It’s Now OK to Kill a Baby

Romans 1:28 speaks of those who do “not like to retain God in their knowledge” as those given “over to a debased mind.” Ephesians 4:17 reveals that people who live life contrary to the will of God live lifestyles that flow from “the futility of their mind. “Their understanding” about life is “darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness [hardness] of their heart.”

I almost hate to say this, but two such people are Alberto Giubilini at Monash University in Melbourne and Francesca Minerva at The Center for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne. These two people who teach ethics have published an article in the recent edition of The Journal of Medical Ethics. What’s the bottom line of the article? Here it is: if the abortion of a fetus is allowable, then it should be allowable to kill a baby after it’s born.

The two are opposed to the term “infanticide” preferring to call killing a new born baby an “after-birth abortion.” Infanticide they say is too strong a wrong and makes people uncomfortable. Does that euphemism make everyone more comfortable? I know I feel like I’m sitting by a warm fire sipping hot chocolate. Wait, is that a baby I hear crying…Oh, never mind.

The two academics favor the term “after-birth abortion” because the moral status of the baby that is killed is comparable with that of a fetus. Oh, I see…a fetus is not a human being and so by calling the killing of a child “after-birth abortion” this leads us to think the new born child is not a human either. Gee, I wish I was able to think profoundly like a college professor! 

 But why would you want to abort a new born baby? The authors state that it would be acceptable when the new born would be putting the well-being of the whole family at risk, or if it didn’t have the potential for an “acceptable life.” The article mentions children with Down’s syndrome as an example saying, “such children might be an unbearable burden on the family and on society as a whole, when the state economically provides for their care.”

But the authors declare that killing a new born “should be permissible in all the cases that abortion is, including cases where the new born is not disabled.” For example an after birth abortion should be allowed if the baby is a girl and not wanted or the parents find the baby “inconvenient.” I have a question: how long after the birth is it OK to kill the baby? Will the child eventually be an unbearable burden when Dad or Mom is tired of spending money on the child’s needs like food and clothing? Or will the child become inconvenient if he or she interrupts a career or a vacation? I’m just saying…watch out toddlers!

Continuing they write, “Both a fetus and a newborn certainly are human beings and potential persons, but neither is a ‘person’ in the sense of ‘subject of a moral right to life.’ We take person to mean an individual who is capable of attributing to her own existence some (at least) basic value such that being deprived of this existence represents a loss to her.” Oh, I see, because a fetus and a new born baby cannot articulate a reason why he/she should be kept alive it is ok to kill it. Are you following the logic here or are you not as smart as these ethicists?

“Merely being human is not in itself a reason for ascribing someone a right to life.” The right to life for many newborns is “over-ridden by the interests of actual people (parents, family, society) to pursue their own well-being.” Parent to child: “Sorry son, you’re standing in the way of my self-fulfillment and well-being (squash!).” Ok, I think I’ve heard it all…we live in world where it is fine to kill a baby, but wrong to put a murderer on death row.

 The Word of God says that every human being has value because we are all made “in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).” Jesus Christ taught that we are to care for the “least of these (Matthew 25:40)” among us. But what can be gained from serving those who might be a burden to us? How about compassion, kindness, loving patience, learning that everyone has dignity, the absolute sacredness of life and the greater rewards of self-sacrifice?

We live in a world where the minds and consciences of so many people are “defiled (Titus 1:15).” A college scholarship program of the past asserted “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” I agree, don’t you? Fill your mind with the powerful Word of God so that you are not “conformed to this world, but… transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).” Our world desperately needs people who can think biblically and live righteously. Do it for the babies—please.

The Speed Of Light…Not So Fast

What’s faster than a speeding bullet? The answer is Superman. What’s faster than the speed of light? The answer is light—well, it used to be faster. According to Albert Einstein, the speed of light, the “c” in his famous e = mc2, has been a constant 186,000 miles a second since the universe began. But the idea that the speed of light is constant has hit a speed bump and there is evidence that suggests the velocity of light is slowing down.

The idea that the speed of light has been slowing down throughout history was first reported by Dr. Barry Setterfield, an Australian astronomer and Trevor Norman back in 1979. Sutterfield charted all the measurements of the speed of light since a Dutch astronomer named Olaf Roemer first measured light speed in the 17^th century. What he discovered was stunning. The speed of light is slowing down. Their theory suggested that thousands of years ago the speed of light was extremely faster than its present velocity. That rocked the scientific world and it was criticized and rejected. But people are rocking the boat again.

