2002 Lutherans For Life National Convention Held in Appleton, Wisconsin

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 10, 2002

APPLETON, WISCONSIN – Time to Speak was the theme as nearly 250 Lutherans gathered from across the United States and Canada for the 20th^th national convention of Lutherans For Life (LFL). LFL, the only inter-Lutheran pro-life organization in the nation, is based in Nevada, Iowa, with 15 State Federations, 155 local Chapters, and 672 Life Ministry Coordinators nationwide.

Dr. Laurence L. White challenged the gathering in a powerful and prophetic keynote address based on the convention theme.

Dr. White, Senior Pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas, reflected on the laws of 1935 Nazi Germany that designated an entire category of people as non-human, unworthy of protection. The Nazis had a new "god" – race – to which were made human sacrifices.

At the time, the Lutherans in Germany were divided into three camps.

German Christians (nationalists)
Confessing Church (the majority of whose members did not want to speak out because the issues were "too controversial")
"Three Monkey" church – "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"

According to Dr. White, a deaconess at the time, in response to the reluctance of the Church to speak out, bitterly asked, "Why does the Church do nothing? Why does the Church remain silent?" To this the Church seemed to ask Cain’s question, "Am I my brother’s keeper?"

Dr. White said the "Three Monkey" approach does not work. "Evil not opposed doesn’t go away. It festers." He also said that the answer to Cain’s question is "Yes."

He shared that he was asked in a radio interview if he thought Christians were losing the battle for the soul of America. The interviewer was taken aback when he said, "Yes," and that the church was losing by default because too many Christians had given up the fight. He said there needed to be, in the words of Bill Bennett, a "revolt of the revolted."

He went on to say that today there is a new version of the Old Testament pagan god Molech called "reproductive freedom." However, when it comes to abortion there can be "No more compromise. No more delay. The killing must stop!" said Dr. White. In the United States alone there are 3,250 abortions every day, one every 30 seconds.

Dr. White, in calling the Church to be faithful to God’s Word, said it should be clearly understood that on the issue of abortion there is "only one Christian position. Only one human position" and reiterated that, "the killing must stop! … The time for silence is over."

Earlier in a pre-convention workshop LFL President Linda D. Bartlett spoke on Making Abortion Unthinkable (by Raising Sons to Chivalry & Daughters to Purity). Mrs. Bartlett explained that "purity is best nurtured when male and female know their roles as characters in God’s Story and where modesty is preserved."

"God’s Word says, ‘Do not awaken love or arouse love before its proper time.’ (Song of Songs 3:5b) God’s Word says ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? You were bought with a price, so bring glory to God in the way you use your body.’ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Instruction in purity differs greatly from education about sex. Purity instruction helps boys and girls understand their equal, but unique differences as male and female. It does not try to make boys and girls ‘comfortable with their sexuality’ by striving to remove embarrassment, but protects God’s gift of modesty. It explains God’s design for marriage, procreation, and family – in that order.

"We can begin to eliminate the reasons for abortion, broken hearts, sexually transmitted diseases, and separation from God by raising sons to chivalry and daughters to purity!"

Dr. David Menton, Associate Professor of Anatomy at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, reminded the convention that evolutionary theory leads to bad science, and that while science is always changing - is "consumable knowledge" - the Word of God is the "same yesterday and today and forever."

Highlighting Psalm 11:3, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?," Menton observed that if Adam is our past, then there are absolutes from God; and God sets the rules. But if an ape is our past, then morality is relative; and man sets the rules.

Dr. Menton said that time and death are essential for evolution. He also quoted the late Carl Sagan who said about himself that he was only "a collection of molecules called ‘Carl Sagan.’" Referring to Psalm 139:13-14, Dr. Menton said God sees things quite differently. "For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows full well." He also went on to explain how the marvels of the human eye point clearly to a Creator.

A panel discussion was held on Speaking Where You Are with Dr. Menton; Lael Arrington, author of Worldproofing Your Kids and Pilgrim’s Progress Today; and Dr. Alvin Schmidt, author of The Menace of Multiculturalism: Trojan Horse in America and Under the Influence: How Christianity has Transformed Civilization.

In addition, convention attendees were also able to attend workshops by panel members.

In both his Sunday morning Bible study and sermon, Dr. Lamb focused on the convention theme of Time to Speak.

"It is time to speak because we, as God’s people, have something to say … about the issues of life and death facing our country. It is time to speak because we have something to say to those who are facing difficult situations—the pregnant teen, individuals dealing with chronic diseases, and those with terminal illness. It is time to speak because we have a message about our God who is extremely loving enough and caring enough and powerful enough to help us in any and every situation we may find ourselves in. It is time to speak because we have a message of life and people do not need to turn to death as the solution to their problems.

"We have a responsibility to speak, and it is irresponsible for the Church to be silent just because some issues affecting God’s people are controversial, divisive, or considered ‘politically incorrect’ to talk about in church. We have a responsibility to speak because silence is not a neutral position. It is irresponsible … Our silence speaks. It says to those who have made wrong decisions and whose hearts are aching with guilt and hopelessness, ‘Some sins are just too big to talk about. Some sins are just too big to be forgiven.’

"It is time for the Church to speak to the heart of these women and men so that they will know that they have not committed an unforgivable sin. The sin of abortion is a sin that Jesus bled and died for just like every other sin. It is time for the Church to speak so that these women and men will hear the Gospel applied to their sin. It is time to speak so that the Gospel can be at work in them bringing them the hope and healing they long for. It is time to speak so that people affected by an abortion decision know that there are people who care for them and want to help."

For more information contact Lutherans For Life.

Click here to purchase tapes of the 2002 Lutherans For Life Convention from Norcom Tapes!