White Crosses Represent Fifty Million American Babies
Lee YanceyWe are approaching the 33rd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. Mired in controversy, Roe holds that a woman has a constitutionally protected right to choose abortion in the early stages of pregnancy. After thirty-three years, let us reflect on the fifty million babies whose hearts were beating but who were violently denied the chance to take their first breath. Fifty million children are alive today in the presence of Almighty God. Even as God knew Jeremiah before He created him in his mother’s womb, God knew each of these fifty million innocents, personally and intimately. Even as God had a purpose for Jeremiah’s life before he was born, God had a purpose for each of these precious infants. King David said in Psalm 139:13-14, “For you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Clearly, God, the giver of life, is grieved over the taking of innocent life. The legalization of abortion has been a disgrace to our nation for thirty-three years now. How have we become a nation whose motto is “Save the trees and kill the children?” How can we keep silent when ten abortions are performed every day in Mississippi? Thankfully, we are making progress as a state and as a nation. Mississippi is now the most pro-life state in the union. Over the past ten years, at least fifteen laws restricting abortion have been passed by pro-life legislators and governors, both Republicans and Democrats. In 2000, Mississippi had four abortion clinics; today there is only one. Nationally, the number of abortions has been declining for the last ten years. In 2000, a total of 1.31 million pregnancies ended in abortion, down from a high of 1.61 million in 1990.
President Bush has now appointed Judge Samuel Alito to be the next Supreme Court Justice replacing the retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Justice Alito, if confirmed, may prove to be the deciding vote that overturns Roe vs. Wade. If that happens, Miss-issippi and all other states will decide for themselves whether or not to keep abortion legal or to ban abortion from its borders. I believe Mississippi may be the first abortion-free state if Roe is overturned.
In order to proclaim our message that all life is precious to God, will you join churches across the state of Mississippi by creating a display of white crosses somewhere on your church property? Since there have been fifty million innocents lost to abortion since 1973, we are asking that you display fifty crosses, January 14-22, 2006; one cross for every million babies. Each church is asked to construct and paint their own crosses and to videotape your church members and church sign as you place them in the ground. Send a copy of the videotape to the Christian Action Commission so that we can edit it with footage from other churches and present an encouraging pro-life video to the 2006 Mississippi Baptist Convention.
Another pro-life event is happening in January as well. On Thursday, January 19, 2006, the Christian Action Commission invites you to participate in a Pro-Life Conference. Our special guest will be Peter A. Samuelson, Esq., President of Americans United for Life (AUL). The conference will be held at the Baptist Building and conferences will take place at 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., banquet at 6:30 p.m., and conference at 7:00 p.m. The topics that will be covered are issues that the Mississippi Legislature will be addressing in 2006: Euthanasia, in vitro Fertilization, Cloning, and Destructive Embryo Research. Cost for the banquet is $10 per person. You can obtain further information by calling Rita Wood at (601) 292-3329 or by logging on to http://www.christianaction.com. Please RSVP by Thursday, January 12, 2006. Thank you for taking a stand. Pray with me that we can see the end of legalized abortion.