Be O-fraid, Be very O-fraid

It may seem like one of many issues that come up every four years during the election cycle. But, the topic of abortion is one of those foundational issues that touches at the core beliefs of everyone of us. Nowhere is that more evident than with what has happened in the last few days with President Barack Obama's reversal of former President George W. Bush's abortion funds policy.

"On January 22, 2001, President George W. Bush announced reinstatement of the so-called Mexico City policy that required non-governmental organizations to "agree as a condition of their receipt of Federal funds that such organizations would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations." The President is committed to maintaining the $425 million funding level provided for in the FY 2001 appropriation because he knows that one of the best ways to prevent abortion is by providing quality voluntary family planning services." (usaid.gov) For many Christians this was a breath of fresh air to know that our taxpayer funds would not be going to fund abortions around the world.

In stark contrast, on January 23, 2009, one day after the 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, we see where " President Barack Obama on Friday struck down the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information — an inflammatory policy that has bounced in and out of law for the past quarter-century." (AP) Outsiders may simply see this as divisiveness between two different political parties since President Bush is a Republican and President Obama is a Democrat. Why that may be true, they both claim to be Christians. So this begs the question, how can they both claim to be Christians and yet have two totally different views on how to spend taxpayer funds on abortion?

President Bush is quoted as saying, "I will lead our nation toward a culture that values life -- the life of the elderly and the sick, the life of the young, and the life of the unborn."

President Obama, while campaigning for President was asked when he believes life begins? He answered, "I think it's very hard to know what that means, when life begins. Is it when a cell separates? Is it when the soul stirs? So I don't presume to know the answer to that question."

For any Christian, we need to match what we believe up against the scriptures. When it comes to the issue of abortion the Bible is clear:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life..." Exodus 21:22-23

"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit... As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." Luke 1:41,44

It is obvious that life begins at conception and that treating that life as anything other than what it is goes against scripture. My conclusion is that President Obama is not acting in accordance with the scriptures that support his supposed faith. Abortion is the violent ending of innocent life. Use of phrases like "pregnant woman," "conceived me," "mother's womb," "secret place" and "before one of them came to be" are clear references to life beginning prior to birth. Therefore, when a Christian says they don't know when life begins and then agree to send millions of dollars to assist in the aborting of babies around the world, they do not have a moral leg to stand on. What is worse is that President Barack Obama, as an African-American, can support and promote abortion.

• Abortion is the leading cause of death in the African-American community since 1973.
• 1,452 African-American babies are aborted daily.
• Over 16 million African-American babies have been lost to abortion since 1973.
• Abortion has taken away nearly 1/3 of the African-American population.
• African-Americans represent 12% of the population, but 35% of the abortions.
• African-American women are 5 times more likely to have abortions than white women.
• Without abortion, the African-American community would be 36% larger than it is now.
• African-American women, over 50, who had an abortion are 4.7 times more likely to get breast cancer than those African-American women who had not had an abortion. (Howard University, 1993).

President Obama, what Bible are you reading from? The Bible says to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1)." I am afraid that President Obama fails the test in this regard. His campaign website boasted that Barack Obama "puts children first." I don't see how you can put children first when you won't acknowledge when life begins and make every effort to end that life before it gets out of the womb. For any Christian who supported Barack Obama's candidacy for President, especially my African-American brethren, I challenge you to "test" what it is you believe in regard to this issue. Remember, somebody valued your life enough to give birth to you. The least you can do is extend that right to all the unborn around the world.