This very special episode is in celebration of Sanctity of Life Sunday. Listen in as Entrusted Ministries Director and longtime Christian journalist Tom Strode discuss the biblical basis for the dignity of life, the historicity of this debate, and what we can do as believers to live this principle out.
Episodes Referenced:
What if It's About More Than the Baby + Natural Solutions (Part 1)
What if It's About More Than the Baby (Part 2)
They're the joyful agains our children shout on the swings, the
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:exhausting agains of cooking and laundry,
and the difficult agains of discipline.
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:So much of what we do
as mothers is on repeat.
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:So what if we woke up with clarity,
knowing which agains we were called
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:to, and went to bed believing we
are faithful in what matters most?
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:We believe God's word is
the key to untangle from the
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:confusion and overwhelm we feel.
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:Let's look up together to embrace a
motherhood full of freedom and joy.
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:Thank you for joining us for part two of a
very important dialogue between entrusted
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:ministries, director and the author of
entrusted with the child's heart, Betsy
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:Corning and journalist, Tom Strode.
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:I'm Stephanie Hickox and this
is the again, podcast brought
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:to you by interested ministries.
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:Today's episode focuses
on the sanctity of life.
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:As I said, this is part
two of a discussion.
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:And if you haven't had an opportunity
to listen to episode one, Go back and
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:listen to last week's episode first.
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:Betsy and Tom, speak on this
truly controversial topic
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:with such care and compassion.
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:I so appreciate that even as we
were ending the interview, Mr.
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:Strode said, You know, it's hard for
me to stay on top of all these issues.
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:I can't imagine being a busy young
mom taking care of little ones and
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:staying on top of what's going on.
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:It was so kind of him to share his
time with us and help inform us so we
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:can be mindful and intentional with
our choices, our convictions, and also
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:to be impacting the world around us.
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:Toward the end of the interview, Mr.
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:Strode shares a truly thought provoking
statistic on women entering the church.
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:And it might radically shape
your perspective as it has mine.
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:If you're looking for more on
the sanctity of life or how
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:it can practically play out.
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:I would love for you to go and listen
to an interview I did with Jen Frackman.
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:I will link those episodes
in the show notes.
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:And this incredible
interview she discussed it.
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:It's an absolutely amazing adoption
story and how the Lord led her to
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:radically love, not only a baby.
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:But a young mother in need.
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:Every time she tells it.
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:I get goosebumps And I'm sure the
spirit will work in your heart.
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:As you listen.
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:She also has some great natural solutions.
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:I hope that you and your crew are healthy
right now, but if you're fighting some
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:sickness this winter, I know you'll be
blessed by the tips that she shares.
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:Again, I'll link those in the show notes.
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:You don't want to miss.
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:Those episodes of Jen sharing.
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:A truly transformational
adoption testimony.
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:Without further ado.
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:Here's part two of that interview with
Betty Corning and journalist Tom Strode.
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:Betsy: Bring us up to date, if you
would, on what's happening with Roe v.
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:Wade because obviously
it's been challenged
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:Tom: almost 50 years after the Roe v.
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:Wade decision in 1973 where pro lifers
challenged the law, that ruling, I should
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:say, over and over, a couple of times
even, in a case in:
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:excuse me, Reproductive Health Services.
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:1992 Planned Parenthood versus Casey.
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:It appeared at one point, based
on the papers of justices who had
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:retired after that, that the court
had a majority to overturn Roe.
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:But by the time they got to
actually issuing a decision,
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:that majority had fallen apart.
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:And in both cases, the court
supported some state restrictions,
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:but Just basically permitted
Roe to continue and abortion to
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:continue throughout the country.
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:But then there was a case that came to
the court in:
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:Jackson Women's Health Organization.
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:It was a case out of Mississippi,
and in that decision, the court ruled
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:5 4 that not only was that law of
Mississippi's Legitimate, but the Roe v.
