The Sanctity of All Life

The Sanctity of All Life

Presented at County Line Brethren Church on January 24, 2010.
Year C, Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Scripture passages: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21

So, after all that scripture, I must explain why I will not be spending much time in them today. I have rarely deviated from the prescribed Lectionary scripture passages. Today, it seems important to do so. Today has been set aside as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It was originally proclaimed by Ronald Reagan in 1984 and is annually identified as the third Sunday in January, which typically represents the January 22 anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortions. It has been narrowly utilized to bring attention to the tragedy of abortion.

Proclamation 5147 -- National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 1984
January 13, 1984
By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The values and freedoms we cherish as Americans rest on our fundamental commitment to the sanctity of human life. The first of the ``unalienable rights'' affirmed by our Declaration of Independence is the right to life itself, a right the Declaration states has been endowed by our Creator on all human beings -- whether young or old, weak or strong, healthy or handicapped.

Since 1973, however, more than 15 million unborn children have died in legalized abortions -- a tragedy of stunning dimensions that stands in sad contrast to our belief that each life is sacred. These children, over tenfold the number of Americans lost in all our Nation's wars, will never laugh, never sing, never experience the joy of human love; nor will they strive to heal the sick, or feed the poor, or make peace among nations. Abortion has denied them the first and most basic of human rights, and we are infinitely poorer for their loss.

We are poorer not simply for lives not led and for contributions not made, but also for the erosion of our sense of the worth and dignity of every individual. To diminish the value of one category of human life is to diminish us all. Slavery, which treated Blacks as something less than human, to be bought and sold if convenient, cheapened human life and mocked our dedication to the freedom and equality of all men and women. Can we say that abortion -- which treats the unborn as something less than human, to be destroyed if convenient -- will be less corrosive to the values we hold dear?

We have been given the precious gift of human life, made more precious still by our births in or pilgrimages to a land of freedom. It is fitting, then, on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that struck down State anti-abortion laws, that we reflect anew on these blessings, and on our corresponding responsibility to guard with care the lives and freedoms of even the weakest of our fellow human beings.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Sunday, January 22, 1984, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life, and to reaffirm our commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of each human life.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighth.

Ronald Reagan

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:24 a.m., January 16, 1984]

This proclamation was issued 26 years ago. Updating the statistics, it appears that close to 50 million abortions have been performed in the United States since 1973 even though the rate of abortion has been steadily dropping since its peak around 1979.

The abortion rate among women living below the federal poverty level ($9,570 for a single woman with no children) is more than four times that of women above 300% of the poverty level (44 vs. 10 abortions per 1,000 women). This is partly because the rate of unintended pregnancies among poor women (below 100% of poverty) is nearly four times that of women above 200% of poverty* (112 vs. 29 per 1,000 women). (source: Guttmacher.org, July 2008)

The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood and family life. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner. (source: Guttmacher.org, July 2008)

It is proper for us to draw attention to the tragedy of abortion. That nearly 50 million have died is unfathomable and reveals our sickness as a society.

It is also proper for us to recognize the tireless efforts of those who work to address this problem in a holistic manner. Beth and I have previously utilized some of the services of Planned Parenthood, which were very helpful at the time.

Family planning clinics funded under Title X of the federal Public Health Service Act have helped women prevent 20 million unintended pregnancies during the last 20 years. An estimated nine million of these pregnancies would have ended in abortion. (source: Guttmacher.org)

Furthermore, it is proper for us to recognize the tireless efforts of those who work to improve the lives of women tossed into the throes of an unplanned pregnancy with little or no resources or support. Beth and I have previously supported places like Rachel's Home in Plymouth. There are crisis pregnancy centers in virtually every medium-size population center in the U.S. servicing the needs of pregnant women and young mothers who have chosen to keep and provide for their children. Adoption agencies provide assistance for those mothers who choose to release their children after birth to a loving family.

I would be remiss if I did not also draw attention to the heart-wrenching decision virtually every mother makes when considering an abortion for whatever reason. Indeed, it would be quite callous for any of us to downplay this time of torture for the mother, especially in those agreed upon exceptions in the case of rape, incest, and serious medical issues, as well as the cases more open to debate such as when the mother lacks any resources whatsoever to care for the child. To consider, care for, or befriend these women with anything less than complete compassion is unchristian.

Yes, we must not forget this sickness in our society, which penetrates to the very core of how we define Life itself. And yet, we would be naïve if we were to believe that a change in court rulings or laws or even constitutional amendments would heal this sickness. Truly, this sickness is about our values about all of Life itself. Laws do not change values.

