Life Bulletin -- Summer 2008
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, those He has called according to His plan. Romans 8:28
Lutherans For Life of Illinois
Our Mission
The mission of Lutherans For Life
is to witness to the sanctity of human life through education based on the Word of God.
Board of Directors
President -- Allan Benson
President -- Jeanne Strubbe
Secretary -- Carol Stronsinski
Treasurer -- Brian Umbach
Spiritual Advisor -- Rev. A. Schmidt
Hon Board Member -- Diane Schroeder
Director of Education -- Joyce Fassig
Assistant Director of Education -- Donna Benson
Video Library -- Pat Garbe
Essay Contest -- Sandy Goss
Newsletter -- Corinne Thomley
Please address any letters of inquiry or information to: Corrine Thomley (email)
or
Life Bulletin
c/o Lutherans For Life
408 Price
Mattoon, IL 61938
Deadline for inclusion in the next issue is October 15, 2008
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Forty Days for Life Campaign
The organizers of the 40 Days for Life campaign have energized pro-life advocates across the country and seen abortion centers close in the process. Yet, the fall 2008 campaign, leading up to the important presidential elections, could be the group's largest yet.
David Bereit, national campaign director of 40 Days for Life, says the enthusiasm for the fall pro-life outreach is enormous. "Cities across America are applying to participate in the fall 2008 nationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign," he says. The event is another "focused initiative that promises to be the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history," Bereit tells LifeNews.com.
"Abortion claims more than 1.2 million innocent lives in the United States each year," Bereit added, "and in 2008, the stakes for our nation are higher than ever. People of faith and conscience are approaching this challenge with a heightened sense of urgency."
The campaign features 40 days of prayer and fasting, around the clock peaceful vigil outside an abortion facility and grassroots educational outreach.
Simultaneous campaigns will be conducted coast-to-coast -- and internationally -- as part of a unified outreach fro September 24 through November 2. "The repaid expansion or this effort has exceeded our wildest expectations," said Bereit. "More than 300 cities across American, and four in other countries, have already stepped forward and expressed interest in the fall campaign. People are eager to get started."
The fall's effort will mark the third nationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign. Already, 150,o000 people in 139 cities in 43 states have joined in prayer, fasting, and vigils before abortion centers. Over 500 children have been confirmed saved from abortion while abortion workers have left their jobs and at least two facilities have closed.
American Cancer Society
Mark Crutcher, president of Life Dynamics, writes the American Society has long supported embryonic stem cell research and denied the abortion breast cancer connection. Now it has been revealed that the organization is also donating some of the money raised from its national RELAY FOR LIFE to Planned Parenthood. Susan Crump, a member of Yuma, Arkansas, pro-life community told Life Dynamics that when they questions the American Cancer Society about the situation, the group admitted they gave several thousand dollars to Planned Parenthood of Iowa. (Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortion on demand in America and is subsidized by US tax dollars through our government.) As a response to this revelation, the Knights of Columbus and several other pro-life organizations have removed their support for RELAY FOR LIFE events. We can only hope that the ACS will be made aware of the activities they are actually supporting -- the denial of life to the pre-born -- and that they will change the direction of their activities.
Tax Dollars Funding Abortions
According to a recent Guttmacher Institute report, state and federal tax dollars paid for 177,404 abortions in 2006, at a cost to taxpayers of $89,000,000. Also at taxpayer expense, a whopping $1.85 billion was spent on family planning client services in the same year. Even more alarming is the rate at which these expenses are rising, primarily because of Medicaid expansions that have substantially increased the number of people eligible for Medicaid family planning services. And although taxpayer-funded abortions are limited by law in many cases, pro-abortion forces are working tirelessly to render these law useless.
Dr. Lamb Speaking in Effingham
The featured speaker at the annual Banquet of Life at the Keller Convention in Effingham on September 25 will be Dr. Lamb, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life. The theme for the evening is "IN OUR FATHER'S HANDS" and Dr. Lamb will be speaking on fatherhood and the call to encourage men to embrace their roles as leaders of their families.