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:Wade decision was wrongly
decided and it struck down Roe v.
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:Wade.
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:Now, of course, what that required is
you finally have to have enough justices.
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:Who will actually take that step.
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:And over the years, you know, justices
came and went without that taking place.
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:But finally by 2022, there were five
justices who were willing to do that.
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:Clarence Thomas, who'd been
on the court for 30 years.
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:Samuel Alito had been on almost 20
years, and then the three justices
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:who were nominated and confirmed
during the Trump administration.
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:Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh
and Amy Coney Barrett.
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:And Samuel Alito wrote the decision
for the court, for the majority.
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:And in it, he said, Roe was
egregiously wrong from the start.
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:Its reasoning was exceptionally
weak and the decision has
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:had damaging consequences.
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:The constitution makes no reference to
abortion and no such right is implicitly
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:protected by any provision therein.
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:And he went on to describe Roe as
an abuse of judicial authority.
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:He said the court failed to ground its
decision in text, history, or precedent.
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:And so what that did was, it sent
the decision, or sent the abortion
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:regulation, whatever a state was going
to decide, it went back to the states.
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:The federal government did not
have any longer authority in that
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:area as far as what was legal.
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:It went back to the pre Roe.
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:Situation.
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:Betsy: Well, this is so interesting
and impactful and you can see
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:how it has divided the country
in so many portions, sadly so.
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:And it's interesting because in
Entrusted, I know that I talk
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:about this it's kind of a joke.
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:It's a man that comes to heaven and
Peter meets him at the gate, and says,
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:why should I let you into heaven?
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:And he says, and he's a scientist and
he believes that science is superior and
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:science has accomplished all these things,
all these biogenetic things, and they're
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:able to, you know, really create a person.
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:And he says, well, can you create a
person out of the dust of the ground?
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:And so the scientist, yes, I'm sure
I can, but God takes a handful of
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:dirt and he creates a man just like
that out of the dust of the ground.
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:And, and then the scientist picks up the
dirt and God says, no, get your own dirt.
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:Now I've heard that before, but the
thing about it, how it actually relates
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:today in sort of a chilling way.
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:Is that that's actually
happening, but people you could
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:insert instead of dirt, DNA.
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:So God created the DNA and man can't
do anything to actually create the DNA
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:or who knows what they'll be doing.
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:But I think back to the tower of
Babel when it says there will be no
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:limit to what man will start doing.
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:And to that, I say, Lord Jesus come
quickly because it's getting to the
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:realm of Really some chilling things that
are happening and, you had a quote that
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:you mentioned about how do we do things
safely and ethically, when we really
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:don't even agree on how we're created.
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:So, people would say that You know,
God would say, get your own DNA, but
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:maybe they are getting their own DNA.
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:I've read a lot of things that
are happening now in biogenetics
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:and how they're actually able to
accomplish a lot of things that we
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:might have really thought were sci fi.
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:Can you address that a little bit?
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:Tom: Well, you're right, Betsy.
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:The progress has been made by science
and medicine in many ways has been
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:amazing, the kind of surgeries able
to do, even on children in utero.
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:who have maladies that can be corrected.
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:But with that genetic progress and
development, come a lot of questions
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:and a lot of harms to human life.
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:And the thing we always need
to think about as citizens,
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:as Christians, as parents is.
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:The sanctity and dignity of the one who
will be affected by the decisions we make.
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:And and so in all of this, in
the genetic engineering, genetic
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:manipulation all the different
things that have been accomplished
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:I mean, that needs to be foremost.
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:We need to protect human life
and in one of the, and so there's
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:prenatal testing that goes on.
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:And unfortunately, that testing not
only can learn, although not with
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:100 percent success conditions that
an unborn child may have, like Down
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:syndrome, like spina bifida, and others.
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:But, then what's often happens is If
the child is diagnosed with such a
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:condition, what do you do at that point?
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:And many doctors are going to recommend
that that child be terminated, be aborted.