As written in the proclamation, the right to life has been granted “by our Creator on all human beings -- whether young or old, weak or strong, healthy or handicapped.” May I say, however, that in the fervor to protect the life of the unborn, many appear to have downplayed the equally important life of the mother. At the same time, many of those who strongly advocate for the right of the mother to choose seem to be diminishing the equally important life of the child. We would do well to seek solutions, which would honor both the mother and the child.


Many sermons delivered today will only deal with the problem of abortion. However, if I only talk about abortion on a Sunday emphasizing Life, it would be akin to a presentation about a car, but limiting the discussion to function of the engine and the transmission.

I would suggest that we consider this day by a slightly different title: Sanctity of All Life Sunday (SOALS). The problem with this is that few contemporary subjects are more complex in nature, as comprehensive in scope, garner more heated exchanges, or reveal more about one's spiritual and religious persuasions that does a discussion about “Life.” A beginning list of questions include:
• What constitutes Life?
• Who deserves Life?
• Who forfeits Life?
• How is Life ended?
• How do we care for and nurture Life?
• What are our responsibilities for the Life of others?
• Who is our neighbor for whose Life we are responsible (and are there those who do not meet the qualifications of being our neighbor)?
• When is it OK to take another person's Life?

Now don't be afraid. I know that our time is limited and the Colts play around 3:00 this afternoon. Even though this topic would be hard to cover in a semester's class at a university, I'll just touch on a few important points.

Much of the law in the Old Testament reflects an incredibly high value on “Life.” For example, they were told not to eat the blood of an animal because the blood contained the Life of the animal (Lev. 17:11 and Deut. 12:23). Reading the Old Testament with our post-modern ears sounds rather barbaric. There are commands to kill entire groups of people, without mercy. There is a lot of brutality. Still, it must be pointed out that the law in the Old Testament established limits on things like retribution and revenge. For example, if my neighbor was responsible for the loss of some of my livestock, I could not ask for his head. Instead, I may only have my livestock replaced. Even the Life of animals is important.

We also find a very broad application of the importance of every human Life in the Old Testament. And it is not just about keeping people alive. It is about genuinely valuing the Lives of our neighbors, by compassionately attending to their needs. The prophets regularly chastise the people for neglecting the widows, the poor, the powerless, and the foreigners in their land.

One of the encouraging things in the horrific disaster in Haiti is overwhelming commitment of the world community to Life. Despite a few accounts of isolated incidents, every effort has been made to save Lives. We will never forget the picture of the small child with a mile-wide-smile and outstretched arms as he is pulled from the rubble. Furthermore, there seems to be a growing resolve to genuinely help this poverty-stricken nation in the long term.

I noticed in TIME magazine this past week that Miep Gies died on January 11 at the age of 100. I must confess that I did not recognize the name. But if you have recently read the Diary of Anne Frank, you may recall that Miep Gies helped to shelter and feed the family of Anne Frank from 1942-44. Elie Wiesel wrote the remembrance.

I met Gies much later and was impressed by her sincerity, the simplicity of her comments and the moving quality of her smile. Calm, soft and reserved, she radiated nobility and strength of character. She talked little and quietly, reflecting on the significance of every word. When speaking of the past, she seemed to relive it.

Naturally, I knew much about her life. Anne's immortal diary, which Gies found and gave to Otto Frank after the war, was filled with praise for her devotion and sacrifice.

I asked her where she had found the courage to defy the Gestapo during the dark days of the occupation, and she protested. "I did nothing heroic or extraordinary," she said. "Human beings were in peril, and I had to care for them." But for the Franks, she represented all that is good and generous. She was the incarnation of hope. (Source: Time Magazine, Jan. 25, 2010)

Miep Gies and the efforts in Haiti certainly encourage us to sustain the value of Life.

In our Gospel lesson for today, Jesus pronounces a return to the Old Testament emphasis on Life and of the importance of Every Life.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Indeed, the New Testament seems to emphasize the importance of Life to a new, higher level. Jesus associates with and defends tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans, adulterers, murderers, children, women and the sick. Each of their Lives are elevated by physical presence and affirmation of Jesus. Yes, Jesus values all Life; the pregnant mother contemplating abortion in the same way the unborn child is also valued. And allow me to go one step further here. Jesus values the Lives of those who fight feverishly to protect the unborn child in the same way he values the Life of those who fight feverishly to protect the Life of the mother in turmoil.

A friend of mine on Facebook sent me a quote. "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

It may be helpful in this highly charged issue to begin to value one another, not as enemies or as transgressors, but to value one another's Lives as our heavenly Father values our Lives.

We would do well to seek solutions, which would honor both the Life of the mother and the Life of the child.