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January 22, 2007
47,282,923.
(I was going to blog a whole post full of stuff, like a whole bunch of post-its scattered all over a desk, but instead I will blog about today's anniversary.)
January 22, 1973. Our Supreme Court voted to legalize abortions. (More specifically, they voted that it was illegal for a state to forbid abortions.)
There's a lot of rhetoric around about prolifers and prochoicers. I'm not going there, not into all that NOW stuff. For me, this post is about the sadness of all that lost life.
National Right to Life has this page. 47,282,923 people have lost their lives since 1973. Just stop and think about that. I'm 27. This statistic means that there are 47,282,923 people who should be here -- around -- from ages 34 and younger. How many classmates, schoolmates, colleagues, church friends, students, little buddies, and kindred spirits should be here who aren't?
We look across the pond (not that one...the other one to the West) at China and marvel at a whole generation of only children, most of whom are boys, because of their strict population-control policy. We fail to look here and think that we could have a whole nother 50 million people here in our country.
I don't know them. I don't know any of them. But I've wondered who I've missed out on knowing and loving and caring for and laughing with and looking after.
I've never had an abortion. I don't know anyone who has. I've read plenty about it and wonder how someone could do that, but I've never been in that sort of situation. I haven't walked a mile in your shoes, friend, and I don't understand. I ache for you if you have suffered from abortion. Have you had an abortion? Did your girlfriend have an abortion? Sister? Mom? Friend? I'm sorry. I wish I could reach across this monitor and give you a hug and grieve with you over your loss, but I can't.
Please go here and read about how you can find someone who will give you a hug, some counseling, some help, and the best news of all (coupled with the worst news ever):
It's wrong to take a life. It's sin. (That's the bad part.) But Jesus gave his life up willingly to make way for forgiveness for those of us who have taken lives. (That's the good part!) Sin causes consequences--there are penalties we have to pay when we commit sins. (Bad part again.) But with Jesus there is healing, redemption, and restoration. (Good part!) Jesus died, so he knows the deal with consequences. He experienced them. But then he came out of the grave, un-did that most horrible of consequences, and showed us that when we are united with him, deadly consequences can be un-made.
If you're suffering from consequences, please, please ask for help. These people can help. So can these. And so can I. Drop me an email: mrs.janedoe [at]yahoo[dot]com.
47,282,923.
Reality | By The Newest Worker | 07:10 PM
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Comments
Long time no comment! I am finally “back online” again after a sabbatical of sorts! I missed reading your blog! Good post! I actually had a roommate in college that had had an abortion (which I did not find out until well into the semester). She was emotionally erratic, depressed most of the time, sought escape in drinking, and just generally practiced self-destructive behavior, especially with men. I was not a Christian then and was “pro-choice” (although I would never have done it, I felt others should make their own decisions – I was in the poli sci department and liberalism abounded and I had been indoctrinated well), but when she told me that she had had an abortion, all of her behavior made sense to me – she was overwhelmed with guilt and misery. It was both heartbreaking and disgusting to witness. Unfortunately neither she nor I knew where to get the good news of forgiveness. I pray God will use your post to help at least one woman seek forgiveness and to believe that she can be truly and wholly forgiven!
Posted by: Debby at January 23, 2007 09:37 AM