Dear Deacon John,
Our freedoms cannot be neglected. They must be exercised and defended.
Believe it or not, many of our basic rights are scrutinized when we exercise them to simply pray outside of an abortion facility.
We must know and use our rights if we want to end abortion. A good step is to listen to the "Know Your Rights"
episode of the 40 Days for Life podcast, where we discuss love of God,
love of neighbor and love of country as the foundation of defending the
right to life.
Recently I visited
40 Days for Life campaigns in Florida and had the opportunity to thank
the Thomas More Society for all of the valuable, free legal work they’ve contributed to 40 Days for Life campaigns across the United States.
We couldn't do this without the Thomas More Society attorneys, who just won another victory – this time in South Carolina.
Charleston, South Carolina
Many of the volunteers at 40 Days for Life vigils try to encourage abortion center clients to read information about life-affirming community resources.
In Charleston, the
best opportunities come when the women are driving in. It’s often
possible to invite them to pull over, roll down their windows and take a
brochure.
But the city tried to stop this practice, citing a panhandling ordinance that prohibited passing items to drivers on the roadway.
That just didn’t
seem right, so the Charleston leaders contacted the Thomas More Society.
The society’s attorneys wrote to the city, citing numerous Supreme
Court cases which “repeatedly held that passing out literature is
entitled to the highest constitutional protection.”
The city quickly responded that there would be no attempt
to target vigil volunteers. “We are grateful to have reached a swift
resolution with the City of Charleston,” said Jocelyn Floyd of the
Thomas More Society.
Naples, Florida
Joy is at the heart
of why we defend life and offer loving alternatives to abortion. But
it's always nice to get some encouragement from Planned Parenthood – a
sign by the driveway reads “smile, you are on video camera.”
The Naples leaders have reported that Planned Parenthood is anything but smiling. They’ve had workers come out and harass and reprimand
volunteers who are peacefully and quietly praying. I don’t think their
mood is going to improve, since Florida just voted to defund Planned
Parenthood.
While in Naples, I was joined by Tom Brejcha and Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society, who are currently defending David Daleiden, the video investigator who exposed Planned Parenthood scandals.
Temple Terrace, Florida
Kim is a courageous
Baptist who's leading her first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign in the
Tampa Bay area. She has lots of help … because Planned Parenthood is located between two Baptist churches!
Both Baptist pastors have mobilized their congregations and personally pray at the vigil. I was able to meet these pastors, whose churches surround Planned Parenthood, when I recently visited the vigil.
Both Baptist pastors have mobilized their congregations and personally pray at the vigil. I was able to meet these pastors, whose churches surround Planned Parenthood, when I recently visited the vigil.
Day 36 intention
We pray for the gift of openness to children.
Scripture
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.
And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
— Genesis 1:27-28
Reflection from Rev. Ben Sheldon
God’s intention is that we multiply and fill the earth. One of the most perni-cious lies that sociologists have foisted off on the public is that the earth is be-coming overpopulated.
What kind of a sadistic god would cre-ate the earth and human creatures on it, only to have them literally repro-duce themselves into oblivion?
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our divine Creator, has commanded us to multiply and fill the earth and far from letting the popula-tion get out of control, He has, in fact given his human creatures a dominical role over all the lesser creatures.
The “birth control” movement, which had its beginnings with Margaret Sang-er in the early years of the last century, has led, in many parts of the world, to a birthrate that is drastically below the normal replacement rate.
God’s Word assures us that children are a blessing, that they are a reward of faithfully trusting and serving God and that they are the crown of their parents’ old age.
The spread of the contraception men-tality that has so permeated our cul-ture is, undoubtedly, a factor in the ready acceptance of abortion. God’s commandment to multiply and fill the earth has never been withdrawn. May
He help us to accept the gift of children and give him thanks for every baby who is born into the world.
Prayer
Father of mercy and grace, we thank you for the gift of our children. Grant that every fiber of our being may re-joice when a new baby, our own or any else’s, is born into the world. Help us to welcome them as we would welcome you, for whenever a new baby is conceived, another life to bear your image and another voice to praise and worship you, is beginning. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Printable devotional
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For life,
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SHAWN CARNEY
President
40 Days for Life
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