against abortion  Here is a little known fact. Abortion was mostly legal in America until the 1880’s. That began to change around 1900 when the American Medical Association (established in 1847), religious leaders, and feminist groups joined forces to oppose abortion. By 1910 almost every state had anti-abortion laws.

   Those state laws remained in place until 1973, when the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade ruled that those laws were unconstitutional and that abortion was legal if it was performed to safeguard the health of the mother. The term “health of the mother” was to include “all factors— physical, emotional, psychological, familial and the woman’s age—relevant to the well-being of the patient.” In other words, an abortion could be justified for almost any reason.

   In 1976 the Supreme Court lifted two more restrictions on abortion and ruled that:

   #1. Abortions may be performed on minor daughters without the knowledge or consent of their parents.

   #2. Women (whether married or unmarried) may obtain abortions without the knowledge or consent of the baby’s father.

   Since that fateful 1973 Supreme Court decision, over 58 million babies (58,647,770 as of 1-21-2016) have lost their lives.

[See www.numberofabortions.com]

   The history of killing the young actually goes way back into ancient times. We even find it in Greek mythology. For example, Agamemnon killed his daughter Iphigenia in order to have speedy sailing to Troy. This reflected the common belief that if you sacrificed something valuable to a deity, you would receive something good in return.

   Child sacrifice was also widespread in ancient Europe, as well as in China, India, New Guinea, and Australia. On our half of the planet, Aztecs often sacrificed their children to the rain god Tlaloc, and the Inca Indians killed children in a ceremony called capacocha.

   The reason for killing children has not changed very much since the early days of man’s history. Initially, parents sacrificed their children so they could have an easier life (e.g. safe travel) or more income (e.g. good crops). Today, mothers usually have abortions–sacrifice their children–because they want an easier life (e.g. to avoid the rigors of caring for children) or for more money (e.g. to pursue a career or to avoid the costs that come with babies).

   Now that we’ve looked at the culture of death, both ancient and modern, we can spend a few minutes looking at the good news, too.

   Perhaps persistence from those who favor life is changing hearts and minds. According to a CNN poll in September of last year, 58% of Americans now oppose most abortions. In 2015, 54 more abortion centers went out of business or stopped offering abortions. In 1991 there were 2,176 abortion clinics in our country. Today there are only 730.

   There is even some good news in our own state. Even though there are now over 30,000 abortions a year in Pennsylvania, that is half of what it was in the 1980’s. Although it hurts to hear that so many innocent citizens were destroyed last year before their creativity or human contribution could ever be realized, we can at least be glad it was not 60,000.

   What about those who have already experienced an abortion? What can they do? Obviously, no one can go back in time and change the past, but the guilt from past failures can be erased. Read on, this is exciting.

   God has promised to wipe away all of our guilt when we turn away from our sin and seek a relationship with Him. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6–7).

   When God forgives, that means He will never hold us responsible to pay for our sins. The regret will linger, but the One we have sinned against most will forgive us. God is willing to make us pure in His sight. This is possible because Jesus has already suffered our punishment for us. “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, [that would be you and I] so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).

   No matter how much shame is weighing on your heart, even the death of your unborn child, you can still be guilt free! Jesus suffered so that you can be “…holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4).

   Imagine that! Your past can be wiped clean, but only through Jesus Christ. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)… not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:4-5, 9).