They Lust for the Blood of Babies

Let there be no misunderstanding in my communication. United States Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Tina Smith (MN) promote infanticide. They disgust me.

Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith are mothers. Both have held newborns in their arms immediately following a live birth. You would think the experience of holding a minutes-old-child would have some impact on the women. It does not. Both Minnesota senators voted no on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. They are abhorrent.

The brief legislation attempts to do one thing and one thing only - save the life of a little human who survives an attempt to kill it via abortion.

Congress finds the following:
(1) If an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, the infant is a legal person for all purposes under the laws of the United States, and entitled to all the protections of such laws.
2) Any infant born alive after an abortion or within a hospital, clinic, or other facility has the same claim to the protection of the law that would arise for any newborn, or for any person who comes to a hospital, clinic, or other facility for screening and treatment or otherwise becomes a patient within its care.

and

Any health care practitioner present at the time the child is born alive shall -
"(A) exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age; and
"(B) following the exercise of skill, care, and diligence required under subparagraph (A), ensure that the child born alive is immediately transported and admitted to a hospital.

The two democrat senators from the state of Minnesota joined 42 other democrat senators from across the United States to strike down legislation "to preserve the life and health of the child."

U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Democrat from Minnesota, took to the senate floor prior to Monday's vote to state her wildly irrational position and call others to join her resistance. Her Twitter pageproudly promotes her opposition (click the link to listen to her full speech). Immediately following her tweet against saving lives is a second tweet that reads "Be kind and love one another" and shows a picture of children from the Red Lake Band of American Indians.

Am I the only one who sees the absurdity of this intersectionality?

Since 1973 democrats and other abortionists have preached to us that prior to birth what was in the womb was a collection of cells or an unviable fetus or whatever other phrase they employed to take away the idea that a real human being was in there. They told us over and again the baby had to be outside of the womb to be considered a human. Not any more. Those were the old rules. Try to keep up.

To 44 democrats including Klobuchar and Smith, it doesn't matter if a baby survives an abortion, is outside its mother's body, is alive, has a heartbeat, is breathing, or is moving. If the mother wants it dead and the doctor is willing to kill it or let it die, then make it happen. They make me want to vomit.

44 United States Senators from the democrat party voted no to giving those little humans the rights of every other child born to a mother, and they voted no to the requirement to provide reasonable care. The Minnesota senators both women, both mothers voted no. Let that sink in.

Minnesota Nice, yeah right.

I've previously written that abortionists and the democrat party and Senators Klobuchar and Smith will not move one inch away from their lust to kill babies and to allow them to die. They will not oppose late term abortion. They will not require parental consent for a minor seeking an abortion. And now they will not come to the aid of the most vulnerable human beings.

Late term abortions are a small percentage of the total. Do not equate small percentage with a small number. The most recent informationfrom the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 638,169 abortions for the calendar year. 1.3% or 8,296 abortions occurred after 20 weeks gestation. Babies who survive abortions are those very late in the pregnancy.

When a baby dies post birth, the CDC calls this an "infant death." From 2003–2014 there were 315,392 infant deaths and 49,126,572 live births. Of those 315,392 infant deaths, the CDC calls 143 of them "induced terminations." An induced termination is when some action or inaction takes place following the birth of a live human being that caused its death or did not prevent its death. The CDC admits the number 143 may not fully reflect the number of induced terminations.

When an induced termination happens, a cause-of-death certifier completes a death certificate. Read that again. There was a live birth and now there is a death. There is documentation attesting the fact. 44 democrat senators including Senators Klobuchar and Smith are more than ok with that.

What do those death certificates list as the cause of death? The CDC reports unedited language used exactly by the cause-of-death certifier. Here's a sample (click the link above to read them for yourself).

• Abortion for maternal medical reasons

• Attempted elective abortion (mother changed her mind)

• Desires second trimester abortion

• Elective termination by patient

• Failed abortion Induced termination of pregnancy

• Therapeutic abortion

• Therapeutic termination

• Therapeutic termination of pregnancy

• Voluntary interruption of pregnancy

• Voluntary termination of pregnancy

What more is necessary to declare the democrat party, nearly all the democrat senators and our two senators from the great state of Minnesota as promoters of infanticide? They are no different than Thotmes II during the time of Moses (Exodus 1:15–16) and no different than King Herod at the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2:16).

Shortly, our two senators will receive written communication from me in the strongest language possible condemning their failures to protect the most vulnerable of our race. I hope you will join me in the condemnation by calling or writing to their offices. Further, I hope you will never grow comfortable with the killing of little humans within the womb and now, almost unbelievably, outside the womb.