No tickets will be sold. People are being asked to host tables of eight. This is a fund raiser and everyone will be given the opportunity to give a love offering. Those who wish to attend are asked to call the Life Center at 217-342-5433 as soon as possible with the names of table hosts. Those who can not host a table are also urged to attend -- there will be a space for you. With no LFL National Convention this year this will give us a chance to personally connect with the national office through Dr. lamb and look forward to the return of that event in 2009.
Abortion Fallout
A recent editorial by John Lott for Fox News highlights the social fallout that followed Roe vs Wade, dispelling the myth that abortion was merely a woman's issue with the effects limited to the woman who chose it. The social ills caused by legalized abortion include an increase in out-of-wedlock births, reduced numbers of children put up for adoption, an increase in pre-marital sex, and a decrease in the number of "shotgun marriages" that take place after a woman gets pregnant. These have all created a sharp increase in single-parent households in the years following the legalization of abortion. Lott concludes that the net effect has been more children living in poverty and more crime associated with single-parent families.
2008 Essay Contest Results
Because it is so very important for children to develop a pro-life way of thinking and a life style that goes with this. Lutherans for Life of Illinois has for many years sponsored essay writing contests on sanctity of human life issues. Reading the essays and listening to the experiences of those who have been in any way involved with the production of these essays time and time again has illustrated how valuable this experience is. The framing of these papers solidifies and defines attitudes in growing minds and hearts. These attitudes will not be easily changed as student mature.
2008 Essay Contest Results
|
3-4 grade |
5-6 grade |
7-8 grade |
| 1st |
Zion
Marengo |
Zion
Marengo |
St. Paul
Milford |
| 2nd |
Trinity
Tinley Park |
Altamont
Altamont |
Altamont
Altamont |
| 3rd |
Trinity
Tinley Park |
St. Paul
Kankakee |
Trinity
Tinley Park |
Over 650 students from 9 schools participated this year in the elementary essay contest for grades 3 - 8. All winners are listed above. Each year the first place essays are printed in various newsletters around the state and have been published in church newsletters as well. Those first place essays are on the following pages.
Every year it is very hard to select those top writers from the hundreds of entrants. We know that everyone who took part is a winner for their efforts and the skills learned. We are all reminded that God has a plan for each individual life.
Fourth Grade Essay Winner
Zion Lutheran School
Marengo. IL
In the Bible God says to put your troubles in His hands because He loves and takes care of you. 1 Peter 5:7 says, "cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Some people just put a few of their troubles in God's hands, but that is totally wrong. Maybe they think God's hands aren't big enough, but they are.
God's hands hold everything: children, adults, hope, faith, love, prayers, forgiveness, joy, homes, nature and worries. God's hands give comfort and security. They protect us, feed us, teach us, and reach out to us. God's hands led His people out of Egypt, defeated enemies, turned water into wine, fed five thousand, raised a girl from the dead, washed His disciples feet, and healed a man of leprosy. God's hands were nailed to a cross for us. God's hands were raised from the dead.
If God's hands can do all that, they are big enough to handle out troubles. They are big enough to strengthen us and help us care for others, too. His hands will help our hands reach out with love and respect for others.
Fifth Grade Essay Winner
Zion Lutheran School
Marengo. IL
A Good Example
We as Christians know that abortion, euthanasia, and other forms of disrespect for life are bad, but many of us wonder, "What can I do to stop it?" We usually think of big programs, but most of us do not have the money or power for anything like that. What can we do?
My aunt and uncle showed me that anyone who loves and welcomes all of God's children, no matter how weak or strong, can inspire others to do the same.
Aunt Chie and Uncle Brad could not have children, so they wanted to adopt. Finally, the got the opportunity. A couple was expecting a baby with Down's Syndrome. They did not want to keep the baby because they thought it would be too hard to raise. They were afraid. They felt it would be too much of a burden.