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:And and so we would say, well, that's
That's wrong and that child has
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:the right to life and is deserving
of protection just as one, much
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:as one who's considered healthy.
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:And who are we to judge what life is
worth living and is not worth living?
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:And sadly you know, with Down syndrome
in particular, the diagnoses are
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:not always accurate, but there was a
tudy done that stretched from:
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:to 2011, in which they found in the
United States, That 67 percent of
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:the diagnosis on unborn children of
Down syndrome resulted in abortions.
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:Now, higher figures are used in some
European countries, have been in the past.
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:Like Denmark and Iceland, where there
we're talking about 95%, 100 percent of
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:children with Down syndrome are aborted.
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:And that's been a problem.
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:And in fact, some states have
been so concerned about it that
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:they have passed laws to protect
unborn life in those situations.
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:Um, uh, 11 states, excuse me, eight
states have passed laws that ban fetal
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:anomaly abortions, in other words, any
anomaly in a, Diagnosed in a child in
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:those states, it cannot be aborted.
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:And it's not that the other
states necessarily agree with it.
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:They, for some reason, haven't
seen the need to do that.
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:11 states, even more.
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:Have actually banned sex selection
abortions, which sounds, to
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:us, crazy in the United States.
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:That's a problem in countries and has
been for years, like China and India.
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:But there is some concern among some
states that that's a valid concern now.
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:So we You have to be concerned
about prenatal testing and what
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:the result will be with that.
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:Betsy: Yes, I agree.
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:And this I think is another issue
that's happening is politics or
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:the government isn't really keeping
up closely with the science.
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:Just like I said, the public
has a difficulty in this regard.
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:And so I think the latest,
that was a concern.
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:I, I actually have examples of
these from my entrusted class.
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:You know, of these sort of things,
but I think the near future, if not
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:of the present, is that you won't even
wait for the baby to be conceived.
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:The DNA will be checked before it's
fertilized, and they will be able to
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:weed out certain disease processes.
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:So then we come to the question
of the sanctity of life.
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:How much do we interfere with what
should naturally be taking place.
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:And I was reading some science viewpoints
recently, and they were saying that,
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:you know, we know that Romans one says
we do not change the natural for the
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:unnatural, but they don't see that as.
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:They see it as natural because
of their view of science.
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:So this is another rift just
between the Christian worldview
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:and the non Christian worldview.
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:So are we going to just start
making children that eventually.
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:All look the same and we'll all be the
same and we're all the same Level of
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:intelligence and we're all the same
this and that I think that's one of the
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:ethical issues that they're dealing with
But when we think of it as christians
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:We see a component there that they
don't see See in DNA and that besides
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:being created in the image of God, is
that we have an inherent sin nature.
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:So we cannot prescribe to a person
who they're going to be just by
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:their DNA, their genetic coding.
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:And even though we interfere with that.
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:We're still going to, as long as
this world exists, because the
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:Bible tells us so, there will be
this rebellious nature in man.
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:And I know that this, especially for
the heart that doesn't believe in God.
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:So as a result of that, we can have rogue
scientists all over the world that don't
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:have a worthy cause to You know, even in
this whole situation of the coronavirus,
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:scientists all over the world sort of
band together and didn't worry about who
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:got a patent or who got paid so much.
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:They were trying to find the vaccination.
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:And, and in fact, they came through
with a vaccination that is completely
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:entirely different than previous
vaccinations have been because they
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:used genetic material rather than
the introduction of the actual virus.
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:So, even that part of
science is changing so much.
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:And I think that we really, we really
need to understand how we need to, to
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:really believe to know what we believe
and why we believe it and stand with our
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:convictions, no matter what the world
may think otherwise, even in this area
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:of area of speciesm, which they would
call the people It's a derogatory term,
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:but people who espouse the sanctity of
life, this would be applied to them.
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:Because why do you think life,
human life is so special?
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:It's.
