Pray to end Abortion. Why has God not answered this prayer of Anti-Abortion Activists?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com
There is great power in prayer. It can change the hearts of people. Over time it can bring monumental changes in society. Two events in recent history testify to this enormous power of prayer. The prayers of Mahatma Gandhi to rid the Indian subcontinent of the scourge of colonialism were answered. So were the prayers of Nelson Mandela to bring a peaceful end to Apartheid in South Africa. So we don’t have to even look very far back in history to realize the powerful effect of prayer. It may take time, half a generation or a bit more, but prayer can bring change. Not so with abortion in this country.
One important thing is the prayers have to be sincere and the person’s life should reflect the change they are seeking. Gandhi ji said: “Be the revolution you seek to see in the world”. That is, start practicing what you are asking for others to come to. Nelson Mandela’s message was of peace even against the most atrocious violence of the aggressor. That is don’t react with violence even if the other is violent and CERTAINLY don’t commit violence.
Insincerity in matters of faith is contemptible in the eyes of God. To say one thing and practice another is the worst crime against religion. In another blog I used this quote from the Book of James and it is most appropriate in the context as well:
“14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good [2] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Indeed the whole Book of James is worthy of paying serious attention to. The overly zealous rhetoric that inundates the airwaves and attacks that are verbal but do turn to physical and sometimes fatal.
“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, [1] and set on fire by hell. [2] 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, [3] these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”
We live in the richest nation in the history of the world (and number 2 is not even close). So it would really behoove us to heed this warning. Who can it apply to more than us?
“Warning to the Rich
5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”
Gandhi early life http://nhdmkgandhi.org/
Both Gandhi and Mandela could have lived lives of luxury but gave it all up to bring change in their societies. Their lives reflected their prayers. It is difficult to say the same for most anti-abortion activists. Anti-abortion activists insist on calling themselves Pro-life yet show scant concern for the poor. We, the greatest nation in the world, has over 30 million people living in poverty, without health care and wherever anti-abortion groups have prevailed in election process (like here in Missouri) funding is deeply cut to help with these problems of the poor. Is it a wonder that for over 40 years their prayers are not being answered?
Gandhiji from rich lawyer to carpet weaver http://www.indhistory.com/
Both Gandhi and Mandela did not wait for change to come. They worked to help make positive changes, no matter how small, for 20 - 30 years until finally the wonderful transformation came. Again, the same cannot be said about Anti-abortion activist. Abortion is really a symptom of problems that lead to abortions. They rail viciously against abortion yet do little to help remedy the root causes that lead to abortions. There is strong evidence internationally that wherever Anti-abortion activists are strong in a country the abortion rates are actually higher. Our abortion RATE is twice or more that of comparable western European societies. So not only do they not help remedy root causes, they try to prevent others from doing something as well. This shows Anti-abortion activist are making negative changes to reduce abortion. Is it a wonder that for over 40 years their prayers are not being answered?
Nelson Mandela age 42 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Mandela in prison 27 years http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk
Khalid Shah, 50, is an American Muslim who came to the U.S. 32 years ago. He and his wife have lived in the St. Louis area since 1990, and have been active in a variety of interfaith activities as well as in the local Muslim communities. They have both spoken about Islam at a variety of houses of worship. After working as an engineer for most of his career, he is currently a small business owner. 
I did go and read Matthew and I do stand corrected. I also read what is written in Luke and it too can be interpreted as you have written. Thank you for the correction.
I think every Christian should mind their own business…don’t believe in abortion.. then don’t have one. Abortion is wrong.. but war is not? Abortion is wrong.. but the death penalty is not? Amazingly so, this abortion issue is successful in it’s intention to distract the American public from politcal economical issues. Sheep mere sheep what can I say!
Khalid,
The distinction you make is a powerful one. It is common to collapse God’s righteousness into our righteousness. It appears as, “I am not being self righteous, God is saying these things.” Followed by the denial of self righteousness.
I acknowledge, I may be very alone in this. The addiction to being right is overwhelming. As created by God, we have no righteousness. It is God’s, not ours. In short, any use of righteousness is of our self.
Judgement and righteousness are God’s. To claim to be speaking “for” God, and repeating only what God has already determined as “right and wrong” with the intent to influence another or serve our selves is self righteousness.
God will judge what is righteous, not us. Claiming to “know” what God considers “right and wrong” is claiming a “moral authority.” Is it yours, or God’s? (rhetorical) It is yours for you to take on and share the impact in your life. It is not yours to place on another or claim to know.
Claiming moral authority on anything is self righteousness. Only God may use this power. Claiming a connection and understanding of God that is above others and used to judge others is self righteousness. This is the distinction of arrogance and humilty, faith and fear.
The examples you give spent very little time judging or condemning others. There is no need for righteousness when one chooses who they are in the world and has faith in that choice. Even evil knows this, and will use righteousnes to tempt.
This distinction is not easily apparent. It is contrary to human nature.
Example: “My belief in God inspires me to love life and not kill.” Or, “My belief requires I obey God’s law and not kill.”
Example: “It is God’s law to not kill, and you are wrong if you do, I am right if I do not.” This is righteousness, and when we use it, it can only be self righteousness.
More importantly and this is to integrity, “..you are wrong if you do, I am right if I do not.” will make not difference in anything. It will cause harm, it will generate an automatic resistance. It is human nature. Calling out a sinner only serves to fix into place more tightly what is. Evil know this, and works to engage us in this.
