Yet Another Battle In An Old War

Yet Another Battle In An Old War
by John Thieman

Slightly over 150 years ago, a war began in the United States. It was a struggle between those who felt there was a difference between people who were born with one color skin and those born with another. They were considered as objects to be manipulated at the pleasure of those who believed they were superior. This feeling was so intense and unyielding, that the group of people who believed this was so had gone so far as to enslave the others, giving them no rights as human persons, and treating them with all sorts of indignities and brutalities.

That war is over, the physical battles have been fought and won by those who knew that all humans are created equal irregardless of the color of one's skin, features, creed or national origin.

Now there is another battle. It is really part of an older and larger war which has been raging from the beginning of humanity. Hatred has not arisen against those of a certain nation, race, or beliefs. No, this war is against certain individuals, who, in fact, are defenseless. Unlike the slaves who were subservient to their master, these individuals are dependent for their very life upon their parents and all society to protect them in their helplessness. These are our children soon to be, but not yet born. They have no voice except through ours. They cannot plead for their lives except through us. They cannot look toward their future except through us. We are their hands, their hearts and their very existence. The lives of these unborn are totally dependent upon us.

Yet, the outcome of this present battle will not end the war. It is just one struggle along the way to final victory. The real contest is for the lives of those waiting in the womb of their mothers, soon to be born. All of us, adult and adolescent, are engaged in the ultimate outcome. We who are living must aid and assist those yet unborn, who, by their very existence silently call to us for aid. We have an obligation to help them by what we say, how we act, and what we do. We cannot, we must not, ignore their right to live and their silent cries for help.

There is more. Our responsibility broadens when we engage in the very act of creation. Through these actions we cooperate with God and bring new life and hope into the world. We must not think that our refusal to accept this fact allows us to simply say "no thank you," and return his gift to him because we do not want it. Do we think that we are gods who can refuse, throw away and even kill what God gives us as the result of our choices and actions? We must become the advocates of life, not its enemy!

But there is a much larger war, this is the ultimate test of our moral strength and character to chose what is right or wrong. The enemy uses his best weapons - that of confusion, indecision, uncertainty, inaccurate information, doubt, worry of what others will think, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves, inexperience in expressing our ourselves, and fear.

Our far-superior weapon is that of truth. This truth states that God has given each person from the instant of conception the right to live, to love and to serve him in order to be with him forever in heaven. It is for this reason, Jesus, God's divine son, died on the cross to redeem us. His act freed us from the bondage of the first sin of our parents which gives us the opportunity to reach heaven.

Our individual role in this battle and larger war is very clear. We are called upon to join the forces of those who promote the truth of God's law and reject those which place their own interest and agenda above this truth. The battles of this war are waged on a daily basis. The prize is the future life of our own immortal soul. The choice to preserve life at all its stages contains the elements of a spiritual victory. To ignore the pleas of the yet unborn and helpless by our actions, or even our inaction, places us in danger of personal defeat. Our choices in the war carry with them our reply to the eternal creator of life.

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