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:Equal with animal life.
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:Here's another quote that I have.
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:Speciesism is often condemned as the
same sort of bigotry as racism or sexism.
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:And people who oppose speciesism say that
giving human beings greater rights than
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:non humans is as arbitrary and, get this,
as morally wrong as giving white people
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:people, greater whites than non whites.
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:So basically they're
saying it's morally wrong.
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:Where we are saying, this is what the
Bible says, and it's morally right.
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:They actually degree disagree to the
level of saying it's a moral issue.
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:To say that animals are not
on the equal level of people.
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:So no sin nature attributed to humans.
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:And no value in being
made in the image of God.
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:And of course we would say that all
people, all people of every nation,
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:tongue, and tribe are worthy and special.
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:Dignified people to be
protected before the Lord.
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:Tom: Well, in you, in talking
about scientists and, and how
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:some handle this whole issue
think of the movie Jurassic Park.
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:We were with one of our children
and his family for Christmas.
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:And our oldest.
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:Granddaughter on that side of the family
had been wanting to watch Jurassic
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:Park and her parents finally decided,
I shouldn't say finally, they decided
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:that she was old enough to watch it
and she knows I like dinosaurs and so
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:she wanted me to watch it with her.
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:So we watched it end of the year.
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:And there's a part in that movie,
and I, I know many of your listeners
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:have probably seen that movie, the
inal Jurassic Park movie from:
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:There's a part in the movie when
John Hammond, who's played by Richard
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:Attenborough, is explaining What
his scientists have accomplished.
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:They've been able to clone dinosaurs
by getting the DNA material from
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:mosquitoes who had sucked the blood
out of those dinosaurs ages ago.
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:And then those mosquitoes that had
been discovered preserved in amber.
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:And and he's commending to Ian Malcolm,
who's played by Jeff Goldbloom and
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:some others, who he's brought in
to kind of sign off on this new
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:amusement park that features dinosaurs.
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:And he's telling them about what
great things his scientists have done.
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:And Jeff Goldblum gives him a
warning about genetic power.
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:He says, your scientists were
so preoccupied with whether
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:or not they could, they didn't
stop to think if they should.
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:And I think that's kind
of a warning to us.
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:And we as Christians, but any human
being especially parents who want to
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:have children need to remember, and
you know, when you come to in vitro
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:fertilization which is Been grown, you
know, in popularity over the decades.
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:And right now we have 1 million
embryos that are frozen in storage.
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:Undetermined what their
fate is going to be.
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:And it's not unusual for
12 embryos to be created.
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:For one couple and and not
nearly that many are implanted.
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:And after some are implanted and whether
there's success or not, the parents
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:have to decide, what are we going to do?
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:Are we going to keep paying
to have these preserved?
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:Are we going to let them be destroyed?
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:Are we going to let them be
given to medical research?
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:Well, the one good thing is,
Families or couples who want to have
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:children and are willing to adopt.
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:Can actually adopt an embryo or embryos
and a woman can bring those to term and
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:give birth and that's been Duplicated
you know over and over and and that's a
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:pro life ministry in itself and parents
who See that they've got these children.
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:They don't want them.
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:They've allowed them to be created.
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:And they're in storage recognizing, you
know, we can't let these children die.
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:They are children who are
deserving of protection.
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:And give them for donation to be implanted
in a woman who's willing to give birth.
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:And to raise that child as her
own or her own with her husband's.
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:And so, they're just all these
issues we have to think about.
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:And, and we need to be aware of
young parents or young couples who
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:are dealing with infertility need
to be aware of those kind of issues
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:before they go down that path.
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:Betsy: It can certainly create the
proverbial slippery slope and I think
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:we need to think ahead on those.
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:Ethical implications.
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:If we create life, we want to preserve it,
protect it, and not have it be destroyed.
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:And so, that is something for every
young couple to wrestle with and know
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:where they stand on these issues.
