Julie Mayberry spoke in chapel at CBC this week. Folks around here may remember Julie from her time at KATV as a co-host of “Daybreak.” She has a compelling story to tell of her conversion to Christianity in general and of her conversion from pro-choice to pro-life in particular.Julie shared her story and convictions as CBC kicked off a fundraising campaign for Life Choices this week. Her descriptions of various abortion techniques and methods were graphic. She left no doubt in anyone’s mind as to how horribly violent abortion really is. (If you are not yet convinced of this, please visit this previous post).
I spoke with students in my classes over the next couple of days. A good number of them felt that Julie’s descriptions were unnecessarily graphic. The consensus among these students seemed to go something like this…. “We are already pro-life and we already know abortion is wrong. We shouldn’t need to be subjected to that kind of disturbing material.”
I was left a little stunned by this line of thinking, frankly. I agree completely that the material is disturbing. It absolutely should be. And while I do not enjoy listening to or watching disturbing material, I appreciate the periodic reminders of how atrocious and barbaric abortion really is. We live in a country that allows people to butcher babies. I’m thankful for people like Julie who make us acknowledge and face evil directly. Without these reminders, I’m likely to ignore evil. It is easier that way. Life is less troublesome and I can pretend all is right with my world. I can avoid being disturbed.
If you are disturbed at the brutal, evil nature of abortion and if you are disturbed that we live in a society that condones such practices, please let that uneasiness motivate you into action. One of the ways you can do something (rather than doing nothing) is to support places like Life Choices. They offer guidance and assistance to women and men considering abortion. They share the love of Jesus with them while they meet their needs. But they operate solely on donations and they need our financial support.
Here at CBC (and in many area churches), we have started our annual baby bottle fundraising campaign. Please find a bottle and fill it with your change. Don’t let the simplicity fool you – your change makes a crucial difference in the lives of women all over central Arkansas. Pooled together, the baby bottles represent quite a large proportion of the annual budget at LIfeChoices.
Be disturbed. Be disturbed and then decide how you can make a difference.
Posts
11 comments:
I'm pleased to hear most students are pro-life. However, I hope we all realize not everyone at CBC is pro-life, or even a Christian. Everytime time we have a chapel service there is someone who is touched by the Holy Spirit, even if you or i didn't enjoy the speaker or the music.
Good words, anony, thanks for the reminder. (Though I still like it when people sign their names...)
The Case Against Abortion
I agree that though disturbing realities are never the "ideal" chapel experience, I have to wonder how many of those students you hear complaining about how "disturbing" the speaker was can't wait for the newest "Saw" movie to come out...
-Stephen C
The new "Saw" MOVIE is a litte different than the REALITY of slaughtering babies.
Yea, I understand that one is fiction and the other is reality. My point was that American college students can stomach gruesome horror flicks when it is labeled "entertainment" but when the matters turn serious most want to escape under the excuse of "it's too graphic."
I'm just pointing out the inconsistency.
Stephen is right. Let's take a person who enjoys graphic horror flicks because "they aren't real" but dislikes information like we heard in chapel because it was too graphic... Would there be a better example of someone NOT living in the REAL world?
But listen, I don't exclude myself from ever being this kind of person. That was the point of my post, actually. I appreciate the Julie Mayberries of the world for providing me with "reality checks" every once in a while. I need them. I think we all do.
(And seriously... discussions are much more constructive when people sign their names.)
I did not have a problem with the way Mrs. Mayberrry presented everything in chapel, I think she presented graphic material and did so tastefully. My problem with those who display pictures of aborted babies and shout (usually through a bullhorn) the graphic details of abortion, do so as a scare tactic, and honestly I hate scare tactics, I believe they turn more people away and make the animosity towards evangelicals even more pronounced. About a year ago I saw some people holding up pictures and shouting out on Harkrider and Oak, I shook me head and the driver next to me rolled down his window and said, "These Christians are (messed up)" except with more colorful language. That is sad.
I would assume that a tidy amount of students attend CBC to sort of take a break from the harsh realities of life.
I know that was a nice thing about where I went to college. It was a happy little bubble that insulated me from, well, life.
Let someone else worry about the cruel violence that silently goes unnoticed each time a baby's life is ended.
I was the first "anonymous" post
:-)
RA
Craig I am one to "take a break from the harsh realities of life" or "Let someone else worry about the cruel violence that silently goes unnoticed each time a baby's life is ended."
I believe the way we instruct people must be on their level and most (i say most in the sense that the non christians I have met and have relationships with) people are not affected by showing them graphic images of aborted babies, it sickens, angers, and breeds malice not towards the act of murder but towards the evangelicals whom all get roped together as the murderers of Doctors and bombers of clinics. Some of us believe the answer to stopping violence is to display that violence, I believe this is a terrible plan. We should be there doing what lifechoices is doing loving caring and holding outstretched arms rather than grasping signs and holding bullhorns with malice in our hearts. The violence we should display to everyone is the cross and should not be desensitized to that bloodshed.
Post a Comment