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NRL News
Obama May
Be In The White House, Barack Obama’s statements, party platform, and comments from his supporters have attacked the very fabric of the culture of life. His election will ultimately galvanize pro-life religious communities into a strong and cohesive force for life. Denominational differences have been supplanted by the need to survive Obama’s blatant disregard for the entire spectrum of core issues of culture of life. During my 35 years in the pro-life movement I have worked with many different religious denominations. I believe that Obama’s anti-life philosophy has in many ways leveled the religious playing field. Those who believe in a loving God, who is the author of life, are now faced with a fearsome enemy who wants to dismantle the gains made by the pro-life movement over the past three and a half decades. The threat of raw blatant political power, now wielded by those who do not share our pro-life beliefs, have made a variety of religious groups and leaders realize that our only hope for protecting our pro-life gains is through unity in action and prayer. Here are some specific activities you can do to energize and mobilize pro-life churches in your community: Focus on: The Obama Abortion Agenda By far the Obama Abortion Agenda is the greatest threat to the pro-life movement in the past 35 years (see article by NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson on page). Obama was a co-sponsor of the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA) and he has pledged to sign it into law if Congress passes it. The Obama Abortion Agenda would do the following (and much more): * make partial-birth abortion legal again, * require tax funding of abortion on demand, even when used as a method of birth control * nullify virtually all state limits on abortion including laws requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor child. Obama’s ultimate threat of the Freedom of Choice Act goes even further than Roe v. Wade did in promoting abortion on demand. Further information about FOCA can be found on NRLC’s web site www.nrlc.org Talk about The Obama Abortion Agenda - - over and over and over again. Once people understand the real danger posed by Obama’s agenda, which will be promoted by an energetic anti-life administration supported by an anti-life majority in both houses of Congress, they will be more likely to become actively involved in working to the Obama Agenda. Remember Coca Cola doesn’t sell millions of cans of soda by running only one ad. They bombard you with every imaginable media sales ad they can think of until “things go better with Coke” is embedded in your subconscious. So your first project is to: Stop The Obama Abortion Agenda Action Items: Discuss the Obama Abortion Agenda including FOCA with all the pro-life people you know in the churches in your community. You will probably be surprised by the positive response you will receive when people find out that among other things Obama’s Abortion Agenda would go beyond Roe v. Wade by striking pro-life laws and using tax dollars to fund abortions. Ask for a meeting with each of the pastors in your community to explain the Obama Abortion Agenda including FOCA. Even pastors who may have been sympatric to legalized abortion will probably rethink the abortion issue when threats to pro-life laws like the Hyde Amendment are explained. Use National Right to Life’s Stop The Obama Abortion Agenda petitions (see centerfold) at every opportunity - - county fairs, health fairs, pro-life events, pro-life tables after church services, friends, relatives, co-workers, door to door projects, etc. Every single pro-life signer is critical to our ability to block the Obama Abortion Agenda including FOCA. With your pastor’s permission, have information sheets and NRLC petition sheets available at your church. Plan a meeting with your U.S. Congressman or Senator when he/she is in the district. Attendees ideally should include: one or more pastors, right to life leaders and crisis pregnancy center leaders and a doctor or nurse (all of whom should be well versed in the detrimental aspects of the Obama Abortion Agenda). Carry the Cross One of the most effective ways to make people think about the magnitude of abortion is the cemetery of the innocence project. This project has been successfully carried out in a few areas. I believe it has a tremendous impact on those who have seen an entire field of small white crosses. Jim McFillen, a board member of Maryland Right to Life, has taken this project to new heights. In the last six years he has placed 172 crosses at 52 churches or school totaling 8,944 crosses which were displayed for a total of 3,911 days. The crosses are made of wood and 172 represents the number of abortions performed each hour in the United States. The crosses are placed in church or school lawns along with a sign that explains the meaning of the crosses. The Cross Project is a perfect activity for a chruch men’s group or society. In the Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus usually will take on this project. Again, remember to send names, address, phone numbers and email addresses on all those who work on this project to NRLC. Pray, Pray, Pray Prayer is the one of the most important things you can do to help save innocent human lives. God’s power is without limit and most people believe that God ultimately answers prayers. The following suggestion will help you provide prayer activities for people in your community: Organize a regular prayer event each month, perhaps on the 22nd in memory of the millions of babies who have been killed by abortion. Hold the prayer service at different churches each month. If possible provide music and snacks. It will be a perfect time to gather names of new people and to announce legislative alerts and upcoming chapter events. Also, don’t forget to honor those who have done something special in the previous month - - wrote a good letter to the editor, called in to a local talk radio program, etc. Encourage pastors to include a pro-life prayer each week. Develop a prayer campaign for those who cannot attend prayer meetings or who choose to pray privately. Perhaps they could spiritually adopt an unborn child who is in danger of being killed by abortion. Or, pray for a particular legislator or Supreme Court Judge that God will soften their hearts and become pro-life. Please send copies of photos and description of activities and projects to the Outreach Department at NRLC. May God bless you as you go forward to do good. |