Dr. Joao Magueijo, a Royal Society research fellow at Imperial College, London, Dr. John Barrow of Cambridge, Dr. Andreas Albrecht at the University of California at Davis, Dr. John Moffat of the University of Toronto and Dr. Michael Murphy at the University of NSW in Australia are the new rebels at the gate. In scientific peer reviewed articles these researchers propose that immediately after the universe came into existence, the speed of light may have been far faster than its present day value of 186,000 miles per second. In fact they advocate that the speed of light was as much as 10 to the 10^th power faster. If their theory is proven it would dethrone Einstein’s theory and forever change our understanding of the universe. It would also solve some of the most intractable problems of cosmology in a single bound (sorry, I was thinking of Superman again).

The new understanding of the speed of light would also put huge cracks in the foundation of the theory of evolution. For evolutionists the speed of light has to be the constant set by Einstein. If light traveled much faster in the beginning and is now still slowing down, the universe could be very young, maybe only thousands of years old rather than billions. The theory of evolution requires unfathomable lengths of time—billions and billions of years are needed for complex life to supposedly evolve.

Modern physics is now seriously considering a theory that could change the paradigms of 20^th century science. And it would put forward the distinct possibility that scientific validation exists for (hold on to something, are you sitting down?) the biblical account of creation. There will always be those who reject the Bible, of course. But as for me, I take my stand with the psalmist who wrote “The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times (Psalm 12:6).”

LinSanity

The city of New York is going crazy. They call it “LinSanity.” The cause? A professional basketball player named Jeremy Lin. Lin was not recruited by a collage out of high school and he was undrafted out of college into the NBA. But a few weeks ago he was picked up by the New York Knicks. He’s been a phenomenon ever since.

For example on February 4^th he scored 25 points with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. The next game he put up 28 points with 8 assists. On the 6^th he scored 38 points for a victory over the Lakers. The night before Valentine ’s Day he finished the game with 27 points and a game winning 3 pointer with less than a second left in the game. This past Sunday, on national TV, he scored 28 points and had a career high 13 assists as the Knicks beat the Mavericks. You get the idea why he is so popular.

 But here is what really makes this young man great. He said “God created us to live with a single passion to joyfully display His supreme excellence in all the spheres of life.” Stop! Read that line again, please. And he adds the following about his treasuring Jesus Christ more than mere basketball success.

 “When Paul wrote in Philippians to press on for an upward prize [in Christ - Philippians 3:12], he was living for that, and it made his life meaningful. And I realized I had to learn to do the same. I had to learn to stop chasing the perishable prizes of this earth, I had to stop chasing personal glory, I had to learn how to give my best effort to God and trust him with the results. I have to learn to have enough faith to trust in his grace and to trust in his sovereign and perfect plan. I had to submit my will, my desires, my dreams — give it all up to God and say, ‘Look, I am going to give my best effort, go on the court and play every day for you, and I'm going to let you take care of the rest.’ This is something I struggle with every day. . . . Playing for great stats is nice, but that satisfaction — that happiness — is only from game to game. It's temporary.”

 Jeremy Lin is pursuing true happiness by living to bring glory to God and Christ when he plays basketball. He is doing his best in all of life and leaving the rest to God. And the wonderful truth is that the grace of God that is at work in Jeremy is at work in every Christian. Jesus Christ said, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all [that you need] shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33). He also said, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).” We don’t have to play professional basketball like Jeremy Lin to have the impact that he is having. We simply need to be as committed to living for God as he is.

An Open Letter to My Love For Valentine’s Day

Dear Marilee,

 I am in love with you. This coming August we will have been married 38 years. In many ways it seems just like yesterday. May the Lord give us many more years together. But whatever the future holds I know that we have eternity. God has been so very kind to me by leading me to you. You filled a huge hole in my heart when we first met. And you have been my best friend ever since.

