To be clear, I strongly believe a "fetus" is a person, at the moment of conception. And I strongly oppose the murderous law of human abortion, on which I've written, here, here, here, and here (among other places).

Now that it's attainable, we have "millions" of women protesting that possibility. And while Christians should always be doing our best to live at peace with all (Rom. 12:18), there is still a responsibility to speak out against those "who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness" (Isa. 5:20). Consequently, there is a certain joy that comes with the knowledge that our nation might actually stop the murdering of 3,000 innocent lives a day - an atrocity that far outweighs the Holocaust to the point that it's now beyond measure.

But first I'm going to make a bold claim and ask you to keep reading.

Here is the claim:
If you consider yourself a Christian and "Pro-Choice" in regard to abortion, then either (a) you do not know what the Scriptures teach regarding human life (including the life of the unborn), (b) you do not understand what abortion is, or (c) you are not really a Christian.

Bold I know...but please, I urge you to keep reading. Refute the argument if necessary and able. But please keep reading at least to see the argument.

And there is certainly much to be appreciated about seeing solid teamwork being displayed right before your eyes. Everyone contributing their own unique gifts and abilities to oppose and conquer the opposition (these are similar reasons why I enjoy the Marvel Universe films). In reality, it gives a great picture of the church in that everyone in Christ contributes their own spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:15-16), and by so doing are opposing the gates of hell and eventually overcoming them (Mt. 16:18; cf. Eph. 3:20-21).

But times like this, for sports fans (just as times like the one coming soon for me when Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theatres) provides a good time and venue for a sobering reality check.

This Thursday marks the 42nd anniversary of federally legalized abortion in the United States of America. Since then there have been over 57 million legalized murders of unborn children in this country.

Over 57 million!

Can I please inconvenience you, even if just for a few minutes?

On the other hand, I also believe there were many more moments in her speech, which came through quite clearly, that we would do well to reject - in light of Scripture.

While non-graphic, I still caution you on watching the video because you're in essence witnessing a murder. But I probably suggest you read the article (which has the same message as the video but just goes into more detail of the background), in that this post will basically just be responding to it.

The first question I had after reading the article is how does a Christian respond to something like this? Well I'm sure there are many Biblical ways to respond. For my part, there were two main things that stood out to me, her neglect of the child's perspective, and her misunderstanding of the nature of guilt.

What I am advocating is that believers in Christ ought to understand the significance of abortion, that they have an obligation to do something about it, and that they are able to do something about it.

To be sure, what each believer does to contribute will look different, just as it would in stopping sex-trafficking and other terrible crimes against our neighbors(1), but it is still true that all who are in Christ have an obligation to love their neighbors (Gal. 5:14). And this means all Christians have an obligation to do something about abortion.

It's amazing how compelling and convicting simple logic can be. This book is great for educating Christians on why the pro-life movement is worthy of their consideration (and action). And Randy Alcorn doesn't make it so much about politics rather than actual people. Even in talking about steps to take he doesn't sound the alarm for everyone to go protesting outside of abortion clinics. But he does show that everyone can have a part to play, even including caring for those single mothers who decided not to get an abortion.

The book is essentially well-reasoned arguments for why a Christian should have an actual stake in the pro-abortion/pro-life movement. It's not meant to give anyone the ability to go out and defend the pro-life position to non-Christians (that's going to be found in his larger ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments). But it certainly gives Christian readers the evidence they need to know that they no longer can turn the back to this "issue" or put it to the side. Life is something for which we must take a stand. And Mr. Alcorn argues persuasively that that thing in the mother's womb is indeed life.

On one level this book is very easy to read in that Fancis Schaeffer is a brilliant communicator. On another level this book is very hard to read in that it discusses the terrifying truth of how society in America has year after year continued to de-humanize humanity.

Schaeffer and Koop write a depressing but important documentary on what happens when a society arbitrarily assigns humanness apart from the fact that all humans are created in the image of God. Their work deals with abortion, euthanasia, the basis for human dignity, the importance of history and understanding it, and what our personal response as Christians needs to be regarding the devaluing of human life in American society. The the last chapter is full of a variety of pro-life organizations throughout the nation and contact information so the reader can get more involved.

While it was first published in 1979 and 1983, it is still relevant to Christians today and their need to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves (the unborn, the infants, the infirmed, and the elderly). As with Schaeffer's How Should We Then Live, the movie with the same title that accompanies the book is well worth the watch and adds even more to the impact of this important message.