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We wanted to share with you an example of what can be done by a priest to help the formation of Christian citizen responsibility.
Ed. Note: The Rev. Keith Allen from Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Jackson, MS is one of Anglicans for Life’s newest members of our Board of Directors. During the November 2011 election cycle, Proposition 26, a unique Ballot Initiative also known as "The Personhood Amendment," was being hotly debated in his state and in his church community. He felt called to write the letter below to his congregation and we share it here as an example of what can be done by a priest to help in the formation of Christian citizen responsibility.
Dear Congregants,
In recent days I have had a number of people from our parish seek me out to discuss my opinion of Prop. 26, which is the personhood amendment to our state constitution, on our upcoming ballot. While I have sought to maintain my role as priest and avoid that of politician, I feel it necessary to make a clear and public statement.
I, as a priest, believe that God has been clear that He is the Creator and giver of all life. From the first chapters of Genesis we learn that there was nothing until God spoke it into existence. God said...and it was...and it was good (Gen.1) is the pattern of the creation account. Likewise, Scripture is clear that God is the one who opens and closes the womb. (Gen. 29:31; 1Sam. 1:5-6) Thus, each child conceived is an act of God’s creative power and a demonstration of His Divine grace.
Scripture is also crystal clear on the matter of personhood. Personhood is defined by Webster’s as “as a human being that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties." In light of that definition, we are asking, "Is the child in the womb a human being?" The Psalmist in Psalm 139 states that God knitted us together, knew all of our days, and had written them down, all while we were yet in our mother’s womb. What is the essence of personhood if not one who is designed with a purpose and a plan by God Himself? God speaks of the child who is in the womb as a person.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139: 1-16 ESV
There are those who will concede all that I have said and then raise the question of extreme cases such as rape and the life of the mother. These are red herrings in that doctors will still be free to protect the life of the mother, as medical practice often has to make choices to save one person at the loss of another. We can trust our medical and legal system to apply this law.
As to rape and incest, the number of children aborted due to these acts are statistically few. However, if we believe that God is the author and giver of all life, then these children are not merely the result of a violent act, but are the Divine creation of God. As persons they still should have the opportunity for life. They are the most innocent and vulnerable persons and they must have our voice and our protection.
It is my desire that you will read for yourselves God’s Word and you will live in the public square accordingly. We must not follow every wind of culture, but must build our lives upon the Word of God!
