LC-MS President on Abortion

The Rev. Jerry Kieschnick, President of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, issued a statement on abortion. Rev. Kieschnick's letter has some appropriate sadness that this year's pro-life march occurs with an Administration that is more pro-choice than the one prior. He also writes:

We must continue to work and pray in support of life, not only embryonic life, but life at all stages.

I say: Amen, Amen! How's he going to flesh this out? He continues:

In that regard, I have received communications from LCMS members who encourage our church body to broaden its traditional concern with protecting life at its beginning and earthly end. The encouragement is to provide a more comprehensive support for life from conception to the grave.

We in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod have long spoken out against abortion and euthanasia. We must continue to do so. I also believe it is time for our congregations, members, and leaders to speak strongly and vociferously regarding other matters that could be included under the umbrella of “pro-life” issues as well.

For example, LCMS congregations and leaders ought to encourage prevention of unintended pregnancies and provide support—physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual—for those who are dealing with a pregnancy out of wedlock in a way that demonstrates as much love and concern for the one who is carrying a child as for the unborn child itself.

For years, the LCMS has encouraged adoption, especially through our recognized social-service organizations. Some 33 years ago, my dear wife, Terry, and I worked with one such organization in adopting our son, who at that time was two years of age.

Okay, he means that working and praying for life in all its stages means being against ethuanasia, and encouraging charitable acts towards single mothers, and encouraging adoption.

I hold the LC-MS to have a correct view on abortion as a crime against life. Abortion also happens to be a Republican issue. The problem is that even when conservative Christians think of looking at upholding the sanctity of all life, they can only think of other Republican issues to support. Instead of cradle to grave it is cradle AND grave-- abortion and ethuanasia. A lot of other anti-abortion speakers, such as Rick Warren, have expanded the concern for the whole person to include environmental concern, human rights, and economic justice. It is the tradition of the church historic no less.

The fact that the church, that conservative Christians, sat on their hands while so many outrages against the dignity of the human being were going on in the last eight years-- starting with torture-- is why there is a pro-choice President in the White House.