 I like to think about our future together and the ways in which we will both serve God. God has gifted you in so many ways. And alI of who you are is His gift to me. I see us loving the people in our church both old friends and new ones. I see us enjoying our sons and their future spouses. I see us proud of them as they serve God and His Son Jesus Christ in whatever capacity He calls them. Thank you for homeschooling our sons and preparing them for life. They are fine young men and they will “rise up and call [you] blessed.”*

 I see us growing stronger and more restful in the long proved goodness and kindness of God. As we grow old together we will wrinkle and we will ache, but we will bear our wrinkles and aches with grace. And as we look into each other’s eyes we will always see the real person inside. We will  see us…I see us, always. Scripture asks the question, “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.”* The answer is: I have. And your worth is far above all the gems stones in the world.

 Marilee, I hope you are not embarrassed by this open display of affection. But some joys are so good they must be shared. I love you. I always have and I always will. Happy Valentine’s Day!

 Chuck

*Proverbs 31: 28, 10

Killing People Like Pulling Weeds

There are some people who would suggest that atheism is illogical, because without God, no values and morals are possible and thus anything can be permitted. Not so, says Walter Sinnott-Armstrong. He is the Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics at Duke University. The professor asserts “Morality is a human creation. We don’t need God to have morality.”

 Sinnott-Armstrong insists that our moral behavior should be utterly independent of religion. He argues against the idea that atheists are immoral people and that society will sink into chaos if it becomes too secular. He strongly denies that absolute moral standards require the existence of God. We can, on our own, he asserts, decide what is right and wrong.

 Well, I’ll be like Fox News. I’ll report and let you decide. In a recent article in the Journal of Medical Ethics, the professor and Franklin G. Miller of the National Institute of Health wrote that “Killing by itself is not morally wrong, although it is still morally wrong to cause total disability.” Wait, wouldn’t killing cause total disability? Oh, sorry; I’ll report, you decide.

 The aim of the article is to justify organ donations immediately after cardiac death. This is when a patient is neurologically damaged and cannot function without a respirator. Within minutes of removing the respirator the organs are harvested. However, the authors tell us honestly that the person is not really dead at this point, because it is possible that the patient’s heart could start beating again.

 (An aside to my reading audience: I just heard in my head the scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” when plague victims are being hauled off for burial. One guy is still alive and says in his cockney accent “I’m not dead, yet.” But they still bop him on the head and throw him on the wagon with the other bodies. Now, back to the blog.)

 Transplant surgeons are eager to increase the number of organs for donation. Therefore donation after cardiac death could make a big impact. Still a number of surgeons are suspicious of this procedure because of the nagging thought that these people are not yet really dead. Never fear. The professor and his colleague have an answer, “abandoning the norm against killing.” In other words killing a totally disabled person does them no harm.

 Here is the professor’s logic: life is not “sacred…if killing were wrong just because it is causing death or the loss of life, then the same principle would apply with the same strength to pulling weeds out of a garden. If it is not immoral to weed a garden, then life as such cannot be sacred, and killing as such cannot be morally wrong.”  Ah…the wisdom of higher education! We don’t need God to understand morality. It’s simple—killing people is like pulling weeds. Got it? As I said, I’ll report and you decide.

 But here is what the Bible says. Human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27). Grass is not made in the image of God (here is where the Word of God can help us in our moral choices). Grass is to be used. People are not.

Global Economic Collapse

Do I have your attention? Good. George Soros holds the world record for making the most money in a single day’s trading. He made a one billion dollar profit betting against the British Pound and broke the Bank of England a number of years ago. He is a high stakes economic investor. Soros doesn’t make small bets on anything. And he has invested billions of dollars promoting political/leftist causes.

 So what is Soros betting on now? Chaos! At the World Economic Forum last week in Davos, Switzerland Mr. Soros predicted a global economic collapse and he’s not sure what to do about it. In light of the economic crisis in Europe Soros said “The euro must survive because the alternative—a break up—would cause a meltdown that Europe, the world can’t afford.” Soros has bought up $2 Billion in European bonds, mainly Italian, from MF Global Holdings Ltd to try and stabilize the European economy. But MF Global was run by former New Jersey Governor and Goldman Sachs head Jon Corzine who testified before congress recently that he doesn’t know where 1.2 billion dollars are that have gone missing from his firm. Anyone scared yet?

 Mr. Soros said that the world is heading into one of the most dangerous periods in modern history—a time of “evil.” “We are facing an extremely difficult time, comparable in many ways to the 1930s, the Great Depression…The worst case scenario is a collapse of the financial system.” He is warning that riots in the streets of major cities and worldwide class warfare might be inevitable unless the problems of unemployment and national debts are addressed.

