Yesterday, the State of Mississippi voted on an initiative that would have declared that personhood begins at conception. The creators and proponents of Initiative Measure No. 26 desired to end abortion and also bring about pro-life regulations related to cloning and other medical procedures.
The battle got very hot and, in some cases, down right ugly. Pro-lifers were divided as some staunchly stood for the passage of this amendment that would define personhood while others passionately believed and feared that there would be unwanted consequences from the passage such as endangering the life of mothers during ectopic pregnancies. Both sides went back and forth trying to convince the other side of the fault in their thinking.
Regardless of what was truth and what was misinformation, when all was said and done, our overwhelmingly pro-life and conservative state voted against the personhood amendment.
I am not at all convinced that yesterday's vote was a vote against life. I think it was a vote against this particular initiative. Whether for right reasons or wrong reasons, I don't think that the majority of people voted "no" because they are for abortion or against the rights of the unborn. And staying divided because of one vote will do nothing to help ensure that more babies are born into loving environments, whether that is a home with their birth mother or a home with an adoptive family.
It is time for the followers of Jesus to just work harder at bringing about the Kingdom of God, caring for those who are oppressed and in need. It is time for us to work harder at letting those who feel desperate know that there is hope and that life IS a choice they can make --- that they have people who will be there to help them walk out what can be a very difficult path.
Calling each other hateful names and acting in unGodly ways will not change each others minds nor lessen the number of babies that are being aborted in the State of Mississippi. In fact, staying divided will only help ensure that abortions do not decrease in the State of Mississippi and puts one more blemish on the name of Christianity.
It is easy to step into a polling booth and vote yes or no. It is a lot harder to act on your conscience and beliefs day in and day out. It is a lot harder to do without something we want or even need so we can give that money to organizations that help women in crisis pregnancies, provide shelter for homeless mothers and their babies, offer classes on parenting, or give assistance to families that want to adopt children but can't afford to do it on their own. It takes a lot more effort to volunteer our time as mentors of at-risk teens, serve as foster parents for newborns awaiting adoption, collect items to donate to a crisis pregnancy center, or even open up our homes for young pregnant women who desperately need someone to help them say no to the seemingly quick fix of abortions.
Whether you voted yes or no on 26, it is time to put political differences behind us and unite to make our state a place that says yes to life, a state that supports mothers experiencing tough times and provides for babies and children who are in hard places.
Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these we do for Him. I definitely think that a tiny baby being formed in the mother's womb qualifies for "the least of these".
The battle got very hot and, in some cases, down right ugly. Pro-lifers were divided as some staunchly stood for the passage of this amendment that would define personhood while others passionately believed and feared that there would be unwanted consequences from the passage such as endangering the life of mothers during ectopic pregnancies. Both sides went back and forth trying to convince the other side of the fault in their thinking.
Regardless of what was truth and what was misinformation, when all was said and done, our overwhelmingly pro-life and conservative state voted against the personhood amendment.
I am not at all convinced that yesterday's vote was a vote against life. I think it was a vote against this particular initiative. Whether for right reasons or wrong reasons, I don't think that the majority of people voted "no" because they are for abortion or against the rights of the unborn. And staying divided because of one vote will do nothing to help ensure that more babies are born into loving environments, whether that is a home with their birth mother or a home with an adoptive family.
It is time for the followers of Jesus to just work harder at bringing about the Kingdom of God, caring for those who are oppressed and in need. It is time for us to work harder at letting those who feel desperate know that there is hope and that life IS a choice they can make --- that they have people who will be there to help them walk out what can be a very difficult path.
Calling each other hateful names and acting in unGodly ways will not change each others minds nor lessen the number of babies that are being aborted in the State of Mississippi. In fact, staying divided will only help ensure that abortions do not decrease in the State of Mississippi and puts one more blemish on the name of Christianity.
It is easy to step into a polling booth and vote yes or no. It is a lot harder to act on your conscience and beliefs day in and day out. It is a lot harder to do without something we want or even need so we can give that money to organizations that help women in crisis pregnancies, provide shelter for homeless mothers and their babies, offer classes on parenting, or give assistance to families that want to adopt children but can't afford to do it on their own. It takes a lot more effort to volunteer our time as mentors of at-risk teens, serve as foster parents for newborns awaiting adoption, collect items to donate to a crisis pregnancy center, or even open up our homes for young pregnant women who desperately need someone to help them say no to the seemingly quick fix of abortions.
Whether you voted yes or no on 26, it is time to put political differences behind us and unite to make our state a place that says yes to life, a state that supports mothers experiencing tough times and provides for babies and children who are in hard places.
Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these we do for Him. I definitely think that a tiny baby being formed in the mother's womb qualifies for "the least of these".
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