Disclaimer: The anger in this article is directed at the abortion industry and the legislators who refuse to shut it down. The anger is not for the women who have been victims of this industry. If you have had an abortion, there is forgiveness and healing in Jesus Christ, and there is support in your local church.
I want to tell you a horror story. Many, many lifetimes ago, a people lived on this earth called the Amorites. They were a dark and sick people. Imagine with me that this morning dawned bright and cool in an Amorite city just as a beautiful, dark-haired angel of a baby boy entered the world. He cried as babies do when they leave the warm embrace of their mother’s womb. But, instead of being quickly wrapped in a warm blanket and placed in his mother’s eager arms, someone lifted him by one ankle and carried him, startled baby boy, cold and disoriented and hurting, outside, into the bright sunlight, into the cold morning air. He hung there, naked and crying and being shaken violently by the person who carried him so carelessly, so meanly. Soon they approached a large roaring fire, prepared and waiting. And, with little ceremony, the baby boy was thrown into the fire. People watched as he squirmed and squealed and made noises that didn’t even seem possible, trying in his instinctual way to escape the agony of his burning flesh. And, no one cried. And, no one felt much of anything. It was simply something that had to be done.
After a few moments, the baby stopped squirming. He stopped making the terrifying noises. He lay still and melted away on a pile of rotted wood and ash. And later someone gathered up whatever wasn’t burned away and threw it outside of the city, where they forgot about it.
It is believed that scenes like this one happened repeatedly during the history of this evil people, the Amorites, and we are disgusted when we read about it. Every part of the humanity inside of us cries out in protest as we think of this precious one, and others like him, being burned alive and left for dead by the very adults who should be protecting him. Whatever the reason behind this practice, we would never be able to say, Well, in that case, it’s okay. Burning babies alive is necessary in some instances. No, we would never, could never, ever say that. Because we know, no matter when or how or where or why, burning people, especially babies, until they are dead is inherently wrong and evil and unforgiveable.
Fast forward many, many years. In the past twelve months, over 800,000 babies have been sacrificed in similar ways, many burned alive by a harmless sounding solution called saline. Somehow it seems so much easier to condemn the Amorites for their evil practices than to condemn us for ours. Yet, here we are, the by-standers. The people who go about our daily routines, knowing that helpless human babies are being carelessly yanked from their mothers’ wombs and thrown into the fire, where they melt into mere waste and are thrown out with the garbage.
The reasons, they seem important. They almost seem legitimate until we remember, precious baby, round and healthy, the pulling, the shaking, the squirming, the agony. The melting away of a human soul into a pile of trash, nothing more, and everyone goes home and has dinner and watches TV.
And in this we condemn ourselves. Turns out we are no better than the wicked and evil and brutal Amorites. We are committing sins that will call for such a reckoning. I’m not sure if we can withstand the judgment. And millions and millions of children, who would’ve been adults, who would’ve been who knows what, who would’ve mattered to the world, are crying out from their dumpster graves for justice.
But, we just can’t seem to stay focused. Not when it’s so difficult to think about. Not when it seems far removed from our church pews.
Not when people deserve choices.
I wonder if that little Amorite baby would choose the warmth of his mother’s arms over excruciating death by fire? I wonder.
Murder is easy. We look at it, and we say what a shame and we tsk, tsk and justify and justify and justify. And, somehow we think ourselves better than the ignorant ancients who threw their babies on the fire to appease some non-existent god.
But, we’re not. Not at all, actually.
At least the Amorites were trying to please a make-believe God. We are only trying to please ourselves.
And we keep kindling the fire.
Very powerful!
Thank you, Doug!
Very Timely as next Sunday is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Thank you for articulating the child sacrifice in America so well.
Thank you, Brad! I didn’t even realize that’s next week.
Melissa,
I have been reading your blog for a while now but have never commented before. Thank you for this article. I wish it could be required reading for every person in this country. Perhaps it’s message would get through to at least a few of them!
I’m so glad you commented! 🙂 Thanks so much for reading and for your encouraging words!
Reblogged this on Directed Path Ministries Blog and commented:
This is a very timely blog as Sunday is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. If we believe in the Sanctity of Human Life as Christians, we need to be more vocal about the issues around the world that devalue life.
Thank you for this powerful message. The comparison with Old Testament child sacrifice is as true as it is powerful.
Thank you for this insightful post. Your comparison of abortion to Old Testament child sacrifice is as true as it is powerful.
Thank you, Lillie!
More people need to see blogs such as this. Thank you for caring
Thank you, Mr. Clanahan!
Beautifully written, complete with real imagery of what we condone every day. A friend posted a visual representation of the number of deaths by abortion since 1973 compared to every war since 1775. Startling, saddening, sickening. When will we change?
Thank you for this comment, Jennifer. I know. It’s heartbreaking.
Great read. Very sobering and convicting. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thank you, Kelly! I appreciate your comment! Thank you for reading!
Wow! That was so powerful and heart wrenching. Thank you so much for writing this. I will be sharing it. People need to hear the truth in a way they can relate to. Bless you!
Thank you so much for this comment, and for sharing the post!
Wow. Melissa hits the nail on the head again. Chad should let you preach on Sunday.
Ha ha, Chris! Thank you!
How very timely this is today with the horrendous law that was passed in New York yesterday. And it was passed to applause from those who support it. I just simply cannot wrap my head around the fact that people in our Age of Enlightenment could be so barbaric. I am saddened and extremely disgusted with this law and I have committed even more so to pray for this Nation and her leaders.
Very powerful! Thank you!
I’ve read your blog a few times, but never commented. If I understand correctly you wrote this before The Sanctity of Life Sunday and before NY’s horrific act of celebrating the aboration of full term babies? (any time from conception to due date)!!! I’m so shaken and nauseated it’s hard to catch my breath! Yes, I’ve known about this abortion issue and our church is involved with PRC and Human Coalition, but have I truly prayed consistently, like it was “my” baby? We support mothers who have chosen life and share how they can
be forgiven. It seems a line has been drawn in the sand and we each need to bow our hearts to Almighty God and pray for forgiveness. I remember reading about the Amorites and thinking how inhuman they were, now here we are just as inhuman!
Thank you for this well written article that is very convicting!!
Sincerely,
MaryAnn
MaryAnn, thanks for your comment. Yes, I wrote this a few years ago. This week’s turn of events brought it to my memory. Thanks for reading.