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Why the Church Must Speak
by Rev. Edward Bryant, St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Lombard, Illinois
On February 16, 2012 representatives of Roman Catholic, Lutheran (LCMS), Jewish, and other faiths testified before a house committee regarding the Federal Government requirement that employers provide free “contraceptives” to their employees. There are compelling reasons to speak out against this federal requirement as a serious infringement upon our freedom of conscience.
While the issue is framed in terms of contraception, the mandated services, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), would include sterilization, all FDA-approved birth control (such as the IUD, Depo-Provera, morning-after pills, and the abortion-inducing drug Ella). What is also apparently mandated is “education and counseling” in the promotion of such. These services include abortifacients as well as contraceptives. [An abortifacient is something that causes an abortion by interfering with development of an already-conceived child in the womb. RU-486, Depo-Provera, “Plan B,” Ella and the IUD are abortifacients.]
In 1973, the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade declared that the unborn were not “persons” in the constitutional sense, and therefore could not be protected under state laws. Since that time more than 54,000,000 unborn children have been killed. While this sinful conduct is legal in this country, laws like the “Hyde Amendment” had prevented the federal government from paying for it with your tax dollars, though some states do. With the HHS mandate that some of these services be provided by employers through their health insurance against their consciences, the government has taken a huge step in abridging the exercise of our faith.
Even if it were only contraception coverage that is required, something about which the Lutheran church has no position, the fact that Roman Catholics would be forced to provide coverage contrary to their faith would be of great concern to us. It is therefore necessary for us in our vocation as citizens to object to this infringement upon religious liberties.
As Christians, we will want to be aware of the following:
- Remember that several forms of “contraception” (such as the I.U.D. and certain birth control pills) work by preventing a newly formed embryo from implanting, and therefore actually cause an early abortion. Those using contraception should consult with their doctor and pastor to be sure that they are not inadvertently facilitating abortions.
- Do not be fooled by changes in the definition of “conception” that ignore the new embryo growing prior to being implanted in the womb.
- Consider contacting your senators and congressman about “The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act “that would “retain the right to provide, purchase, or enroll in health coverage that is consistent with their religious beliefs and moral convictions.”
- The root of this problem is the change in understanding of religious freedom so that it is limited to what we do as believers in our house of worship, not as we live out our faith in our vocations in the world.
(Portions of this were excerpted from our synod web site at http://www.evangelicallutheransynod.org/synod-office/news/general/hhs)
We conclude with two final notes. The first is the fact that according to the Bible, God considers us fully human at the time of our conception (Psalm 51:5 and others). For this reason, the faithful church has always opposed abortion and infanticide as the murder of human beings. When the Supreme Court made the unborn legally “non-persons” they did so according to a secular humanist ideology (or religion) that was bound to clash with historical Christianity eventually. This administration has further exacerbated the conflict by injecting government into more and more of life and at the same time rejecting freedom of conscience exceptions to the laws. The church has followed the same word of Scripture through all of this; it is our apostate society that has changed.
The second important note is to those who have been involved in abortion in one way or another. Some women have received an abortion, some men have encouraged it or paid for it, some have recommended it to others. In crisis it is easy to give into the temptation to take what appears to be the easy way out, only to repent afterward. Some carry the guilt of their actions throughout their lives. It is important for the church to continually proclaim the forgiveness of sins that we have in Christ Jesus to those whose heart is weighed down by grief over their actions. 1 John 1:9 (ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
As Christians we also recognize our duty to reach out to those who are in situations where they are tempted to take the life of a child. The church is active in many ways. Among them are efforts to
- Preserve the institutions of marriage and the family intact.
- To provide counseling to women facing a difficult pregnancy
- To offer opportunities for adoption
- To offer assistance to those who chose to keep and raise their child
- To reach out with the gospel to all those who are struggling with the guilt of abortion, wrongful divorce, and all sins from which Christ redeemed us.
Please remember to pray for all who are in danger of losing their life to abortion, for those who reach out to them with healing and support, and for those who are caught up in the sin of abortion.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Proverbs 31:8 NIV84).