As Southern Baptists, we believe each person is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Whether you agree with our theological beliefs or not, surely any Arizonan can see how that statement communicates that every person has innate value that should be both acknowledged and respected. In other words, there’s a level of dignity owed to each person simply because they are a human being.
Our laws should reflect that.
‘Simple truth’
Most people do not realize this, but the simple truth we’ve stated comes directly from the Bible in Psalm 139. Just before that, another truthful statement is written: That God is the author of life and He alone is the one who knit us together in the womb.
Proposition 139, which stands diametrically-opposed to the tenets set forth in Psalm 139, will permanently etch an attack on human dignity and human life into the state constitution. It will usher in a new era of abortion-on-demand far more extreme than the proponents of this ballot question want to publicly admit. For Arizona Christians, what other motivation to get out and vote is needed to stop this initiative before innumerable innocent lives are placed in jeopardy?
Sadly, it isn’t only the lives of future sons and daughters that are at risk.
The plain language of Prop 139 promises to obliterate any safeguards for the health and well-being of mothers who are targeted by the abortion industry. What other conclusion is one to draw when they read that no regulation — including medical safety standards — can “infringe on an individual’s decision” to get an abortion. The authors of this extremist constitutional change intend nothing less than an abortion revolution in Arizona; one that ensures nothing — no arguments for the defenseless child’s life, no objections from parents, no conscience exemptions for medical providers, no safety standards for the mother — will stand in the way of the abortion mills’ ability to target vulnerable mothers and line their pockets by taking the lives of children.
Beyond the rhetoric
Brush away all the rhetoric, and that’s really what this is all about.
America’s largest member of the sprawling abortion regime netted $2 billion for its work according to its most recent public financial report. Adding to that bottom line, through passage of initiatives like Prop 139, is a top priority for them.
Is this really what the Grand Canyon State wants to be known for?
We don’t think that’s the case.
The reality is you don’t have to be a Christian to oppose Proposition 139 on Nov. 5. You simply need to be human. Why do we say that? Because this destructive ballot initiative strikes at the very core of what it means to be human. It’s asking Arizonans to empower the taking of innocent life, to forever fracture Arizona families, and to eliminate any hurdles that come between abortion purveyors and their payday.
By any definition, this is an extreme measure; one that deserves a sound defeat not just from Christians, but everyday Arizonans.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and David Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Mission Network of Southern Baptists, wrote this article on the pro-abortion measure that’s on the ballot in Arizona. Find the wording of Proposition 139 and more details about it at Ballotpedia’s site here.