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:And I think also with abortion, you
know, we have a heavy heart for women
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:who may have Not really understood
the issue in the past and taken part
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:and had an abortion And we would
want them to know that that is not
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:something that god would not forgive.
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:He forgives everything That we
repent of we obviously fall in
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:his mercy and we repent of that
and ask for his forgiveness.
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:I think there's so many, in, in talking
with so many women in the country,
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:I realize that that is just a weight
that women carry, if that has been
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:a part of their past, and we would
certainly not wish that for them.
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:We would want them to feel that healing
and that restoration with the Lord,
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:and that can certainly happen through
taking those actions, just quietly,
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:you know, In your own home, just call
out to the Lord and, and repent of
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:that action, rather than, you know,
carrying all that, the weight of that.
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:And And, you know, I think that, that
the Lord has those infants in heaven
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:in some particular way, and that
someday they will be reunited and we
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:just trust and hope in those things.
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:But what we see here is really a
greater divide in the thinking, the
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:ideologies of people and growing more
and more so because the ethics behind
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:the choices and the reasoning, the fact
that people would start to say that.
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:The sanctity of life is actually an
immoral issue because it places the
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:dignity of human life above animal life.
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:I mean, it just goes to show
how things can be made and to be
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:the opposite of what they are.
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:So we really want to appeal to our
listeners to know, to study their Bibles
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:and to know what the Bible says, and that
we have the Biblical conviction to live
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:under the authority of God's word, come
what may in this world, and to be careful
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:not to get entangled in medical decisions
that may be contrary to those convictions.
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:It's you know, it's all
upon us right now, I feel.
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:Tom: Well, I think Betsy, What you
just said was excellent and there are
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:a number of other issues that abortion
was basically the front end of the whole
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:quality of life debate the whole sanctity
of life versus quality of life debate.
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:I mean, we go from the beginning
of life with abortion and things
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:like embryonic stem cell research.
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:And the genetic things we're talking about
with IVF and prenatal testing go to the
321
:end of life with assisted suicide and
euthanasia, which, you know, around the
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:world, especially in Europe, is a huge
problem, problem here to some extent.
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:But not like over there.
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:And so, you know, we have need to
think in terms, you know, of not only
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:the preborn child, but others who
are vulnerable to having their lives
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:threatened as a result of some viewpoints.
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:That we would disagree with.
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:And also Just because we're christian.
329
:We're not the only ones who are pro life.
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:I mean there are atheists who are for life
there are people who wouldn't come at it
331
:from our perspective, but They look at it.
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:They recognize what that child is in
the womb, and they come to decide.
333
:Yeah, good point.
334
:That, that person is worth protecting,
and it's wrong for me, even though
335
:I don't believe in God, or I don't
believe the Bible is my authority.
336
:I am going to be pro life.
337
:Betsy: You'd like them to develop
that a little further and say, well,
338
:where does this really originate at?
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:Right.
340
:Might change their thinking.
341
:Tom: Right.
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:But, you know, I think now I think we have
an opportunity as Christians, and as the
343
:church specifically in this day, that we
didn't have To some extent before Roe v.
344
:Wade was overturned.
345
:Because now, every state's gonna
decide what it, what abortion is in
346
:its, whether it's legal or illegal.
347
:How it's gonna be restricted.
348
:And since the Dobbs decision
overturning Roe in June of:
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:so that's about a year and a half.
350
:24 states now have laws that
restrict abortion at some point.
351
:18 of those restrict abortion or
ban abortion throughout pregnancy.
352
:And in these states, at least have an
exception for the life of the mother.
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:If the life of the mother is
threatened, then the abortion
354
:is permitted in that case.
355
:Four of those states are being,
those laws are being challenged.
356
:one state's law is before
the Supreme Court now.
357
:It's going to hear oral arguments
on an Idaho case because Idaho's
358
:law prevents emergency abortions in
hospitals where, that receive Medicare.
