News Notes: Changes at Planned Parenthood

There are stories in the news from time to time that either affect Christians directly or that we should at least be paying attention to. The Master’s Table does not post on American politics. Our goal here it to be God honoring and Christ centered. Abortion is a morality issue and one that many struggle with. No matter your political affiliation, or even if you have none at all, this time in our history is seeing a lot of change in the way abortion is regarded. New York has recently passed the most liberal abortion law in the country while states like Georgia, Alabama and others seek to eliminate not only late term abortions but virtually all procedures after the first six weeks. And now this:

The Read and Share File

This just happened in my home state of Georgia: Governor Nathan Deal has the Bibles returned to lodges and cabins in state parks after a state agency had them removed.

By now you’ve heard about the IRS scandal involving politically conservative non-profit groups. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse got audit notices on the same day. That and more here.

Discover the seven fold workings of God in Psalm 23, via Walter Bright.

Anne Hesche will play a woman with a near-death experience turned prophet in a new series called Save Me. My comments follow the post, be sure to check out that Wiki entry.

Both sides of the abortion debate think we can learn from the Gosnell murder verdict.

Big flood at the home of Crossway Publishers (makers of the ESV Bible). They are asking for prayer and financial support. As of May 15 they are at 53% of reaching their financial goal. 

Good News for Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby’s legal battle against the abortion/contraceptive mandate received a boost Friday (March 29) when the full 10th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to hear the company’s case.

Such “en banc” hearings are relatively rare.

In November a federal judge ruled that Hobby Lobby must cover the drugs in its employee health insurance plans, and in December a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit refused to step in and prevent Hobby Lobby from being impacted by the mandate.

Continue this story at Baptist Press.

Government Mandated Abortion Coverage

I wish more attention were being drawn to this issue.  Millions of people lined up at Chick-fil-A back in August to support a Christian business owner’s right to free speech, but the plight of Hobby Lobby and other businesses fighting mandated health care – including chemical abortion – have garnered less support.

The new health care mandates that took effect Jan. 1 require employers to provide access to birth control, including emergency contraception.  Plan B is just one such method which causes a medically induced (or chemical) abortion.  Beginning on the first day of January, Hobby Lobby was facing a fine of up to $1.5 million per day – one and a half million dollars per day – for refusing to provide abortion coverage to its employees.  The new new loop hole buys them some time as the court battle continues.

The Read and Share File

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

What if revival broke out in your town… at the church down the street?  What if you were out of town for a few months on a mission trip, and revival started under the guest preacher?   9Marks suggests that we Pray for Revival – at the other guy’s church.  

At Believing God Today: To Gospel or Not to Gospel Part I
To Gospel or Not to Gospel Part II

NEWS – Abortion, birth control and gay marriage ranked lowest on issues of importance to registered voters, according to a new Pew Research Center poll. What issues ranked highest?  The economy, jobs and the deficit, in that order.  No surprise there; if you want to hurt Americans, hit them in the pocket book.  More of this story at Christian Post.

The Desiring God blog shares 15 Tips on Blogging from John Newton.  Perhaps you recognize John Newton as the writer of Amazing Grace.  Did he really offer tips on blogging, 400 years ago?  In a manner of speaking.

Here is the Al Mohler post that everyone is talking about.  Paul Wilkinson (Thinking Out Loud) explains Why Al Mohler Should Retire; Jeff Dunn (Internet Monk) writes on Al Mohler’s Problem with Grace.  Suddenly all my problems seem smaller.

This just in: Tall Skinny Kiwi does not live in a commune.

Life Begins Before Conception

When does life begin?  Consider Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
(Jeremiah 1:5 ESV)

What about in the cases of rape or incest?  What if the mother’s life is in danger? Does a woman not have the right to choose when it comes to her own body?

Abortion is used in this country as birth control.  If allowing abortion for exceptional cases such as rape or incest would allow all other abortions to be made illegal in this country I would support it.  The very vast majority of abortion procedures in this country are for birth control.  Pregnancy is seen as a nasty side effect of a pleasure seeking lifestyle.  A baby would “cramp our style” or “get in the way” so abortion is an easy answer for people that act like they don’t know where babies come from.  For some women, who have had 10 or more abortions, that is their only form a birth control.

Of course a woman has the right to choose.  How about choosing to honor God with your body?  Men have always had it a little easier when it comes to “moving on” after a relationship, but each father will give an account of how many fatherless children he created or how many abortions took place to clean up his mess.

Each human being is created in the image of God.  

God created life and it is precious to him.

Your life is a gift from God and someday each individual will give account with what they did with what was given.  To whom much is given, much shall be required.  The command in the Garden of Eden was to be fruitful and multiply.  Our ability to procreate is God-given to fulfill his purposes, not simply to enjoy ourselves while we here.

God had a plan for your life before you were born.  Before you were conceived he knew you; his plans are to prosper you, not to harm you.  He gave his only son, and the Son gave his life, so you and I might live.  And what some doctors would have you believe is tissue, nothing but a lump of cells much like a tumor?  That is God’s gift also.

The Strange Relationship Between Abortion and the Death Penalty

The focus of this blog is religion and theology, and I try not to promote a political agenda.  I’ve always found something a bit odd though.  The same people – and I will try not to give them a label – the same people that oppose the death penalty often favor abortion rights.  Their logic astounds me.

Freedom of Choice Act

I wrote last summer that Barack Obama would be the most liberal president on abortion to ever serve in the White House (Barack Obama on Abortion).  He said during his campaign that the first thing he would do in office is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.  There is a campaign in the works that makes a lot more sense than the typical “add you name and forward this petition” junk we usually see.  I know that I often come down hard on the Culture War people, but if you want your voice to be heard this may be the way to do it.  What follows is the text of an email I received today from a trust worthy source at the KBC (Kentucky Baptist Convention). 

Answering Tough Questions

Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are raising an army of New Atheists who are ready to do battle with the people of faith.  It is no longer enough to simply not believe in God; the “New Atheists” don’t think anyone else should have the right to either. 

The issues of creationism, evolution and Intelligent Design have been pushed into the forefront of debate in recent years, thanks to films by Ben Stein and the opening of the Creation Museum.  The battle of words takes place not just in pulpits or auditoriums, but in board of education meetings at the state and local level that determine curriculum and policy.  In both issues science, reason and logic are dragged through the mud by both sides in order to “prove” one side is right and the other wrong. 

Abortion is and perhaps always will be a hot topic in this country. 

Answering Tough Questions: Abortion

I’ve just read a blog post entitled “How to stump an anti-abortionist with one simple question.”  The question is this: If abortion were illegal, what should be done with mothers who get one?  According to the post, asking anti-abortion protesters this question draws puzzled looks and poorly thought out responses.  If Christians can’t articulate a well constructed response to this simple question, we need to work on that.  I responded thusly: