Foster Friess, an endorser of Rick Santorum, cracked a joke about old-fashioned contraception yesterday, referring to placing an aspirin between a woman's knees. The leftist media has been reacting in their usual way, heaping insult upon insult upon this man, Rick Santorum, and the joke. I have heard this story before, knowing personally a woman who once, upon seeing a pregnant woman, with six children in her wake, walked into our church looking for food from our food bank, gave the woman a quarter and told her to hold it between her legs. By the way, she also gave her some food. I admit that I laugh whenever I hear this joke. And I will tell you why it does not bother me.
If you stop for a moment and think about what is really being said when this line is being used, you discover that this is a commentary on how far downhill our society has gone over the years in the realm of family values. There was once a time when about the only contraceptive available was CHOICE. Men and women would choose not to have sex. Men and women would choose to have sex when appropriate if they would not want it to result in a pregnancy. And most importantly, men and women chose to have sex only within the confines of a marriage. That, by the way, is where God designed sex to be found, and when found there, it is a blessing from God.
Look where we have come. Much of contraception is used for the express purpose of providing an opportunity for men and women to have sex outside the confines of a marriage. Schools are expected to teach children about sex, in many cases beginning in Kindergarten. This teaching in government schools makes no mention of God's plan for sex to be limited to a marriage. Emphasis is put on teaching children to have safe sex, not abstaining from it. And anyone who disapproves of this activity is branded as being from the Dark Ages, not "with it", or to put it bluntly.....a prude. Well, I am going to announce to you that I am a prude....and proud of it.
I get direction for my life from God's Word. I firmly believe that the Bible is the only source of pure truth in our world. I trust that God knows what is best for us, and He tells us what that is in His Word. I am saddened by what our world has become. I also know from God's Word, that a Savior was sent to this world long ago to deal with the sinfulness of this world. Because of His death on the cross, Jesus, the Christ, is ready and willing to forgive me and everyone else of their sins. We have that great news to share with this sinful world. However, we are also to point out what is sinful, otherwise a person will not feel the need for Jesus.
I take comfort from knowing that I am not the only Proud Prude in the world.
Showing posts with label contraception. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contraception. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
LCMS President Responds to Pres. Obama's "Accommodation"
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In response to President Obama’s announcement Friday concerning an “accommodation” to a previous mandate that health plans must cover all forms of birth control (even those that can kill the unborn), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) remains deeply concerned. We strongly object to the use of drugs and procedures that are used to take the lives of unborn children, who are persons in the sight of God from the time of conception. Drugs such as “Plan B” and “Ella,” which are still included in the mandate, can work post-conception to cause the death of the developing child, so don’t be fooled by statements to the contrary.
We see President Obama’s action Friday as significant, in that it appears to have been prompted by the many voices united in concern over an infringement of our religious liberties. But the “accommodation” did not expand the exemption for religious employers, nor did it restrict the mandate in any way. It simply described a temporary enforcement delay and a possible future change—a change that, unfortunately, would not adequately protect religious freedom or unborn lives.
We remain opposed to this mandate because it runs counter to the biblical truth of the sanctity of human life. We are committed to working to ensure that we remain free to practice the teachings of our faith, that our religious rights are not violated, and that our rights of conscience are retained. Freedom of religion extends beyond the practice of our faith in houses of worship. We must be free to put our faith into action in the public square, and, in response to Christ’s call, demonstrate His mercy through our love and compassion for all people according to the clear mandate of Holy Scripture.
The government has overstepped its bounds. This controversy is not merely about “birth control” and the Catholic Church’s views about it. It’s about mandating that we provide medications which kill life in the womb. And moreover, and perhaps even more ominous, it is about an overzealous government forcing coercive provisions that violate the consciences and rights of its citizens. We can no longer expect a favored position for Christianity in this country. But we can, as citizens of this great nation, fight for constitutional sanity against secularizing forces. As we have vividly experienced in discriminatory state legislation with respect to homosexual adoption, we, and our institutions (and those of other religious citizens of good will), are being robbed of the right to the free exercise of religion absent government intrusion or threat. The next assault will come upon church-related retirement facilities. How much longer will it be legal in this country to believe and act according to the dictates of biblical and creedal Christianity?
Jesus bids us, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). We will pray for and support our government where we can, but our consciences and lives belong to God.
In His peace,
Pastor Matthew C. Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
In response to President Obama’s announcement Friday concerning an “accommodation” to a previous mandate that health plans must cover all forms of birth control (even those that can kill the unborn), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) remains deeply concerned. We strongly object to the use of drugs and procedures that are used to take the lives of unborn children, who are persons in the sight of God from the time of conception. Drugs such as “Plan B” and “Ella,” which are still included in the mandate, can work post-conception to cause the death of the developing child, so don’t be fooled by statements to the contrary.
We see President Obama’s action Friday as significant, in that it appears to have been prompted by the many voices united in concern over an infringement of our religious liberties. But the “accommodation” did not expand the exemption for religious employers, nor did it restrict the mandate in any way. It simply described a temporary enforcement delay and a possible future change—a change that, unfortunately, would not adequately protect religious freedom or unborn lives.
We remain opposed to this mandate because it runs counter to the biblical truth of the sanctity of human life. We are committed to working to ensure that we remain free to practice the teachings of our faith, that our religious rights are not violated, and that our rights of conscience are retained. Freedom of religion extends beyond the practice of our faith in houses of worship. We must be free to put our faith into action in the public square, and, in response to Christ’s call, demonstrate His mercy through our love and compassion for all people according to the clear mandate of Holy Scripture.
The government has overstepped its bounds. This controversy is not merely about “birth control” and the Catholic Church’s views about it. It’s about mandating that we provide medications which kill life in the womb. And moreover, and perhaps even more ominous, it is about an overzealous government forcing coercive provisions that violate the consciences and rights of its citizens. We can no longer expect a favored position for Christianity in this country. But we can, as citizens of this great nation, fight for constitutional sanity against secularizing forces. As we have vividly experienced in discriminatory state legislation with respect to homosexual adoption, we, and our institutions (and those of other religious citizens of good will), are being robbed of the right to the free exercise of religion absent government intrusion or threat. The next assault will come upon church-related retirement facilities. How much longer will it be legal in this country to believe and act according to the dictates of biblical and creedal Christianity?
Jesus bids us, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). We will pray for and support our government where we can, but our consciences and lives belong to God.
In His peace,
Pastor Matthew C. Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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