. That is psycholgical proven. If liberal democrats slander. Stop the slandering democrats from slandering republican youth and new adults. Contact the us attorney or state attorney aafter the report. I dislike abusive democrats. We need to stay away from them. Be ready. psa99:9-outside pray. Col 3:11. 1 corinth 14:26. God is hero! Faith in holiness. recapthcha is confusing and not of the Lord!

Carry

October 17, 2009 12:30pm

Billy, When you use words like "murdered children" to discuss abortion it tells them that you think that a fetus is as important as 5 year old child. A tool phychologist guage people's morals with is the "runaway trolly test" (google it). Your phrasing make me think that if you were on a runaway trolly and there were two tracks this speeding car could take. On one track was a 5 year old child that would be killed instantly and on the other was a pregnant woman who would not be killed but who would lose her baby as a result of the crash you would see both outcomes as being morally equivalent and thus might decide to steer the trolly to hit the child instead of the woman. Too me that is absurd. I would steer the trolly to hit the woman. While the outcome would be regreatble it would not be a "dead child" like a dead five year old is a "dead child". Pretending this distinction doesn't exist undremines the anti-abortion stance by make it's advocates look morally immature.

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