Words and deeds for unborn children

We as Mennonite Brethren have been assigned a specific and relevant call to non-violence by our founders. As our culture hastens its descent into moral depravity, it is my conviction that it’s time to rethink our Confession of Faith in the context of the war against the unborn, specifically abortion on demand.

Articles 12, 13, and 14 of the Confession are particularly relevant and are excerpted below:

Christians . . . defend the weak . . . and promote justice, righteousness and truth.

The unborn . . . are particularly vulnerable . . . Christ calls the people . . . to care for the defenseless.

Believers witness against corruption, discrimination and injustice. . . .

In Canada, there is no law protecting the unborn. Are we not compelled, by Scripture and by our own words, to witness against this injustice?

We deplore the loss of life in the exercise of state-sanctioned violence.

We believe that the evil and inhumane nature of violence is contrary to the gospel of love and peace.

This nation’s most obvious state-sanctioned violence is the annual death by abortion of 100,000 of humanity’s most innocent. Legal at any time during pregnancy, abortion may inflict pain on a baby in utero as young as eight weeks. Older babies are often removed piece by piece.

Believers seek to be agents of reconciliation in all relationships . . .

Agents of reconciliation are needed to come alongside women who, by aborting their offspring, are left unreconciled with their babies. This will no doubt include reconciliation within the woman’s family and with God as a loving, forgiving, healing Father.

to be peacemakers in all situations . . .

Peacemakers are needed in the war against “the least of these,” and needed as well in offering aid to these women who experience enormous personal conflict.

seek the well-being of all peoples.

All human life carries the imprint of God. Slaves, Jews, and women, historically seen as disadvantaged, fought for and won the status of personhood. Unborn children, the most disadvantaged of all people, have been stripped of this distinction.

“Silent No More,” an international group of post-abortive women, gives voice to the emotional, physical, and spiritual toll of abortion. The loss of well-being is profound and lasting, and may include long-term physical complications such as infertility and cancer.

In all complex ethical decisions regarding life and death, we seek to offer hope and healing, support and counsel, in the context of the Christian community.

We will find broken people – in our communities and inside our churches. We need to be intentional about offering healing and counsel, and open about our pro-child stance.

How can we begin? By identifying the needs and resources within our own churches, and by networking with and enlisting the advice of existing pro-life organizations in our communities. This may include home placement for women who need our help, giving tools to our youth to withstand the temptations around them, communicating faithfully with our political leaders, and writing to newspapers.

Abortion is not unique to our lifetime. George Grant’s book, Third Time Around, provides an account of abortion and abandonment of babies through the ages. Historically, the church has played a pivotal role in rescuing unwanted children and advocating for justice and compassion.

“True evangelical faith,” Menno Simons wrote, “cannot lie dormant. It clothes the naked . . . it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute . . . it binds up that which is wounded.”

Our founders spoke profoundly relevant, possibly prophetic, words into today’s blood-soaked conflict, but we have been, for the most part, silent. It is time to speak, and to act.

Marcyne Heinrichs is vice-president of Abbotsford Right to Life, and attends Ross Road Community Church.

Sources: MB Confession of Faith; AbortionFacts.com: Fetal Pain; Silent No More Awareness Campaign; AfterAbortion.org