“We just can’t get involved in something that is so political.” Too often this is the response given by churches when they are asked to become active in the Pro-Life movement or to simply educate their congregations about the issues. Some churches are genuinely concerned about their legal rights regarding involvement. Too often, however, churches are simply uncomfortable with broaching a subject so sensitive and divisive. By their very nature, churches should be the most passionate defenders of human life. Without the help and support of religious leaders and churches, the Pro-Life movement would surely suffer.
Churches often say that they are Pro-Life, but too often there is no action accompanying the words. Imagine the horror we would all feel if we turned on the television EVERY night and saw that more than 3000 babies had been murdered by their mothers. We would be outraged and surely, we would speak out against the practice. It is a moral issue – a human rights issue. Some of the greatest evangelists and Christian leaders of all time were social activists – John Wesley, Mother Theresa, Charles Finney, D.L. Moody, and Charles Spurgeon. The Christian faith historically has been a champion of human rights. In fact, well-known Christian leaders such as Dr. James Dobson have received awards for their Pro-Life efforts. We need to bring this activism to a local level.
Statistics show that, of the women who have abortions, 43% identify themselves as Protestant and 27% identify themselves as Catholic.1 This issue affects individuals in each of our churches (some who are struggling with a decision now and some who need healing and forgiveness for a past decision). We must bring awareness to our own churches and then to the rest of our community. We know that churches are and must be concerned primarily with evangelism, but “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). Jesus said that, “Whatever we do unto the least of His children we have done unto Him” (Matt 25:40). Surely it would please Jesus to see us fight for the unborn children, the elderly and infirm, and the handicapped. What better way to demonstrate God’s love than to reach out to others at their most vulnerable times?
Texas Right to Life is dedicated to equipping churches, schools and communities with the resources and tools they need to effectively promote a Culture of Life.
Resources that are available to you include:
- Information on abortion alternatives, euthanasia, biotechnology, and legislation
- The LifeLink (a monthly educational insert)
- Speakers for your congregation, women’s groups, youth/college groups, etc.
- Involvement opportunities
Many individuals have expressed an interest in being Pro-Life representatives for their churches. As a Pro-Life representative, you will be our liaison to the church – to provide your church with information and speakers, to circulate Pro-Life petitions, to bring awareness to action alerts, and to let Texas Right to Life know how we can better serve your community. You will receive a monthly e-mail when our bulletin inserts are ready and will receive news updates to share with your congregation. To sign up as church representative, send your full contact information, as well as contact information for your church to ProLife@TexasRightToLife.com.
1. Jones RK, Darroch JE and Henshaw SK, Patterns in the socioeconomic characteristics of women obtaining abortions in 2000-2001, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2002, 34(5):226-235.