Last week i posted on the topic of the unborn and abortion–given its proximity to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the release of Presdient Obama’s new offical stance on the topic.
With that said, Evangelicals typically do a good job trying to get the unborn…born. But then that is it. Once they are born, it is usually hard to muster the fervor that existed to get those precious little ones born, for helping them have an opportunity for basic care and education.
A careful reading of Scripture will yield the following principle:
“Every human is valuable, has dignity, and was created with the capacity for relationship with God for His glory (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; 9:6, Ex. 20:13, Isa. 43:7; Ps. 139; Acts 17:28).”
In light of this biblical principle, Christians should be passionatley and compassionatley pro-life, becasue the God we serve is. Now most of us when we hear that phrase, think only of the unborn or the issue of abortion. But this principle is much broader.
We are called to care for, respect, and protect all human life for all of life. This includes the elderly, those with special needs, the homeless, the hungry, the orphan, the diseased, the abused, those who walk in chronic poverty, and the forgotten—as well as the unborn. This is the pro-all-of-life position. This is the Christian position. They are all precious in God’s eyes and we are to be their advocate.
The prophet Jeremiah is instructive here. He insists that part of what it means to know God is to plead the cause of the afflicted:
“Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And ado justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.”He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?” Declares the LORD.”–Jer.22:15-16
It also can’t be repeated enough in our churches and the broader culture that Christians’ reasons for being ‘pro-all-of-life’ are not attached to a political platform or ideology; they are grounded in sound theological, philosophical, and scientific reflection.