The recent proposed Illinois Senate Bill SB 1619 “Personal Responsibility Education Act” being considered by Committee encourages sex among teens and disparages the meaning of marriage. Although the bill’s name sounds positive, its intent removes rather than encourages responsibility. The bill is a pinnacle example of hypocrisy, assigning a new meaning to the word “abstinence” and the bill makes “marriage” out to be irrelevant to sexual relationships.
In a nation where divorce, abortions, STD’s, sexual promiscuity, adultery, pornography, and broken relationships are rampant one would think a bill that truly communicates the consequences and responsibilities for sex would be a better choice. One would think legislators could understand the long-term effects of a nation without moral compass.
Abortions exist because sexual promiscuity, without a thought of consequences, is a fact in our communities. Sexual abstinence until marriage is purposed to protect individuals and culture. Everyday U.S. pregnancy centers deal with the consequences of sex without responsibility. Thousand of teens who have yet to become women and men, let alone wives and husbands, are faced with responsibilities this bill leads them to believe are nonexistent.
Should these types of bills come to vote and passage we can expect even more teens asking their churches and community leaders, “Why didn’t anybody tell me about all the consequences of having sex? Why didn’t anyone tell me my heart, soul, mind, spirit, moral, and ethical views played a part in my decisions. Why didn’t anyone tell me that sex was more than something physical? Why didn’t anyone tell me the real meaning of sex and marriage sex rather than telling me sex was just a physical experience? Why did you tell me sex was no big deal when I was young only to find out now that I’m older that sex is so much more important? Why did you lie to me?”
As our nation continues to tax more for public services to meet the needs of the consequences a nation who has lost it moral compass, we can expect more bills like SB 1619. We can expect crisis pregnancy centers like PASS to be called upon to meet the needs of hurting individuals who have been deceived by misleading Bills like SB 1619.
For Christ and His Kingdom,
Rick Ligthart
Monday, March 14, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thoughts for 1.20.2011: Decreases in Abortion Statistics May Not Be a Good Thing
Decreases in Abortion Statistics May Not Be a Good Thing
As a pro-life advocate we praise God when learning about decreases in abortions from government statistics. We give thanks, because fewer abortions means more saved babies. Fewer abortions can also mean fewer women and men impacted by guilt and post-abortion stress years later. However, decreased abortion statistics may not be a factual indication of what is happening in America. There is a new unrecorded abortion statistic on the horizon.
With the introduction drugs such as RU486, Plan B, the Morning after Pill, and other names for medical abortifacients, abortions are happening without abortion clinic surgeries. Today, both surgically and medically produced abortions are legally available. An abortion is an abortion no matter if it is on a surgical table or at home through medical drugs. The problem lies in that both surgical and medical abortions blur when life begins, but there is no escaping of when life ends.
Dealing with the unavoidable physical and emotional consequences of an intentionally produced abortion (regardless of if it is surgical or medical) is inescapable. Many women and men, who have sought healing from past abortion choices, often years following their surgical abortions, vividly remember their physical and emotional experiences from that day.
Post-abortive healing and restoration ministries must adapt, understanding that women and men to whom they will minister are not likely to have had surgical abortions as much as medical abortions.
Those suffering from post-abortion stress following a medical abortion may have no memory of a physical experience other than taking a pill. On the surface it appears there are no connections between taking medical abortifacients and emotional costs. But that is not true. There are emotional aftermaths of taking medical abortifacients which parallel surgical abortions.
While not all medical abortions are successful and some women can face complications following medically induced abortions, the emerging message today is, “Abortions are easy. Just take a pill.” That sounds so simple to a scared teenager or a twenty something student. It is comparable to new apps to their cell phones. The truth is it is not so simple.
As our nation continues its abortion mindset, the pro-life movement must understand that statistics can be misleading, even if they sound good. Yes, we rejoice when hearing abortions are decreasing, but let us not be deceived. With the blurring of truth and medically induced abortions it is ever more important the message of “Abstinence Before and Faithfulness in Marriage” continues through pregnancy resource centers around the country. We need to both be ahead of the pregnancy and intercept an abortion mindset.
To eliminate abortions, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Rev. Rick Ligthart
PASS Executive Director
As a pro-life advocate we praise God when learning about decreases in abortions from government statistics. We give thanks, because fewer abortions means more saved babies. Fewer abortions can also mean fewer women and men impacted by guilt and post-abortion stress years later. However, decreased abortion statistics may not be a factual indication of what is happening in America. There is a new unrecorded abortion statistic on the horizon.
With the introduction drugs such as RU486, Plan B, the Morning after Pill, and other names for medical abortifacients, abortions are happening without abortion clinic surgeries. Today, both surgically and medically produced abortions are legally available. An abortion is an abortion no matter if it is on a surgical table or at home through medical drugs. The problem lies in that both surgical and medical abortions blur when life begins, but there is no escaping of when life ends.
Dealing with the unavoidable physical and emotional consequences of an intentionally produced abortion (regardless of if it is surgical or medical) is inescapable. Many women and men, who have sought healing from past abortion choices, often years following their surgical abortions, vividly remember their physical and emotional experiences from that day.
Post-abortive healing and restoration ministries must adapt, understanding that women and men to whom they will minister are not likely to have had surgical abortions as much as medical abortions.
Those suffering from post-abortion stress following a medical abortion may have no memory of a physical experience other than taking a pill. On the surface it appears there are no connections between taking medical abortifacients and emotional costs. But that is not true. There are emotional aftermaths of taking medical abortifacients which parallel surgical abortions.
While not all medical abortions are successful and some women can face complications following medically induced abortions, the emerging message today is, “Abortions are easy. Just take a pill.” That sounds so simple to a scared teenager or a twenty something student. It is comparable to new apps to their cell phones. The truth is it is not so simple.
As our nation continues its abortion mindset, the pro-life movement must understand that statistics can be misleading, even if they sound good. Yes, we rejoice when hearing abortions are decreasing, but let us not be deceived. With the blurring of truth and medically induced abortions it is ever more important the message of “Abstinence Before and Faithfulness in Marriage” continues through pregnancy resource centers around the country. We need to both be ahead of the pregnancy and intercept an abortion mindset.
To eliminate abortions, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Rev. Rick Ligthart
PASS Executive Director
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