May God have mercy on us all.

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

My Truth, Your Truth, What Is Truth?

Maybe you’ve seen the meme about 6 or 9. In cartoon fashion, the sketch shows two people on either side looking down at the image on the ground. From the point of view of one, the shape on the ground is the number six. From the opposite side, the other viewer declares the shame shape a nine.

A caption below reads, “Just because you are right, does not mean, I am wrong. You just haven’t seen life from my side.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But the visual could not be more deceptive. Truth, according to the picture and the caption, is subjective based on point of view and interpretation of what passes before the senses. One set of eyes sees the number between five and seven. The other set of eyes sees the number between eight and ten.

In a post-modern world that champions all opinions and perspectives as equally valid, the greater issue is not whether the ground drawing ISeither a six or a nine, the greater issue is that we validate and celebrate both persons agreeing that the ground drawing can be EITHER a six or a nine.

We live in a world of lies, produced and promoted by the Father of Lies. From the beginning he has questioned truth. He continues to question the very idea of singular truth.

In modern social constructs offering “my truth” or “your truth” has become an effective defensive weapon when confronted over behavior or ideology.

The truth is one of the two people viewing the image is wrong. The artist outlined a six or a nine. The artist communicated a six or a nine. The artist either drew six or a nine. The artist did not draw a six and a nine. The sketch is one or the other and perspective, position, or understanding is irrelevant to determine meaning. In order to know if the number is six or a nine, you have to know the author and his intent.

This is why Christians run to the Bible to determine truth. This is why pastors encourage the church to resist and reject feelings and viewpoint, emotions and empathy as trusted interpreters of life circumstances.

• We can have a difference of opinion on whether sunrises or sunsets are more beautiful, but we cannot have a difference of opinion on the origin of the sun. God created it or he did not. Only one can be true.

• We can have a difference of opinion for finding a mate by arranged marriage, by swiping left, or by choosing the seat next to the cute girl in a freshmen lecture class, but we cannot have a difference of opinion on opposite gender attraction. God created humanity to be exclusively heterosexual or he did not. Only one can be true.

• We can have a difference of opinion on whether Dave Ramsey’s financial baby steps are the gold standard for Christians and their money, but we cannot have a difference of opinion on the means our Lord intends for the financial support of local churches and global missions. Jesus intended churches to be supported by the sacrificial and generous grace giving of his disciples or he did not. Only one can be true.

• We can have a difference of opinion on whether a local church should meet one time, two times, three times, four times of five times on a Sunday, but we cannot have a difference of opinion on the importance of the local church in the life of every Christian and in the significance of every Christian family. Jesus intended the priority of the church in the daily lives of his followers or he did not. Only one can be true.

God has revealed truth to us in his word, the Bible. Christians read the Bible, memorize the Bible, study the Bible, and listen to the teaching of the Bible to learn truth, God’s truth. We ask questions like, “What does God say about this” and “Is there anything in the Bible that I should consider?” and “Where does the Bible address how I am feeling at the moment?”

God is not looking to deceive you. The devil is looking to deceive you. The devil is telling you lies. The devil is your enemy. Your feelings, your perspective, your experiences while valuable are not trustworthy. They can be manipulated. The devil will do anything to manipulate your thinking to reject God's truth for the embrace of your own.

There is no such thing as “my truth” and “your truth.” There is only God’s truth.

To quote Jean-Luc Picard, "There are four lights!"

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

Fear, My Manipulative Emotion

We know God sees and observes all that happens in his creation. Unlike us, he is not limited by nearsighted vision, darkness, or obstruction. Everything and everyone everywhere is always in his line of sight. Some find this comforting while others will find it troubling.

Psalm 33 describes how God “looks” and “sees” all the people who dwell on the earth (vv.13-14). What does he see when he looks on the people of the earth? He sees what he has created – us. I like how the New Living Translation translates verse 15.

He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.

What does God understand about me…about you? Everything, of course, but he understands us specifically too. The verses in the Psalm that follow shed some light.

16. No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

18. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,
19. To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

20. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
21. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.
22. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.

He understands I often live in a great deal of fear.

I’ve structured my world to reduce fear by assembling armies of insurance companies, savings accounts, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and identity theft monitoring.

I’ve disciplined my body to reduce risks of disease and injury.

I’ve placed around me people I trust in order to prevent betrayals, and I've aligned myself with people who are stronger than I am in order to overcome weaknesses, opponents and threats.

Despite all of this, I live in fear.

None of my preventive measures can save me in the battle against overwhelming forces. I’m doomed, and I know it. I live in fear of the inevitable.

• No one can save me from accidental death.

• No one can save me from irresistible temptation.

