In today’s culture, there are many ways to hear news:  newspapers, either paper or digital, magazines, television, radio, internet blogs, and, last, but by no means least, via social media.  There is so much news that it is easy to become overwhelmed by it all, and while I don’t want to hide my head in the sand, I keep my news reading/listening to a minimum so that I am able to concentrate on my own responsibilities day to day, which are numerous and keep me more than occupied mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

Even when I read the news, I rarely comment on it except with close friends and family.  I don’t post political stories on Facebook.  I don’t usually talk about the latest earthquake or hurricane on my blog.  My social media and blog are mostly for me to share what I am reading and teaching or my personal walk with Christ.  I have no plans to change those things.  My main objective in writing on social media is to share the good, the true,and the beautiful.

However, on occasion, there is news that is so compelling, either for good or for ill, that I find myself thinking about it, praying about it, and wondering how I can make a difference.  The recent news about Planned Parenthood and their business of selling body parts of unborn children to the highest bidder is one such story.

While I have not watched any of the videos, I have read some of the avalanche of  transcripts and commentary on the videos.  Some people are distressed by these stories, but I am more than distressed.  I am angry. I am appalled. I am disgusted at being part of a country that would allow such things to occur with little or no reaction by our leaders–governmental or cultural–or our citizens as a whole.

I do not hide the fact that I am pro-life.  While I have not picketed abortion clinics or made a big splash in social media, I have always believed that a child in his or her mother’s womb should be cherished and protected all nine months.  I have given money, clothes, and baby equipment to pregnancy centers over the years because I believe that if we are to ask women to carry their babies until they are born, we need to support and equip them as they do so.

The Church must speak out for these innocent children and each of us who believe that abortion is wrong must also speak out or we are accomplices of those who would sell the body parts of murdered babies.  I mourn for women who feel that they have no choice except to hurt their precious babies because they see no other way out of a hard situation. However, we need to help them to see that doing something wrong is never the way to handle a hard situation.  It only brings these precious women more pain and anguish down the road.  We must help them to make the right choices and support them as long as they need help in order to do so.

These terrible crimes are being committed against innocent children and women, too.  Yes, women.  Do you really believe that the majority of women would consent to their children, no matter how small and unformed, being carved up and sold?  If they really knew the full story, how many women would be horrified for that to happen to their child?  No matter how committed a woman is to abortion rights, would she truly be able to condone the rapacious people who run and support this terrible business of selling children’s body parts for profit?

Every Christian has a duty to speak out against these horrific deeds, to shine the light of goodness, truth, and beauty on them, to refuse to remain silent no matter what the cost personally.  Because if we remain silent, if we refuse to act, if we aid and abet those who want these deeds to remain covered and in darkness, then we are condoning them and we will be held accountable for our moral cowardice and selfish hearts one day.

Do you not think that they were thousands, tens of thousands, even millions of Europeans who were aware of what was going on in Nazi Germany regarding Jews, Poles, the disabled, the elderly, the gypsies, and others who were jailed, imprisoned, and murdered from the time the Nazi party took control politically in the 1930’s until the end of World War II?  Do you not think that by not crying out against it, they aided the Nazis, morally if not physically,  in the terrible crimes against humanity?  How is this situation any different?

These babies have no voices.  They cannot plead or cry for help.  Someone must speak out on their behalf.  Will you join me in speaking out against what Planned Parenthood is doing?  Will you join me in searching my heart and conscience and being unwilling to remain silent as babies are being killed and dismembered and sold?

You may not be a Christian.  You may think that I am wrong to speak so strongly about this topic.  But if I am not honest about what I believe and am willing to stand up for the truth, what kind of person does that make me?  Should I remain silent and allow my moral cowardice be the defining characteristic of my life?  Shall I say that I am a Christian and then go against what Christ taught about innocent life and murder?  Why bother to be a Christian if I am not willing to live like one?

Join me in mourning for those who mourn, whether they be the mothers caught in a terrible situation with no good way out or innocent babies who will never know love or joy or sunshine or laughter.  Join me in mourning for people whose hearts are so closed that they don’t see the horror of carving up babies for profit.  Join me.  Please.  Even if it is just to support my right and duty to stand up for what I believe to be right and speak out against those who would take advantage of the poor, the suffering, and the weak.