It is important that the LCMS continue to speak out for the lives of the unborn. It is also important that we provide help to women who are pregnant with a child that they are not sure they can care for. We also need to foster a culture in which men respect women and also own their responsibility for a child which they have conceived. Without the latter two elements our society will only see the advocacy for the unborn as an invasion into women's "privacy".

We also need to attend to the many ways that our fellow carriers of the image of God are impacted by violence and damage to the environment. The Lutheran Witness several months ago carried an article by an individual associated with petroleum industry who suggested that a focus on environmental health diminished the value of human life and uniqueness. It was unfortunate that the author could not understand that even as we all carry the image of God, we also all rely on his creation to sustain our own well being and when one segment of humanity exploits the environment in a way that damages it, other human beings are impacted. All of our lives are connected. Protecting our environment is also an important responsibility for us if we are to truly claim that we are "pro-life".