Dear Pastor,
In the summer of 2022, there was great rejoicing among American Christians at the long-prayed for move of the Supreme Court to reverse 1973’s horrific Roe v Wade decision that had so twisted law, science, history, and civilized moral standards to unleash the “silent holocaust” of abortion upon preborn boys and girls. As the decades of “legalized” (but always abominable to God) child-murder wore on, Christians had almost given up hope of ever seeing their prayers answered regarding Roe’s fall.
And yet, in the matchless grace of God, He gifted our nation with the Dobbs decision. And by so doing, God gave America one last chance to repent of the blasphemy and blood guilt, the cowardice and compromise, and the appeasing apathy that had allowed those many millions to die such a cruel and unjust death.
But what, in fact, has happened in the days since Dobbs? Well, it is a great tragedy to admit, but while Christians breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the Court’s decision as a victory, the devil took it as an opportunity — an opportunity to push his gruesome abortion agenda even further. The media, long adamantly pro-abortion, started howling. Democrat politicians at the highest levels openly vowed to break the law in order to protect abortion. And the abortion industry itself, though depending more and more on chemical poisons to terminate the lives of preborn kids, nevertheless trebled its efforts to eliminate any and all restrictions on surgical abortions. Abortion up to birth. Tax dollars paying abortionists. No parental involvement whatsoever. No conscience clauses which would protect pro-life people to participate in abortions. An open season on sidewalk counseling, pro-life organizations, even pregnancy care centers. Abortionists even having the authority to decide if a child who miraculously survives the abortion attempt should be given medical care. Lord, have mercy!
Where Christians saw the Dobbs decision as an end, the evil one saw a chance to further shame America with the moral crime of abortion. Indeed, Satan is going further still by now pointing the blame for this abomination, not on a handful of black-robed pagans, but on the American people. After all, under Roe, an American Christian could excuse responsibility by saying, “Hey, legal abortion was forced on us. Sure, we feel really bad about it but there’s nothing we can do.” But after Dobbs, when the wonderful opportunities were right there in front of us to protect women, and babies, and families, and the moral fabric of civilized culture, we failed to act with sufficient zeal and persistence.
Satan, however, did act. In 7 states (just so far, with 11 others on the edge), there have been amendments to state constitutions which have enshrined unlimited abortion rights. That’s right; no restrictions, no limitations, no common sense regulation whatsoever. The moral landscape will be far worse than even under Roe.
Such a constitutional amendment is being advocated even now for Nebraska. Will Christians allow this to happen without a principled, passionate, and persistent effort to oppose it? Will we tell the truth about the extremism of the Protect Our Rights amendment to our family and friends, our church congregations, and in the public square? Will we undervalue (God forbid, ignore altogether) the Bible’s stern commands regarding speaking truth to power, rebuking evil, strengthening the things that remain, being salt and light in our dark and decadent, rescuing those being led away to slaughter, and so on?
Or will we accept our responsibilities to oppose this abominable evil? Prayers. Conversation. Explanations and exhortations from the pulpit. Literature distributions. Social media. Renewed support and promotion of pro-life pregnancy care ministries. And yes, more prayers.
Dear pastor, let’s not fail to be keenly observant watchmen on the wall with this momentous responsibility. Let us not fail to be faithful ambassadors for Lord Jesus and His forever Kingdom. And let us not fail the heritage we have from Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Stephen, Paul, and our Lord Himself as we serve bravely and consistently as His warriors. Let’s fight this thing — and fight it well.
Sincerely,
Denny Hartford
Vital Signs Ministries
Omaha, Nebraska
P.S. You can find resources to help pass the word at the websites of Nebraska Right to Life and Nebraska Family Alliance or under the section entitled “Nebraska Campaign” at the Vital Signs Ministries website.