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N.C. leaders address sanctity of human life
BR staff
January 13, 2015
5 MIN READ TIME

N.C. leaders address sanctity of human life

N.C. leaders address sanctity of human life
BR staff
January 13, 2015

The Biblical Recorder asked several ministers across the state to weigh in on the sanctity of life. Sanctity of Life Sunday is Jan. 18 and Jan. 25. The date is near the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that first recognized the constitutionally-protected status of abortion in the United States. Southern Baptists believe that life, not just that of unborn babies, is precious. They encourage believers to honor and celebrate all stages of life. The day has expanded to include the elderly, adopted and those who are trafficked.

“God so values life, that He gave His only begotten Son that we might live forever with Him. If God so valued every life, we ought to see every life as valuable and worth everything we can do to protect and promote their right to live. As an adopted child, I thank God my birth mother valued life and that my adopted mom saw me as valuable.”

– Noah Crowe, First Baptist Church, Robbinsville

“Of all the shifts that have occurred in the ‘American experiment,’ none has been more devastating to our culture than the abandonment of the Christian world and life view that gave rise to, and, then sustained our great Republic. The evidence of this shift from a Judeo-Christian worldview to modern and postmodern outlooks, rooted in philosophical naturalism (i.e., atheism), has been unsettling, to say the least. One of the first major indicators that this ‘shift’ had occurred was the outcome of Roe vs. Wade. If Christians are to have any hope of reinstating the moral framework that once made this nation great, we must battle at a deeper level than the particular issues that confront us (e.g., homosexual ‘marriage,’ abortion, etc.). … Ultimately, the issue in the abortion debate turns on the nature of the child at the earliest level of development. He/she … is made in the image of God and, thus, intrinsically valuable. Hence, not only viable but eternally valuable. ‘It,’ according to the naturalistic view of things, is nothing more than the ‘product of conception,’ and thus disposable. The lives of millions of babies depend on reintroducing the Christian worldview to the ‘American experiment.’”

– Dennis Darville, First Baptist Church, Rocky Mount

“The Bible teaches in Genesis 1:26 that all humans were created in the image of God. Then in Romans 3:23 we read that we have all sinned. So the only thing sacred about us is that we were made in the very image of a perfect God. ‘Sanctity of Life’ reflects our belief that human life holds a special place in God’s plan and is sacred. Therefore, human life should be protected from abuse, violence, oppression and [even] before birth.”

– Lee Pigg, Hopewell Baptist Church, Monroe

“Sanctity of human life means that it is holy, sacred, inviolable and hallowed. The word abortion means the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, which totally disregards the sanctity of human life. The Bible tells us in Psalm 139:13-14, ‘For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ Abortion is the most horrible, hideous, barbaric thing that America has allowed to happen. Since the passage of Roe v. Wade 40 years ago, roughly 55 million abortions have been performed. That means 55 million children will never attend a prom, never have a wedding day, never be able to raise children and never enjoy grandchildren. Churches, pastors, and Christians all around the world must be a voice for the unborn.”

– Timmy Blair, Piney Grove Chapel Baptist Church, Fuquay-Varina

“In the month of February 2015, I will celebrate 26 years of serving pastor of a local church. And for all 26 years, not a year has gone by that I have not participated in Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Why is it so important? It is important because life is the gift of God. Historically, Christians have understood that life begins at conception, but some professing Christians have abandoned the Christian view. In every era, there are some pastors, priests, teachers and others who surrender to a hostile culture. But we have a responsibility as leaders to stand on God’s Truth, point to the evidence, both scripturally and scientifically, to inform people of every generation. It has been said, ‘A nation that sacrifices its unborn is in grave danger.’ We should pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to lead us to repentance – before it’s too late.”

– Mark Harris, First Baptist Church, Charlotte

“I am so grateful God sees value in every man, woman, boy and girl. In Genesis 1, God makes man in His image. In Psalm 139, He calls humanity fearfully and wonderfully made. As biblical Christians, we must stand up for those God has made, but whose voices cannot be heard. We must speak for the unborn, the sex-trafficking victim, the orphan and the elderly. We must speak up because the sanctity of human life is not a political issue; it is a biblical issue. The Bible declares value in every life, and so should we.”

– John Mark Harrison, Apex Baptist Church, Apex

“Abortion is a prime example of the clash of two worlds. The world of scripture teaches that life is from the Lord (Psalm 139) and for the Lord (Jeremiah 1). In contrast, the culture of worldliness asserts that life is subject to human convenience and desire, making it plausible to extinguish life, even in the womb. The first springs from trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God, while the second is from a kingdom of self.”

– Rob Peters, Calvary Baptist Church, Winston-Salem