Every January, pro-life advocates from the around the nation gather to march for life in Washington, D.C. Last summer, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it changed the national conversation about the protection of unborn life.
The conversation has shifted from protections at the federal level to protections at the state level. As some states have moved in a solid pro-life direction, others have shifted to a radically pro-abortion stance. The entire conversation has become increasingly bitter and controversial.
The January issue of The Lutheran Witness offers a broad array of articles to help you and your congregation think about pro-life opportunities. Topics include helping your fellow congregation members who might be suffering from the effects of an abortion and helping those outside the congregation with resources and supplies for caring for a little child. The issue includes discussions of how to refute common pro-abortion arguments made by Christians and reflections on how pro-life Lutherans can help in the fight to protect unborn life.
In all these conversations, in the care for those who have had abortions or those who struggle with the effects of abortion, we look to Christ for comfort. We look to Confession and Absolution, wherein we confess our sins and receive Christ’s forgiveness. In all things, we point the soul wracked by guilt and suffering from the pain of abortion to the comfort found in Christ alone, who removes all our sins from us, as far as the east is from the west.
Visit cph.org/witness to subscribe; enjoy web-exclusive stories and a selection of articles from the print magazine at witness.lcms.org.
Posted Jan. 12, 2023
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I would like to read an article on how the LCMS views the administration of oral medication to rape victims in the emergency room to make a viable pregnancy less likely to occur. Does the synod perceive this as a chemical abortion? Is the rape victim perceived as committing a sin in consenting to the administration of the medication? Is it Pro Life toward the rape victim to spare them from carrying the baby of the rapist? Should even the baby resulting from a rape be given the same rights to live? What efforts are made by the LCMS to repair the life of a rape victim? I do not feel enough resources have been developed or considered to minister to sexually inappropriate injury or behavior. Neither men or women of Missouri Synod Lutheran individuals are comfortable in discussing these issues in most cases. We have no avenue where the unpleasant realities of the sin-filled life on earth can be shared or discussed. In my experience, the norm is more just pretend it didn’t happen! The female Lutheran does not seem to be a priority.