Pastor John Sheda

Sometime back, I wrote a column about my position on Pro-Life and it really struck a chord. I probably received some 15-20 emails and/or phone calls, all agreeing with the sanctity of life, from conception to the grave. Every comment was directly aimed at the horror of murder, I mean, abortion. Now to be fair, I’m sure there are many readers that are in favor of abortion or as they put it-pro-choice. However, from my side of the fence, I don’t see at all where the baby involved in all of this has much choice in the matter. But, the fact of the matter is this–if those of us, (and there are a lot), would demand change–we would get it. I will tell you how a little later. But first, the rest of my column.

Abraham Lincoln’s willingness to speak out against slavery in the 1860s was not a popular idea among those who wanted him to accommodate to the times and avoid the controversial issue. His profoundly moral position against slavery was not a cautious one. Boldly he spoke out repeatedly in defense of human life and dignity…The word ‘abortion’ can easily be substituted for the word ‘slavery’ in the following quote from Lincoln, and the passage could be addressed to so many today.

What we want, and all we want, is to have with us the men who think slavery wrong. But those who say they hate slavery, and are opposed to it, but yet act with the party – where are they? Let us apply a few tests. You say that you think slavery is wrong, but you denounce all attempts to restrain it. Is there anything else that you think wrong, that you are not willing to deal with as a wrong? Why are you so careful, so tender of this one wrong and no other? You will not let us do a single thing as if it was wrong; there is no place where you will allow (slavery) to be even called wrong! We must not call it wrong in the Free States, because it is not there, and we must not call it wrong in the Slave States because it is there; we must not call it wrong in politics because that is bringing morality into politics, and we must not call it wrong in the pulpit because that is bringing politics into religion; we must not bring it into the Tract Society or the other societies, because those are such unsuitable places, and there is no single place, according to you, where this wrong thing can properly be called wrong!

First they came for the communists, but we were not communists, so we said nothing. Then they came for the trade unionists, but we were not trade unionists, so we said nothing. Then they came for the Jews, but we were not Jews, so we said nothing. Then they came for the mentally deficient, but we were not mentally deficient, so we said nothing. Then they came for me, and no one bothered to say anything either. We did not know what was going on. Maybe we did not want to know.

I know that in the political world, this issue remarkably looks like a partisan issue, but it is not-or better still, it should not be. It is a Human life issue. And here is how we (believers in the life of every single human being, even in the womb), can make a change: DEMAND THAT THE PERSON YOU ARE GOING TO VOTE FOR WILL VOTE “PRO-LIFE.”

Otherwise, all you will do is complain and do nothing. And we see what happens when a people do nothing.

That’s The Way I See It.

Let me know how you see things at jsheda@indyte.com or call me at 319-327-4640. Oh, by the way, if you’re reading this, you should be thankful your mother didn’t believe in abortion!!