359
:And Biden administration, the Department
of Justice, has challenged that, and the
360
:Supreme Court has agreed to rule on that.
361
:There are also, as a side note,
there's also another case, abortion
362
:related case, that the Supreme Court
is going to argue later this term.
363
:Its term normally ends, like,
in late June, but they argue
364
:cases through April, typically.
365
:And this one involves the abortion pill.
366
:Unfortunately, the abortion pill 53%.
367
:So a majority of abortions in this
country are now performed through.
368
:What they call, what proponents
call medical abortion.
369
:We would call it, I would call it chemical
abortion or just the abortion pill.
370
:It's a two step process.
371
:It's been around, it's been
actually legal, approved by
372
:the FDA in 2000, the year 2000.
373
:And you take one pill,
Mifepristone, a woman does.
374
:And it Causes the embryo to release
from the uterine wall and then a couple
375
:of days later you take another pill,
misoprostol, that causes the baby to
376
:be ejected from the womb and and so
in:
377
:America were done through that method.
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:As of 2000, I believe it is 53%.
379
:Are now done.
380
:And that's just increasing.
381
:And so that sets up a whole.
382
:A whole new problem for having pro
lifers reach those women in that case.
383
:Betsy: At some point people
won't be traveling or going
384
:to a doctor for an abortion.
385
:They will just be doing that.
386
:You know, we talked about some of
these states that have different
387
:laws because they're being mandated
particularly separately by the states now.
388
:And there are some states
that are much more open to it.
389
:And we Talked about Illinois being one
of these states, and I was traveling
390
:and driving across the bridge from St.
391
:Louis, Missouri to Illinois, and
I saw this billboard that said,
392
:Welcome to Illinois where you can
get a safe legal abortion, and I
393
:just about drove off the bridge.
394
:I mean, what a, what a welcome.
395
:What a welcome to your state.
396
:And it was a billboard put up by
some aldermen actually from St.
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:Louis, they spent a 1.
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:75 million to give this welcome message
to the people crossing the bridge.
399
:So as a result, what happens, all the
surrounding states that have stricter
400
:greater restrictions, more stringent
restrictions on abortion than Illinois.
401
:A ton of women, you probably know the
exact amount, are now going into Illinois
402
:and the same thing that happened.
403
:with New York in earlier days.
404
:Tom: Well, you're exactly right.
405
:I mean, we welcome all these states,
almost half of the states, that have
406
:acted to protect human life in the womb.
407
:But other states have you know, Really
become even more abortion promoting.
408
:California is notable.
409
:Its governor has been welcoming
and inviting women to come to
410
:their state to have an abortion.
411
:New York's continues to be a
destination state and, and the
412
:states up in northeast part of the
country don't have abortion bans.
413
:In Illinois is Unusual as opposed to New
York and California in that it, unlike
414
:those states, is surrounded, as you said.
415
:by states that ban abortion.
416
:All the states that touch Illinois
ban abortion, but they are,
417
:have become a destination state.
418
:Illinois has become a destination
state for women seeking abortions
419
:from other states that ban it.
420
:In fact I saw a statistic this past week
from the Illinois Department of Health
421
:and Planned Parenthood that showed that
in the first six months after Roe v.
422
:Wade was overturned, so we're talking
about the last six months of:
423
:17, 000 women from 40 states, not,
not just the neighboring states,
424
:but 40 different states traveled
to Illinois to have abortions.
425
:And, as you pointed out from
that billboard, you know, in St.
426
:Louis, the, you know, the Illinois's
that's being promoted in Illinois, and
427
:some doctors from other states have
gone there to set up abortion practices.
428
:And I really appreciated
what you said about women.
429
:I know women.
430
:who have had abortions and
God has graciously worked
431
:in their lives, saved them.
432
:They have grown as believers.
433
:They've experienced that
forgiveness and healing.
434
:And I just want to say amen to what you
said that there is hope in Jesus for the
435
:woman who's had an abortion, for the man
who pressured her to have an abortion.