 When asked if there would be riots in the US, he said, “Yes, yes, yes. It will be an excuse for cracking down and using strong arm tactics to maintain law and order which, carried to an extreme could bring about a repressive political system, a society where individual liberty is much more constrained.”* But Soros is hopeful that the central bankers and prime ministers and other government officials meeting in Davos can fix what’s wrong and prove him wrong.

 Could the collapse and riots happen? Anything is possible. Soros is rarely wrong when it comes to economics. But no one can absolutely predict the future. So what should you do? Fear Not. Trust God. Pray. And be prepared. Make preparations for yourself and your family. I mentioned this last year but I’ll say it again, because it’s a good idea even for natural disasters. Try storing up some food for emergencies, not only for yourself and your family but to help those in need. Put some money aside if you can for the proverbial rainy day. If you know someone who needs a job help that person try and find work. And most important of all make the time to share the love of God and the Word of God with other people.

 Many years ago King David sang “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).” And the apostle Paul wrote “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).” Unlike Soros, God really does know the future. He said “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,  Declaring the end from the beginning,  And from ancient times things that are not yet done,  Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure (Isaiah 40:9, 10).” Put your trust for the future in Him.

 *All quotes are from The London Telegraph and The London Daily Mail.

Abortion: As American as Apple Pie

This past Sunday, January 22, was the 39^th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in “Roe v. Wade” to legalize abortion. Aborting a child is now one of our country’s most common surgical procedures. The stats are staggering: as many as one out of three women will have at least one abortion. In some cities the number of abortions greatly exceeds the number of live births. Since 1973, when abortion became legal, more than 50 million babies have been killed. Are you ready? That is a rate of over 3,000 a day.

 Some people have tried to bring a level of compromise between those who are “pro-choice” (who advocate abortion) and those who are pro-life (those who oppose abortion). As I see it a compromise is doomed. Those who oppose abortion believe the central issue is the child’s right to live. Those who support abortion take their stand on a woman’s unrestricted right to choose. Where’s the middle ground?

 A compromise would mean that those who are pro-life will have to accept the deaths of some children. And those who are pro-choice will have to accept that some decisions to abort are wrong. But when is it right to terminate a baby’s life? Some would say that it may be necessary to abort a life in the case of rape. I understand the evil of rape, but what evil has the baby done? A number of studies show that the main reason for having an abortion is an unwanted pregnancy due to faulty contraception.

 Merle Hoffman is a staunch defender of abortion rights. She is the founder of “Choices” a major center for abortion in New York City. She has written a book titled “Intimate Wars” about her struggle advocating for abortion rights. For Ms. Hoffman abortion is the ultimate act of empowering women. She states, “The act of abortion positions women at their most powerful, and that is why it is so strongly opposed by many in society.”

 For Ms. Hoffman life is not sacred. She defends abortion in bold language as a “decision so vital it was worth stopping the heart.” She claims that “Abortion is as American as apple pie.” Hoffman asserts that “the shame” of abortions “would be removed” if women would only speak of their abortions as they speak of “a bikini wax.” To be fair Merle Hoffman does oppose one form of abortion. She finds the abortion of female babies in order to have more male babies a “troubling practice” even while defending a women’s right to choose.

 A recent Gallop Poll (July 2011) shows that many Americans do not support abortion on demand. And more and more simply believe it is wrong—period. One such person is “Roe” herself, Norma McCorvey. Norma never appeared in court on this issue and never understood the implications of the debate until long after the Court’s decision. She has publicly repudiated what “Roe v. Wade” stands for and has called for its reversal.  

 Ok, so what about you? Where do you stand and what shall you do? As a Christian I believe that life is sacred. The Bible declares that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and that God sees our “substance, being yet unformed (Psalm 139:14, 15).” The Bible teaches “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward (Psalm 127:3).” I have a son, whom I dearly love, who was saved from abortion when his birth mother lovingly and sacrificially offered him for adoption.

 Life is precious. Let’s teach this truth. Let us teach the blessings of a godly marriage and the beauty of having a family. Let us treat each other like we believe that life is precious. Let us offer those who have had an abortion love and forgiveness. And let us find ways to support those who are troubled by a pregnancy so that a life is not lost.