Laus Deo! A New Wind of Hope and Change“Make no mistake.
Abortion-on-demand is not a right granted by the Constitution. (Roe v. Wade was) an act of ‘raw judicial power’ (and) has become a continuing prod to the conscience of the nation. … We cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others … should be abandoned to abortion … ”President Ronald Reagan, from “Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation”, 1983“
I hereby proclaim and declare the unalienable personhood of every American, from conception to natural death (and have asked) the Legislative branch … to protect the life of each person before birth. President Ronald Reagan, a Presidential Proclamation, 1988
“If every church in America spoke out against abortion, it would fall like a house of cards.” (Susan)
The Context: Three Different Presidents
Have you noticed? There is a new wind of Hope and Change blowing in Washington that is taking many forms, including on the issue of life. It is so refreshing and so encouraging for so many of us.
That is due, in part, to the very stark differences between recent presidents regarding their views about the Sanctity of Life.
Throughout his two terms in office, President Ronald Reagan spoke out very clearly in support of life for the unborn. President George W. Bush did the same. Good laws were passed during that time.
In stark contrast, President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton actually led the war against life with their active defense of and support for Roe v. Wade, that tragically misguided 1973 Supreme Court decision that “legalized” the dismemberment and slaughter of over 58 million unborn babies over the past 44 years.
As a result, the Obama era has been difficult for many of us in this ongoing battle for life, and millions more babies and their mothers have paid the price.
Why Did We March?
And that is why we cannot and will not stay silent in the face of this continuing American Holocaust. Our intrepid Valley delegation joined hundreds of thousands of other pro-life marchers who came in buses from across America to mark this 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
It was a full-throated call on the Supreme Court to overturn that deadly decision and also on Congress and on our new pro-life president to enact and to enforce new laws that would once again ban abortions and protect all innocent human life from conception until natural death.
The President and the Congress
We are off to a very good start with President Trump. One of his first executive orders this week was to reinstate the “Mexico City” policy, which Obama had overturned eight years ago. It bans U.S. funds for any group that engages in or promotes overseas abortions. Laus Deo!
In addition, and just before the Rally began, we celebrated another pro-life victory in Congress with members of Cong. Bob Goodlatte’s office, who gave us a personal update on pro-life bills that are being considered in the Congress.
That included a new bill (H.R. 7) that the House of Representatives passed earlier this week. Entitled the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act … of 2017”, it bans federal funding of abortions as well as of health benefits plans that include abortion.
The Long March on the Supreme Court
And then came the Rally, where we joined a massive crowd of other Marchers at the base of the Washington Monument for powerful speeches from a range of political and religious leaders.
The highlight came when VP Mike Pence, the first sitting President or Vice President to attend the Rally in person, brought a full-throated roar from the crowd with these words: “Life is winning again in America. … Along with you, … we will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America for ourselves and our posterity.”
Kellyanne Conway, one of President Trump’s senior advisors, reinforced this message. Referring to both VP Pence and President Trump, she brought another roar when she said that “Their impassioned defense of life as candidates showed a nation that courage and commitment can overcome indifference and insults. … We hear you, we see you, we respect you, and we look forward to working with you.”
The Long March to the Supreme Court
The long March followed for over three hours, with an estimated several hundred thousand marchers stretching for more than 16 blocks on Constitution Avenue, winding around the Capitol, and finishing up in front of the Supreme Court for a period of reflection and prayer.
We were joined there by scores of women holding black placards with white lettering that said simply “I Regret My Abortion.” We listened to their tragic but courageous stories of physical, spiritual, and emotional trauma following their abortions, destroying the lie that abortions are “good” for women.
They exposed the true War on Women waged by President Obama and his pro-abortion allies like Planned Parenthood who share responsibility for the unreported Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome (PASS) of guilt and loss that plagues women after their abortions. It is time to turn the page.
That is why we joined them in their vow to be Silent No More and celebrated with them their redemption through a new life in Christ.
Enduring Impressions – For Life
We returned to the Valley encouraged and inspired by the unity for life that crosses differences of faith, race, age, gender, and nationality. The high-energy enthusiasm from so many young marchers who refer to themselves as “The Pro-Life Generation” renews our hope that this flame for life will continue to burn brightly.
Carrying signs like “Stop Abortion Now”, young marchers also wore shirts with messages that underscored their determination to continue the fight for life, such as:
You will not silence my message.
You will not mock my God.
You will stop killing my generation.
The Road Ahead
Yes, a new day is dawning in America that takes us one step closer to a time when all innocent human life will again be protected. However, it is also a reminder of the need for every church and for every pastor, priest, and rabbi to help lead this cause. As one friend put it, “If every church in America spoke out against abortion, it would fall like a house of cards.”
“We won’t give up, we won’t give in, and we won’t stop until we win!
For God, for Life, and for Country!
Dean Welty serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Christian Alliance and is Director of the Valley Family Forum, a network of families in the Shenandoah Valley that helps build Faith, Family, and Freedom in the culture and in the public square. He also hosts a weekly television program entitled “Valley Faith in Action“.
Valley Faith in Action airs at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and at 8:30 p.m. Sunday on WAZT-TV, which is Comcast Cable Channel 13 in the Harrisonburg area. It will air again at Wednesday midnight. You can also access it and other recent programs by clicking HERE.