• No one can save me from betrayal.

• No one can save me from bankruptcy.

• No one can save me from bitterness.

• No one can save me from satanic attacks.

• No one can save me from soul starvation.

• No one can save me from complete failure.

The psalmist’s world is my world, and I want the psalmist’s response to be mine too. I want to always remember the Lord’s eye is on me to deliver me and keep me alive (vv.18-19). I want to always recall he helps me and he defends me (v.20). I want to live happy because I can trust in him, and I don’t have to trust in every plan and action that I have made for myself or that others have made for me (v.21). I want to always say, “I hope in God” (v.22).

I’ve lived too many days in fear. I know a lot of people who live every day in fear of people and circumstances. I want live free of fears. I want to live contented. I want to live with a quiet mind. I want to sleep the sleep of the safe. I only want to fear the Lord.

All this and more can be and is true of me because the Lord looks down from heaven and sees me. Seeing me he acts for my good and his glory.

Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side.

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

Why Did This Happen to Me?

When the injury is acute, there is no mistaking what happened. To the athlete it sounds like a gun shot. The pain can be 10 on the scale. Four years ago today I underwent my third reconstructive knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I tore my right ACL doing something I love, playing basketball.

Early one morning the previous November I was playing with some friends in a pickup game. Transitioning from offense to defense, my friend on the other team threw a bounce pass. I instinctively pivoted to deflect the pass when I heard the frightening sound and memorable pain. Immediately I fell to the court, knowing in that moment that for the third time I had suffered this injury and for the second time to my right knee.

It wasn’t too long ago that ACL injuries ended the careers of pro athletes. Even today with amazing advances in technology, ACL injuries cut short careers. “Only 63 percent of National Football League athletes who had an ACL reconstruction returned to play another game. Roughly two out of three. And two years after ACL surgery…about 55 percent of NFL players are no longer playing in the league. For the majority, an ACL still is pretty synonymous with the end of a career.”

ACL reconstruction is a young man’s surgery, and as some like to note, I am no longer a young man. The problem is not the surgery, however (the procedure to reconstruct an ACL is routine), the issue is the recovery time. Normally, a patient can expect about one year from surgery to a doctor’s clearance to return to pre-injury activities. High school athletes with fast healing bodies may return to play in as little as six months. I wrestled for weeks about what choice to make. I talked with my wife and our children. I asked those who knew me well their opinions and advice. On a given day, you could have talked me out of the surgery. On a different day, I was determined to go ahead and get it done.

The days following the injury were incredibly emotional for me. I cried…a lot. This injury should not have happened, not anatomically and not from an activity point of view. Anatomically, I was in the best shape of my life in at least 25 years. I knew what muscles protect the ACL from injury and worked hard to make them strong. And as for the activity I was doing, I was playing old-man basketball, hardly moving fast at all. There was no contact with another player. I just went down. I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing including wearing a bulky brace I no longer needed to wear when doing athletic things. I was doing everything right, and it still happened. What more could I do? What more could I have done? So, out of deep frustration, I cried…a lot.

Two ACL surgeries is two too many. A third was on the horizon. I didn’t want a third surgery. I didn’t want a year of rehabilitation. I didn’t want a year of limited activity.

I played the “What If” game followed closely by the “If Only” game. “What if I would have been on the other team that morning, this would not have happened.” “If only I’d stayed in bed when the alarm went off at 5:15am, this would not have happened.” “What if my friend had thrown a different kind of pass?” “If only I had let the pass go instead of trying to deflect it.” Those are dumb games to play, and they never provide any answers, comfort, or relief. I was left with my question, “How did this happen when I’d done everything to prevent it?”

Have you ever asked the question I asked, “How could this happen? I was doing everything right.” To be sure we may give ourselves more credit than we deserve for doing everything right, but the question still lingers. Something bad happens. We can’t figure out the cause. We don’t look back and find an action that produced a negative outcome. Still, here we are - broken, emotional, hurting, and maybe questioning God’s goodness or his faithfulness in our time of trouble.

Where were you, God, when I got hurt? I didn’t do anything to deserve this. I was doing all the right things and still this happened.

I am a Christian man who believes in and loves the God of the Bible. About Himself, the God of the Bible tells me of His unending love for me, of His intimate knowledge of me, and of the execution of His purposes for me. With this knowledge I can answer my question, “How did this happen?” This injury happened under the watchful eye of my loving God.

I have no answer for God’s divine purpose four years ago. Simply, I know the injury happened with God’s full knowledge and his full consent. I’m good with that. When you experience life’s pains, I hope you are content with God’s full knowledge, full consent, and full sufficiency.