My aunt and uncle knew it would be difficulty to raise such a child, but they were still overjoyed. They trusted that God would help them and give them strength to be good parents. They knew that every child needs parents, and they were willing and happy to have any child, even one others might reject. They believed all children are a precious gift from God. When the couple saw Brad and Chie's example of love, faith, courage, and joy, they were inspired to change their minds. Instead of rejecting their child, they decided to keep him and value him even though he was not perfect.
We, too, can help change the way people think about life. We can tell them and show them that we all have faults, problems, and weaknesses as great as the physical problems this baby had. In spite of those, everyone is valuable. Everyone deserves a chance. Everyone deserves to be loved, welcomed and wanted.
By the way, Aunt Chie became pregnant at about the same time that baby was born. God is good, isn't He?
Seventh Grade Essay Winner
St. Paul School
Milford, IL
In the Hand of God
All life is in God's hands from beginning to end. In the beginning, God created life with His own hands. God tells us in Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them." God didn't only created Adam and Eve, but everyone since then and everyone yet to come. We know this because God says in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." this is also stated in Psalm 139:13, "for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
God redeemed life with His hands when He sent Jesus to save us. The Bible tells us this in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This shows how much God loves us and wants us all to be saved.
God calls us and holds us in His hands through all stages of life. In Isaiah 46:4, God says, "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you, I will sustain you and I will rescue you." We can always trust in God's promises, and He knows what is best for each of us. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to ham you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
Life is precious and I am amazed and extremely thankful for it. I know that God created all life, and it is more precious to Him than I will ever understand. The fact is that God is the source of all life. He creates, redeems and sustains all life in His hands.
Some Election Musings
by Jeanne Strubbe
Illinois President, LFL
By now we have all heard about the famous statement made by Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama concerning his daughters and the possibility of making a mistake and getting pregnant at a young age. When he first uttered the statement, he reference the age of 16 and how he wouldn't want them punished with a baby or an STD, so he would support them having an abortion. (Killing his grandchild by the way.) When questioned later about the statement, he lowered the age to 12 or 13, I guess to make it more rational -- but I'm still pondering that change in his statement. I find it disturbing that he would use his daughters as the example in his scenario, and then use the words "punish with a baby" even more disturbing. He would rather they abort his grandchild without his knowledge than deal with the consequences of their actions. I wonder if he stopped to think that since they are residents of Illinois, they could abort his grandchild without his knowledge because he voted AGAINST parental notification law for minors while serving as a senator in the state of Illinois. (The parental notification law was passed in 1995, but because of rules negotiations, it is still not enforceable, which is just another disturbing fact about abortion laws in Illinois.) I have these words for Barack Obama. Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a person, but eventually it ends in death." For those who are facing an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy I share these words: Roman 8:28, "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, those He has called according to His plan."
David Menton of Answers in Genesis was on hand to explain the "Implications of Evolutionism -- Should the Christian Make Peace with Darwin?" Once a Christian has corrupted his faith by accepting the tenets of atheistic Darwinism there is little sound basis left for his faith and/or his commitment to the sanctity of human life. Dr. Menton used logic and biblical faith to explain that the literal six days of creation as explained in Genesis are most certainly true and are the basis for our Christian faith.
Buddy Davis of Answers in Genesis was on hand Friday afternoon with a children's program and in the evening with family-oriented entertainment.
Other speakers included Rev. Dr. Dean Wenthe, president of Concordia Theological Seminary; Rev. Dr. Francis Monseth, Dean of the Free Lutheran Theological Seminary, and Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz, the Executive Editor of GOOD NEWS Magazine.
The message brought out so vividly was that as God's special creation -- made in His own image, we are most loved by Him. He has given His Son so we can all spend eternity with Him and so we treasure each human life whether 110, 60, 15 or still waiting to be born. God has created each one of us, He has a plan for each of us, and all life is to be treasured, protected and valued by us under all circumstances.