Secular laws create mischief when they are based in righteousness. They are more effective when they deal with agreement and what works. For example, we have agreed that we will honor a law that says we may not kill each other. Its inspiration is apparent. Nobody wants to be killed. The right or wrong of it makes no difference. Yet we will debate ad nauseum about who is right and who is wrong. The work here is only to determine what happened and honor the agreement in the law. We make it only about right and wrong so we can be right, and justify unhealthy feelings and thoughts about who we determine is wrong. Of course, it is not us.
This debate only serves our righteousness. I am good because I did not kill. They are bad because they did. God will determine the good and the bad.
so then, how do we know. Do we rely on those who may desire to place themselves between us and God and claim to know God’s righteousness? Are do we take on our relationship with God, and what is within us? Do we each choose who we are, trust in God, and share this?
When we claim to be right, we are being righteous.
I may not live to see the day when we give up the knowledge and language of right and wrong and return to the Garden as God created the world for us. The temptation is to great to take on God’s power and pretend we know.
As long as we remain committed to the use of right and wrong, we will hold sin in this world to serve our own righteousness.
Gods is not the source of sin, we are. What are we doing that is the cause of it? we are dealing in it. Acknowledge it, give it up, and it will disappear.
Mr. Shah,
To say that the Pro-Life movement does not seek to prevent abortions is ridiculous. You say that promiscuity and hardship are some leading contributing factors to most abortions. Tell me, which group of people in this country promote promiscuity? Are you implying that Pro-Life people do so? Guess again. The side you have aligned yourself with is the culprit here. Abortions have been growing in this country because of your support. You cannot blame us for the mess created by the people you support.
We all can do more and we all should do more to help. However, condoning abortion because you think people should help more, truly is a twisted view of reality.
Another,
In my example of anger leading to the murder of a neighbor…
I agree with you that people should not get angry, but people will get angry unless they are drugged up on anti-depressents. You are also right that we should do more to prevent the anger that caused the murder. However, just because the anger wasn’t prevented, it doesn’t mean that the murder was OK.
Likewise, we must do more to prevent unintended pregnancies. However, just because two people made a bad choice, does it mean that killing to undo the choice (and avoid the responsibility) is OK?
If you say yes, then where do you draw the line? When does the killing become not OK?
Thank you, Khalid, for a very intriguing article. I was raised theologically, and don’t bother with it now, but I can say you hit the nail on the head for how I feel about the anti-abortion/pro-life movement. It bothers me incredibly that the same party (yes, individuals haves varying individual opinions, but most still vote republican) vigorously opposes abortion, but that this same party cares little for the poor, cares little for health care, wants to teach proven-to-be-faulty abstinence only sex ed which will lead to more unintended pregnancies, favors the death penalty, and favors war. Other than abortion, you would not say that the right wing of the political spectrum is pro-life. It reeks of wishing to punish those that indulge their sexual desires. The pro-life movement would be something I could get behind if I actually believed that they valued life, not just fetal life.
If ending “abortion as birth control” is the goal…and I think that is a good way to state it…then the solution has numerous components.
Reflecting back to the passages Khalid quoted, I see several things, and I see other things based on my life experience.
First, James reminds us that words DO have power, both for good and evil. James also reminds us that if all we do is talk, and take no action, then we’re actually worse off than before.
Second, I reflect that ministry is best handled on an individual basis. I ask myself, which action is most likely to prevent a particular person from having a non-medically indicated abortion? Screaming at her as she enters the clinic and thrusting pictures of dismembered fetuses at her, or actually taking the time to engage her individually in conversation and sincerely trying to determine why she is there and what drove her to the decision? I would suggest the second. However, there is a warning here: if I intervene in a person’s life, and they make a decision based on my intervention, then I have some responsibility for the future of that decision. In some circles, it is even argued that I have to take personal responsibility for that changed life forever into the future.
Finally, one other significant social change that has to happen here, and I haven’t got a clue how to get there. This whole debate is still phrased in terms of what WOMEN can and can’t do, or should and shouldn’t do. You know, there is another participant in every pregnancy. Figure out a way to get men to take responsibility for THEIR actions, and I guarantee the numbers of problem pregnancies will go down. The wives and girlfriends have a share of this, to be sure. But, if men believed that they could wind up both financially and physically responsible for the children they fathered, then some of them might, just might, think about it before they unzipped.
First, I am amazed how the P-D allows a Muslim to attack the Catholic faith, yet I have never seen anyone post anything derogatory about the Muslim faith, In fact, if you even post a comment that is somewhat derogatory of the Muslim faith, you will be deleted. As always, the double standard at the P-D is alive an well.
ACB - thank you for the stereotyping! Very typical. In fact, I am personally pro-life. So naturally, I am against the death penalty and anti-war.
I see no need to overturn Roe v Wade. If people want babies aborted that will most likely turn out to be more Democrats and people in need of state services - so be it. Abort away. I will not stand in your way. By the way, I also support healthcare insurance for all.
I also personally and financially support causes that assist the poor.
And I vote Republican. I believe the GOP has a large tent and they have never asked me to leave. So what’s the problem?
A Centrist,
Thank you for providing a bit of light humor (you are joking right?). I mean you are against the death penalty and war but vote for a party that brings the death penalty to your local state and started a major illegal war in Iraq that has done enormous damage to our nation. You help the poor yet vote for people who cut funding that would have helped your donation dollar go further. You are for healthcare insurance but also for the party that opposes it. It can see where the centrist moniker is coming from. It is from the tug of war between the reasoned left and kneejerk right impulses.
Sorry a better person would have refrained but really please just read what you wrote and you be the judge. It was just too tempting. As for criticizing the Muslims, please go for it, be my guest. If you have to unburden as long as it is not foul language I will let it appear on my blog entries. It will be my pleasure. Peace and thanks again!
You post the ideals of abandoning right and wrong,ascribing to the notion that your analysis is right and those who blame are to blame.