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At 6:00 this morning I walked on to the same court where I suffered the injury more than four years ago. I played the same old-man basketball, which isn’t very good, but allows me to do something I continue to enjoy. At 5:50 this morning, I prayed, “Lord, keep me safe on the court today.” At 7:00 this morning, I prayed again, “Lord, thank you for your safety while I played this morning.”

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

Safe, Legal, and Rare — Answering Abortion Arguments

I’m a man so my comments may already be invalid, but I’m also the son of an 18-year-old young woman, conceived out of wedlock by a Vietnam War veteran who took advantage of her naïveté. My birth father would later take his life in a likely drunken state leaving my 20-year-old mother impoverished and alone. I’m alive because my mom gave me life despite the realities of the circumstances.

18 states mandate that women be given counseling before an abortion that includes information on at least one of the following: the purported link between abortion and breast cancer (5 states), the ability of a fetus to feel pain (13 states) or long-term mental health consequences for the woman (8 states) (source: Guttmacher Institute).

I’m old enough to remember when the science was less than clear about what actually was inside a woman’s womb. Back then the leading arguments contained statements questioning the substance, “What is it that’s in there?” or “A fetus is a blob of tissue” or “An embryo is just a bunch of cells not a baby.”

Modern science has clearly revealed the answer we already knew — what is in there is a little human not yet born. As a result, abortion proponents needed to find new arguments.

The pro-abortion arguments dismiss the truth of humanity and focus on the perceived or real status of the mother. While admitting the fetus or embryo is something, proponents argue the greater worth is with the living over the unborn. The argument is not science, philosophy, or even religion. The argument is value.

Bogus math determines if life should continue in the womb and outside the womb.

37 states require some type of parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion. 26 states require one or both parents to consent to the procedure, while 11 require that one or both parents be notified (Source: Guttmacher Institute).

The Guttmacher Institute exists to promote abortion rights worldwide. Among the thousands of data points available in their research, they report abortions performed due to rape or incest amount to fourteen thousand abortions per year or just over 1 percent of all abortions.

Many pro-life proponents argue for adoption in cases of rape or incest if the mother thinks raising the child is not possible. Pro-abortion advocates counter that a woman who has been attacked sexually should not have to endure “nine months of hell” to give another human 80 years of life.

Reacting to unplanned pregnancies, some pro-abortion activists declare there are already too many humans on this planet, so abortion serves the greater good of the existing population.

To the abortion backer the life after birth matters except when the life after birth makes life for the rest of us something we neither wanted nor planned. Then the life after birth does not matter, and we must insure those with the power to terminate the little human maintain the power because life after birth doesn’t really matter for the unborn.

They argue hypotheticals when they offer “we can’t predict the future of that little human. The little human might end up in foster care, and we cannot allow that to happen. The cost in dollars to society to house, feed, and educate a child in foster care can be exorbitant.” Again with the math.

Better to kill what we know than to allow life for what we don’t know.

These are many of the current arguments of those demanding abortion. There are no science arguments remaining.

You’ve heard the catch phrase abortion proponents chant. They say abortions should be “safe, legal, and rare.” This appealing phrase is a ruse.

No abortion is safe. A human being dies in every abortion. This is no longer debatable.

Suggesting legality is a subtle way to sidestep morality. Legal does not equal moral, but legal removes what is moral from the discussion. The only way an abortion proponent can morally justify the killing of an unborn human is to claim legality or a “you do you” and “let others do them” mentality.

Who gets to define rare? The last report from the CDC (2015) confirms 638,169 abortions in the US. Who here thinks 638,169 sounds like a “rare” number?

Finally, all data confirms the rape, incest, life of the mother argument amounts to low, single percentage points of abortions. Yet, abortion proponents will not move one inch on the remaining greater than 90% of abortions. In fact, they cheer or defend actions like the one taken by the politicians in the state of New York that bolster the right to kill an unborn human at any point determined by mother.

They demand the right to kill little humans because they make value judgements that conclude life is better for the already born when we kill the yet to be born.

If the history of abolition is a teacher, the battle for the human rights of the unborn must continue until abortion is abhorred by the masses. History shows the steady movement away from human slave trade from the mid-14th century to the mid-1800s. It took time for the world to see the horror of its ways in the enslavement of other human beings. It may take the world a long time to see the horrors of infanticide, but for those of us who see every child as a gift from God, we must continue to defend and protect the yet to be born little humans.

I suspect my children and yet to be born grandchildren will live in a country where this killing of unborn humans is no longer acceptable. They will be the #prolifegeneration

For further reading from a Christian worldview on pregnancies due to rape or incest click here.