Abortion
What weeping took place in Bethlehem, after Jesus’ birth, when Herod ordered the slaughter of all children of two years old and under! We read in Matthew 2:16-18 that, after the wise men did not return to tell him where Jesus was, “he was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem . . . Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and . . . not comforted, because they are not.” One can feel the anguish of those words. But is there anguish and weeping today in Britain among mothers whose children “are not”, when the mothers consented to the murder of their unborn children, encouraged by doctors, and then protected by the law of the land? We trust God will bring some to weep for this awful sin, and then we should weep with them, but we fear the majority carry on heedless. Some even repeat the act.
Multiple abortions are on the increase. Recent reports from the anti-abortion group Life indicate that, in England and Wales, more than one in three women seeking a termination in 2011 had at least one previous abortion. This translates into over 63 000 out of a total of 189 000 over the period. The Christian Institute reported in June that the figures are even higher for women in the 30-34 year-old age group. Out of 29 500 terminations in this group, almost half were repeat abortions. When the reason for this was queried, the callousness of our society was further revealed in a comment by the Marie Stopes abortion group: “If women have an unplanned pregnancy at a certain stage in their career, or have just embarked on a mortgage and cannot afford maternity leave, they may consider termination”. The implication is that a child is a commodity. The thinking seems to be: If you cannot afford to maintain something, you may dispose of it; if you cannot afford your unborn child, you are free to abort it.
Department of Health figures for 2010 add more detailed information. For example, almost unbelievably, over 400 women have had at least five abortions. We could go on quoting statistics and become immersed in the figures, almost forgetting the solemn reality that each statistic is a living soul whom God has created to exist for ever. When we consider that fact, we ought to tremble as a nation before God. Much blood is on our land.
A recent report in The Daily Telegraph (19/07/12) highlights an extremely sinister side to the practice: doctors are accused of forging consent forms for abortions. Under the notorious Abortion Act of 1967, doctors are allowed to
carry out a termination if they believe that the physical or mental health of a pregnant woman is in jeopardy. Two doctors must sign a consent form and they must both be of the opinion, that (according to the law) to continue the pregnancy would be injurious to the woman’s welfare.
Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission, which oversees the guidelines, have now found, however, that doctors are routinely forging these consent certificates. They are pre-signing blank consent forms without even knowing the patient’s name, far less her circumstances. One hospital, the Princess Alexandria, in Essex, was said to have a box of blank forms signed by a doctor who no longer worked there. Presumably, the second doctor took full responsibility for the outcome, which is illegal. In another hospital, the Kings College in London, inspectors looked at nine cases and found that in all of them both doctors’ signatures predated the referral of the women. In several other hospitals paperwork had been signed weeks after the abortion.
No fewer than 14 Trusts were found to be in breach of the law, having encouraged their doctors in this practice. They are being reported to the General Medical Council, and also to the police, who will decide whether further action should be taken. The doctors involved are protesting they did not realise they were doing anything wrong. How clear it is that, once the floodgates are opened and evil becomes the norm, even such boundaries as do exist are ignored and atrocities which previously would horrify us no longer do so. Such is the deceitful nature of sin. Of course, tragically, that same sin is in our own deceitful hearts. How we need to cry for our nation and for ourselves as individuals: “O God, of my salvation God, me from blood-guiltiness set free” (Ps 51:14, metrical). KHM
Same-Sex “Marriage”
The Scottish Executive has announced its intention of proceeding with the introduction of same-sex “marriage”, notwithstanding the public consultation on the subject, which was overwhelmingly opposed to the idea, and notwithstanding the many legal obstacles which the Executive itself has recently identified as standing in the way. It goes without saying that the intention is unbiblical and evil and, if carried through, will not result in the actual marriage of members of the same sex. It cannot be said of two sodomites that God has joined them together (Mt 19:6), no matter what legal ceremony may have been performed.
Indeed the attempt to involve God and Christ in these immoral unions makes them so much the worse. Marriage is a type of the union between Christ and His Church, and to identify that holy and everlasting bond with the unclean and forbidden union between two sodomites is blasphemous and
highly provoking to God. Not a few people, including President Obama, have expressed their certainty that Christ would approve of these unions, but such assertions are nothing but taking the Lord’s name in vain. Christ’s mind is made known in the Bible, which condemns sodomy and warns people and nations engaging in that sin of fearful judgements: “Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes [God] condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly” (2 Pet 2:6).
DWBS
Evangelical Christians Likened to Totalitarian Muslims
Alan Judd, an advisor to the Secretary of State for Education, commented in The Daily Telegraph on recent applications by Evangelicals to set up faith-based schools: “To ban believers from setting up free schools would be to exclude a large number of able, well-meaning and experienced people who can do much to raise levels generally. The trouble is, as always, when it’s taken to extremes, whether it’s evangelical Christians, totalitarian Muslims or segregationist Jews.
So there we have it: evangelical Christians are branded as extremist and likened to “totalitarian Muslims” – by a senior government advisor. “It is astonishing,” says the Archbishop Cranmer blog, “that he chose to qualify ‘Muslims’ and ‘Jews’ with adjectives of political oppression or separatism, but for Christians he singled out a distinct theological movement. It is evidence of a prejudicial mindset which some might term ‘Christianophobic’.”
This is just another instance of the anti-Christian bias that is growing in Government and in national institutions such as the BBC. It is reminiscent of David Blunkett equating evangelical Christians with Islamic terrorists (when as Home Secretary in 2004 he was proposing to create a new criminal offence of inciting religious hatred).
Hatred is in fact being directed more and more against biblical Christians. But let them not forget the warning of their Master: “Ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake” (Lk 21:17). Yet let them remember His words of comfort and encouragement: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:10). NMR