I have been writing blogs for over 8 years now, and my main emphasis has always been to focus on God’s Kingdom and how to bring more people to trust in Jesus and enter his Kingdom and live forever in his presence! I have tried to stay clear of political discussions, because God’s Kingdom is much greater and better, and far above any political solutions from either the right or left. But I do want you to consider a Michigan proposal to change our constitution concerning abortion, Proposal 3. Abortion, while sadly used by politicians to garner votes, is not just a left or right issue. There are pro-choice and pro-life people in all political parties. Abortion is a moral issue, one of life and death, and one Christians cannot ignore or be silent on, especially since it has become a national discussion after the repeal of Roe v. Wade.

 My view on any issue is to first determine what God has said about a particular issue, and then obey and share what God has said.  My “opinion” is not that important on any issue, (and neither is yours), because I believe God’s view is always the real truth, and any other human opinion that differs with His truth is just therefore a flawed opinion.  My previous blog explains what I believe God clearly says on this issue. Because of that, I will be totally “up front” and say I am totally against abortion, and believe every abortion is the killing of a pre-born baby, made specifically in the image of God. I certainly understand there may be an occasional necessary exception to that, such as when the very life of the mother is at stake, and some may also consider rape and incest victims. I also know that there are some Christians who read my blogs who disagree with my view, and believe abortion should be legal, usually with certain restrictions. While I disagree with you on this, I respect you and pray your decision is made out of heart-felt motives to help and protect women from harm. While even Christians may disagree on this, we are called to work together to bring people closer to God’s will and his Kingdom agenda and bring reconciliation to a world broken and torn by sin, hatred, division, accusation, and destructive vitriol!

So, if we “Michiganders” (a weird label!) look at Proposal 3, and if you share my view that God is completely against abortion, then it is an obvious “no brainer” that you should vote NO on this proposal! As you shall see, this is an abortionist’s dream proposal and one that may actually be worse than Roe itself was.

For the rest of you, some who “don’t give a rip” what God says about anything, or those who do care what God says but disagree with me about what you think God says, I still ask you to look carefully at Proposal 3. You might find that this is NOT an abortion proposal that you agree with at all, and may be much more extreme than what you really want!

When Roe was overturned this summer, it sent the decision about abortion back to the states, allowing each state legislature to debate all views and possibly come up with a compromise solution  that fits their state and reflects where most people are in that particular state. While this is never a perfect solution, it at least allows for ongoing debate and the opportunity to change the laws as our culture changes on this issue, and as the “other” party then comes into power they can vote to adjust what they view as overly extreme legislation from the other side. This at least allows more time and a process where people can more deeply look at the moral, medical, and humanitarian views on this issue, as well as look around the world to see what other cultures are doing as well. From my Christian perspective, I would prefer to live in a state and nation that bans abortion and also values women and babies (and all people) as infinitely valuable. (A “Womb to the Tomb” or “Whole Life” approach) But, none of us get what we want in this sinful and divided world, so how can we work together to draw people closer to what God desires for us all, as he seeks to heal, forgive, restore, and redeem this fallen world?

If you believe in abortion with limitations, what should those be, and how does Roe and Proposal 3 compare? Many folks like to say the United States should be more like Europe on social issues, somehow thinking that because those countries are older they are somehow more sophisticated and humane than some here may be. Most studies of people in the U.S. who want legal abortion show that the majority of them always want limited abortion, usually within the 1^st trimester (12-15 weeks). After looking at 5 different sources on abortion in Europe, that is exactly where most European nations fall. Two or three prohibit abortion except for death of the mother, rape, or incest. 47 out of 50 European nations limit it to 15 weeks or less, while one or two go as high as 24 weeks. NONE of them go the full term of pregnancy (36 months)! On a world-wide basis, one study said that of 198 countries, only seven allowed abortions past 20 weeks (except, again, for the life of the mother, rape, or incest). And of those 7, a few were still limited to 24 weeks. So, what about the U.S.? For the past 50 years, Roe has allowed abortions up until the time of birth itself (36 weeks). This has allowed for late-term abortions and the horrific practice at times of partial-birth abortions. On a world-wide scale, the U.S. has ranked alongside North Korea and Communist China as the most extreme places for abortion in the world. Proposal 3 would continue Roe’s legacy, and WILL be even worse!

What about Proposal 3?

It is NOT a law that is legislated by the state, where both sides could debate the issue. It is a Constitutional proposal that would amend the state Constitution, and would invalidate all present laws that are on the books that conflict with it’s stipulations, and would also prohibit lawmakers from making any new laws or regulations that conflict with what it says. This is a hastily written proposal after the Roe decision that is totally one-sided and is all the things the abortion industry wants. It was written by lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, and it is cleverly and deceitfully written in a vague and general way. Many legal scholars believe it would not only eliminate or prevent any restrictions on abortion at all, but would change the relationship between parents and their children, as well as women and their doctors.

Proposal 3 goes way beyond Roe in that it seeks to create a brand new “right” to “Reproductive Freedom” that does not exist in this state or in the nation. This is a vaguely defined new right for “EVERY INDIVIDUAL” (with NO age limits), to make and control “ALL DECISIONS ABOUT ALL MATTERS RELATING TO PREGNANCY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PRENATAL CARE, CHILDBIRTH, POSTPARTUM CARE, CONTRACEPTION, STERILIZATION, ABORTION CARE, MISCARRIAGE MANAGEMENT, AND INFERTILITY CARE.”

 Because of no age limitations and “every individual” having this new right, laws protecting children and their parent’s rights are eliminated, meaning a young girl can have an abortion without her parents knowledge, and the same idea can be applied to children’s “gender reassignment treatments” (including sterilization), again without parental consent and knowledge.

In another section, the proposal gives all control to the individual as well as the attending “health care professional” (NOT necessarily a physician) and will not allow the state to regulate or infringe upon that procedure. Neither can the state take any legal action against the individual or anyone aiding them or assisting them in these procedures, even when things go wrong. This means that a botched abortion or even if a woman dies in the procedure, the state cannot prosecute against them as long as the individual gave their consent to the procedure.

There are many other concerns about this proposal as well, and I encourage you to check them out for yourself. The bottom line is that this is not a state law that can be changed or improved upon; it is a hastily-written and reactionary proposal that would become constitutional and would eliminate many laws we have now to protect not only unborn babies, but those women who seek abortions as well as laws protecting parental and children’s rights. If you do want abortion to be limited but legal, and can see the dangers of Proposal 3,  I encourage you to work with state legislators to work on such a bill that may better reflect a more balanced view of all people on this issue. No one will get everything they want! I would never vote for any bill that promotes abortion, but if I have to live in a state or nation that legalizes abortion, I would hope to live in a place that at least limits it to the 1^st trimester or less.

It is my hope and prayer that we people can do better than this as we deal with this volatile issue of abortion and unborn children. If you are a Christian and a follower of Jesus, please take time to pray and listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance for you as you consider this and all other issues we face. We are here as believers to present God’s love and care for all people, and we must be careful to discern what is being said in this world from every side around us.

Politics today, and in every generation, is an art of saying things that are partially true and sound really good initially, but can end up hurting us and others later on. This is true of both political parties today, especially in this day of non-stop news cycles and sound -bytes. Focus first on God and what his agenda is, and vote as well as you can in a way that you think honors God and his Kingdom above party line or any other allegiance. And let’s continue to pray for and love each other, even though we may disagree on issues at times!

I close with some good warning and advice from Paul in Colossians:

¹  For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ²  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, ³  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴  I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. ⁵  For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. ⁶  Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷  rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. ⁸  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

– Colossians 2:1-8 (ESV)