436
:For even parents who pressured
their daughters to have an abortion.
437
:For the abortion workers.
438
:For the abortion doctors.
439
:There is salvation in Jesus.
440
:There's forgiveness.
441
:And We have the gospel and
that's what people need to hear.
442
:And so, you know, we have a
great opportunity as a church.
443
:And I would say the most important thing
we could do as Christians is really
444
:be engaged in the church, be active
members of their worshiping, learning,
445
:teaching, serving, ministering to others.
446
:In 2015, Lifeway Research did a survey
for Care Net, which was one of the
447
:larger largest Pregnancy Resource
Center networks in the country.
448
:And it showed that 36 percent
of women had attended church.
449
:At least once a month at the
time of their first abortion.
450
:So we don't know the kind of
pressure that women are experiencing
451
:who are in crisis pregnancies.
452
:There was a study by the Charlotte Loser
Institute, which is an arm of the Susan B.
453
:Anthony Pro Life America organization,
which is a leading pro life organization.
454
:Charlotte Loser Institute is a research
group, and they did a study just
455
:last May that showed that 80 cent.
456
:Eighty seven percent of women
said that who had had an abortion
457
:said they experienced some form of
interpersonal pressure to abort.
458
:And forty five percent of those
women reported they experienced
459
:high levels of pressure.
460
:And so you're right, women are in crisis
they're in need the church can meet
461
:some of those practical needs that women
have and some women would choose to do.
462
:To give birth, if they knew how to
solve some of the issues they have
463
:financially, childcare and in other areas.
464
:And so we really have the
opportunity to do that.
465
:Betsy: And I think we need to make the
point that we all are sinners and needed
466
:to fall in the mercy of the Lord and
repent of our sins, which we have to
467
:confess and repent of daily, regularly.
468
:And so they're certainly not
alone in their situation.
469
:And I just, you know, we definitely have
a heart for women who find themselves
470
:carrying so many burdens that the Lord
would not have them have to carry.
471
:That they can be Freed.
472
:They can be free in the Lord.
473
:So, wow, thank you so much.
474
:There's a couple extra
things we might mention.
475
:You know, when we talked about the
frozen embryos and maybe somebody
476
:didn't realize at the time what was
happening and now they feel this.
477
:They're faced with this ethical issue.
478
:I know one woman in one of my classes
who they had this situation, and
479
:between her and her husband, they
had the conviction that they needed
480
:to implant every single embryo.
481
:So, they had, I believe it was seven
more, and none of them took, but in
482
:their own consciences, ushered each
One into heaven and so that is how
483
:they resolved that and I think you know
That's gonna be a bigger and bigger
484
:problem and people make decisions perhaps
before they even know the Lord or know
485
:the ramifications Of what's coming up?
486
:So we want to be really
aware of these issues
487
:Tom: You're right.
488
:There are places that women
can go to, donate an embryo
489
:or even go to for adoption.
490
:One of those is in Knoxville,
Tennessee, the Embryo Donation Center.
491
:But I think, you know, in addition
to really being involved in our
492
:church and ministering to people
there and serving people there.
493
:There are things churches and individual
Christians and families can do as well.
494
:Certainly supporting or serving at a
pregnancy resource center is really an
495
:important part of pro life ministry.
496
:There are more than 2, 700 of these
centers around the country and
497
:they're really on the front lines.
498
:You know, and women who walk
in there are really in need and
499
:they're meeting those needs.
500
:They're providing practical needs.
501
:They're not only doing pregnancy tests
and doing ultrasound imaging for them
502
:of their unborn child, which is vital,
but they're doing all kinds of training
503
:and providing material needs as well.
504
:And one way We can do that financially
is to actually give to place
505
:ultrasound machines in these centers.
