The recent slaughter of twenty-plus schoolchildren and several teachers in Newtown, Connecticut has saddened us both individually and nationally once again. These types of shootings have seemed to cluster in the last two decades or so - a disturbing trend. President Obama shed tears when when he spoke publicly concerning the Newtown tragedy. I don't think they were crocodile tears. I think he really is deeply saddened by this horrific event. He wants to take steps to prevent such tragedies in the future. I don't blame him or other politicians for wanting to take action. We may disagree on who should take action and which actions should be taken, but the desire to prevent tragedies like this is a good thing. However, I'm also convinced that the President, and much of the nation's citizens, has an equally tragic blind spot in regards to an even larger tragedy that occurs every day and on a larger scale than that which just occurred in Newtown.
Every day in America more than 3000 utterly defenseless human beings are purposely put to death - in the womb. These defenseless victims have not been convicted of any crime and furthermore are not able to run, scream for help, or hide in a closet. Not only this, but much of this slaughter is subsidized by our tax dollars and performed legally! Who is to blame? Not only those choosing to have such procedures done, but also many of us who think we are free of this guilt. We have put into place either by election, appointment, or by other support, rulers, representatives, and judges who support the legal killing of defenseless and judicially innocent human beings - a practice otherwise known as abortion. Often we cover up the word "abortion" with other names like "Reproductive Rights" and "Choice" - but scratch below the surface and you will still find that it is in fact murder that is being supported. Why else would we need to cloak its true heinousness with good and righteous-sounding terms? The blood is on our own hands.
There is something terribly wrong when we can shrug off the daily killing of thousands of innocents by sane, fully-conscious people, yet wring our hands, mourn, and fly the flag at half-staff when not even thirty are killed by a deranged shooter. I don't mean to minimize the deaths of those in Newtown, but rather to bring to light the relatively hidden slaughter of those murdered daily through abortion. Just as we mourn for those in Newtown, we should mourn for the death of the unborn. Just as President Obama mourns for the loss of life in the Newtown massacre and seeks to take serious steps to prevent further instances, he should do the same in regards to the daily tragedy of abortion. Again, I do not question his good intentions. I believe he has a heart and that he truly cares. He has a huge blind-spot though. He should examine and reflect upon his own failure to push for any limit to legalized abortion. He should reflect upon his own support of the legal continuance of "partial-birth abortion" - an utterly grotesque practice involving the partial delivery of a living fetus and the subsequent crushing of its skull and sucking out of its brains before the head itself is fully-delivered.
We need both to individually repent and repent as a nation. This country needs a national repentance. Real repentance involves not only feeling "sorry" or "sad" about actions and intentions but an actual changing the mind and inclination toward different and better actions. Our nation's history is replete with days of fasting, prayer, and repentance. We need this again. For it to be genuine, it all has to start with the individual level. Please, whoever you are, realize that it starts with you. It starts at the individual and then the family level - and only after this will it come to the culture and finally to our government. Take off the blinders and show to yourself and to others the hidden holocaust. God judges both individuals and nations.
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