Next year the Convention will be held in Wisconsin. Watch for the announcements that will be coming regarding time and place and remember to set those dates aside so you can attend.
Coming Event
Jill Stanek will be the featured speaker at the September 21 meeting of Illinois Valley Lutherans for Life. Jill Stanek was the whistle-blower at Christ Hospital in Chicago after discovering that infants born alive after botched abortions were denied medical attention and set aside until death occurred. Ms. Stanek was eventually dismissed from her job as a nurse at that hospital and has since become an outspoken advocate for life.
The meeting will be held at Salem Lutheran, Jacksonville, IL beginning with a sandwich meal at 5 p.m. Ms. Stanek will speak at 6 p.m.
Free will donation
Everyone is invited and urged to attend.
For more information please contact Jeanne Strubbe, (217) 243-8562 or Jeannestrubbe@yahoo.com.
A Love for Life
Christianity's Consistent Protection of the Unborn
by Dennis DiMauro
[Note: Dennis DiMauro lives in Herndon, VA and is the President of our local Northern Virginia Lutherans for Life chapter. He also swerves on the Board of Directors of the National Pro-Life Religious Council and has been a very vocal voice for life for many years.]
Is abortion ethical? The answer to this question is often obscured by rhetoric, slogans, and politics. And the media message on abortion is often of little help. When the typical American opens up her morning newspaper, she sees the topic debated between pro-lifers and pro-choicers but receives little information that could help her make an informed moral decision. And as she reads further about the subject, it seems that the Christian church, often an ethical guide in many of her decisions, is of no use to her. Sadly, she is told that the church is just as divided as the rest of society on the topic. So our average American is left to fend for herself. She must somehow decide the right answer with little guidance from society, from the church, or even from God Himself.
But is our average American really without guidance? Has she gotten all the information she needs about abortion, or has she received only the five-second sound bite that leaves her as confused as she was before she heard about the abortion debate? And has God been silent on the abortion question? Has the church really shown a diversity of opinion on the sanctity of life?
A Love for Life will provide Christians with the biblical and historical information that they need to make an informed decision on the abortion question. It will also take a critical and biblically-based look at the arguments and theologies of today's most prominent pro-choice clergy. And it will determine if abortion really fulfills the will of God, as many pro-choice Christians believe, or whether abortion is a clearly sinful act. In short, readers of A Love for Life will discover the real message of the church on abortion.
Endorsements
"In this brief but comprehensive and well-researched book, Dennis Di Mauro traces the history of the Christian church's pro-life position, born from its Scriptures and theologically consistent until the latter part of the twentieth century. Di Mauro also demonstrates that the pro-life position represents the majority of the Christian world, even as he points to powerful pro-life voices within Christian traditions that are currently pro-choice. Christian people and churches on all sides of the abortion debate need to grapple seriously with these realities, and the first step in doing so is to read this book."
-- Michael J. Gorman, author of Abortion and the Early Church
"In A Love for Life, Dennis Di Mauro provides a much-needed review of Christian history that both preceded and followed the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court opinion which legalized abortion. It is a compelling chronicle of the consistent pro-life voice of Christianity through the ages as well as a disturbing review of the divided response of today's churches and religious organizations. In light of the 46 million legal abortions since 1973, Mr. Di Mauro's narrative ought to cause readers to consider a new (or renewed) commitment to restoring the historic Christian principle of the sanctity of all human life."
- Jean Garton, author of Who Broke the Baby?
"A Love for Life is a splendid achievement. The author brings together the ancient and contemporary, biblical truth and today's political arguments, in a narrative that illuminates the ways in which Christians have engaged, and failed too engage, the great human rights question of our time."
- Richard John Neuhaus, Editor-in-Chief, First Things
"Up until now, you might have thought you knew the outstanding Christian tradition in defense of children in the womb. But that was before you picked up this book."
Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life,
President, National Pro-Life Religious Council
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