506
:I worked for years for the Ethics and
Religious Liberty Commission and the
507
:ERLC has what's called the Psalm 139
Project and all the gifts that are
508
:given to it go just to provide for
these machines and the training of the
509
:People at those centers to use them.
510
:And adoption or fostering is a vital pro
life and it is a vital need indeed, and
511
:if we can't do that, we certainly can help
and support people who are doing that.
512
:And we probably all know people.
513
:In our churches who are doing that.
514
:And of course, seeking to be
citizens who seek to affect like
515
:state legislation on these issues
and to elect pro life candidates.
516
:And, because the dignity of life and
sanctity of human life is more than just
517
:the abortion issue, you know, there may
be other ministries that people are drawn
518
:to, your listeners are drawn to, whether
it's helping trafficking victims or
519
:refugees, you know, any number of people.
520
:Needing, with, who are vulnerable.
521
:You know, there are organizations
out there that are looking for
522
:people to come alongside of them.
523
:And so, and of course, you know,
I'm saying this at the end, but it,
524
:you know, prayer is so vital and
and so we should pray and ask for
525
:God's gracious and powerful work,
and we should spread the gospel.
526
:Yes.
527
:Make disciples.
528
:Betsy: Amen to that.
529
:Well, Tom, I want to thank you so
much for being a part of this and
530
:informing our listeners and me.
531
:I mean, I learned so much
from what you were saying.
532
:And I think it's really important
that we, you know, be up to date on
533
:really what's happening in our world.
534
:Also be really thinking
about terms that are used.
535
:And is this term really an action?
536
:A good, genuine reflection of
what it's trying to portray.
537
:And there's lots of times
rhetoric that's used to sort of
538
:confuse people just in the whole.
539
:Idea of pro choice.
540
:Well, it's my choice.
541
:Well, is it your choice?
542
:And how does the Lord look at that?
543
:So to really be looking at
things like that, but we see
544
:the great divide in ideology.
545
:There's a great delusion over our country
and even over the world on what things.
546
:What is real and what is true, what is
genuine and, you know, what is biblical.
547
:And that's just completely thrown out of
the equation in so many circumstances.
548
:So I, I I really thank you
for that, for bringing us up
549
:to date on what is the truth.
550
:And I pray that this is helpful.
551
:Really helpful to our listeners.
552
:Thank you so much.
553
:Tom: Well, thank you, Betsy.
554
:I wanted to say, I really appreciate
your ministry and what you're doing.
555
:Mothers are so vital to the church,
to our society, to our world.
556
:And it's a challenging role but
I'm thankful for what you and
557
:Entrusted are doing to help them.
558
:Before you go, I'd like to point you to
our website and trusted ministries.com.
559
:So you can utilize some
of our free resources.
560
:It's January and lots of moms
are looking for new systems.
561
:I'd love to point you to the
every day before I say chart.
562
:For most moms learning about this
beneficial resource is one of the
563
:highlights of taking entrusted.
564
:And we think that it can
really bless your home.
565
:If you're looking for your kids.
566
:To take a little bit more initiative
and to have a little bit more
567
:order, this tool might just be
for you again, it's interested.
568
:ministries.com.
569
:Head to our resource page.
570
:We know you're busy, Mama, so
we are truly grateful you joined
571
:us for this episode of Again.
572
:If you're looking for more information
about building your home on the
573
:foundation of Jesus Christ, head to www.
574
:EntrustedMinistries.
575
:com to learn more about our study for
moms, Entrusted with a Child's Heart.
576
:This scripture saturated study
has blessed families around the
577
:world, and we want it for you, too.
578
:Before you go, I want to pray
this benediction over you
579
:from 2 Thessalonians 1, 11 12.
580
:We're rooting for you.
581
:To this end, we always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of His
582
:calling, and may fulfill every resolve
for good, and every work of faith by
583
:His power, so that the name of our Lord
Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in
584
:Him, according to the grace of our God.
585
:And the Lord Jesus Christ.
586
:Amen.
587
:Until we meet again.