When New York’s legislature passed the now infamous Reproductive Health Act (RHA) in January, the nation staggered and drew back in shame and horror. People are shocked and disgusted at the barbarity of a State legislature applauding the fabricated human right to kill preborn boys and girls. It was as if people of conscience suddenly found themselves in a waking nightmare, looking at the dark mirror of the nation only to find a corpse staring back at them. Legislatures, like NY’s, are the blind leading the blind, self-righteous because they fancy their personal whims as the standard for righteousness, even as Governor Cuomo continues to pursue enshrinement of abortion in the state constitution.
The RHA is bad enough even though its true evil is not fully understood by most. But the situation is worse than most people imagine. The NY legislature is actively pursuing five other bills persecuting pro-life activity and at least four bills designed to protect, promote, and pay for Planned Parenthood’s abortion business.
The dike holding back this flood of bills broke because abortion extremists fear that the Supreme Court case legalizing abortion (Roe v Wade, January 22, 1973) will be overturned. This would send the issue of abortion back to the States to decide for themselves. Cuomo’s fears are well-founded as there are several cases in the judicial pipeline that would give the Supreme Court an opportunity to do just that. Bottom line: NY is preparing to become an abortion tourism destination, like it was prior to 1973. If this happens, the abortion rate in NY will likely double.
Now, not only must pro-life Christians continue helping women say “no” to abortion, swimming against the cultural tide, but now we must also fight for CompassCare’s right to do the lifesaving work. The silver lining behind this cloud is the realization that all of this is actually the unintended consequence of national pro-life success. So, the opportunity to lead the nation’s abortion battle through service falls to NY’s pro-life Christians.
Recently a good friend asked me what I am feeling in the face of these overwhelming odds. My answer is a picture of a blacksmith. In making any object, his three primary tools are a hammer, an anvil, and fire. When the blacksmiths of state seek to reshape the iron of society into something different than what it is, they use the heat of coercive power and the hammer of legislation. All this effort is brought to bear against the anvil. When a blacksmith labors with his tools, it is the anvil that takes the beating and the hammer that breaks. My prayer is that God makes pro-life Christians the anvil. The State can hit us all day long with the hammer of unjust legislation, but we will not bend or break. After all, there is Biblical precedent for people of faith resisting the unjust dictates of pagan rulers because we serve a higher law and a greater King, One to whom all will answer.
Make no mistake, NY’s legislature has waged war on pro-life Christians. We need to keep our head if we are going to have a chance at winning. This will be a long and arduous road. We must stick to the strategy. Remember, CompassCare was born into the crucible of pro-life hostility that is NY, has been taking hammer strikes for decades, and saw this last blow coming for years. CompassCare developed and is actively implementing a strategy to both protect the livesaving work and continue to expand it. Pro-life people are angry and rightly so. Many Christians are waking up and so they should. Now is not the time to chase nifty pro-life novelties in a flailing attempt to recover some semblance of civility. Now is the time to let our righteous indignation steel our resolve.
CompassCare continues to be the nation’s pioneer at reaching and serving abortion-minded women in such a way that they have their babies. It has worked so well in Rochester that the abortion rate dropped 58% in the last eight years. So, Governor Cuomo and his band of legislative gangsters can legalize their favorite flavor of killing all they want, but it won’t matter if women don’t want abortions. Our lives are ordained by God for this time and in this place to demonstrate faithfulness to Him and love for our preborn neighbor who needs it most. Our job is to relentlessly endure, and in the enduring, expand. We must be the anvil upon which the hammer of the State breaks because we are people of faith, witnesses of the Word of God. As Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
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