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Our Purpose
Our purpose in this short article is to provide some facts about Issue 1 in
particular. Then, it will be your
responsibility to decide how to vote based on the value you place on the life
of the unborn baby, the value of the baby’s mother and father, and the value of
the family unit in which babies, young children, adolescents, and young adults are
nurtured in moral and spiritual understanding as they mature and discover their
identity and purpose in life.
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Judeo-Christian values have been at the heart of Ohio culture since the settlement of the Ohio Valley in the 17th century. These biblical values reflect those of America’s founders. Their beliefs are expressed in the words of Thomas Jefferson, that mankind has been “endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This understanding was echoed in the writing of the Constitution of the State of Ohio, approved in 1803. Biblical morality was in turn preserved through the succeeding centuries by wise executive, legislative, and judicial decisions in Columbus and at the local level. Now, it falls to our generations to preserve and not interfere with any of the blessings and privileges of God’s endowments.
Many Ohio voters also recognize that historically, Ohio has been a leader in science, technology, and enduring cultural values. Therefore, it is worth noting that residents in many other states, plus the news media, will have their eyes on Ohio on November 7. Looking back to 2022, according to Ballotpedia, “there were six ballot measures addressing abortion — the most on record for a single year. Measures were approved in California, Michigan, and Vermont. Measures were defeated in Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana.” Let us hope that the outcome of the vote on Issue 1 will not only be good for Ohio but favorable as an influence on other states contemplating ballot measures in the future.
This November, Ohioans are called to answer several questions that will literally decide which unborn Ohio babies will be allowed to live. At issue is also who will preside over the nurture of our children. Will it be their parents or the state; and, will parents be included in their child’s decisions on gender and gender alteration. If Ohio Issue 1 passes with a majority of “Yes votes,” the lives of unborn babies, the integrity of Ohio families, and the nurturing of our children will all be placed in jeopardy.
If Ohio Issue 1 passes by a majority of “YES” votes, according to the Ohio Attorney General, the following Ohio laws currently in effect to protect human lives and families will be struck down. Some, will be invalidated within 30 days of passage, others will fall as vague language is used to invalidate the remaining restraints:
1. Current Ohio law, the “Heartbeat Act,”
which restricts abortions (with health and other exceptions) after a fetal
heartbeat is detected (~6 weeks).
2. Current Ohio law prevents abortion
after 20 weeks when baby is believed to feel pain.
3. Current Ohio law protects unborn
babies against late-term dilation and extraction abortions (so-called “partial-birth
feticide”)
4. Current Ohio law requires a 24- hour waiting
period to assure the mother is fully informed before giving her consent to the abortion
5. Current Ohio law bars doctors from performing
abortions of babies with Down syndrome or other criteria motivated by discriminatory
motives—e.g. sex or disability of the fetus.
6. Current Ohio law bars abortions after
a fetus is able to live outside the womb with a health exception for serious
medical conditions as verified by second opinion of an independent doctor.
7. Current Ohio law does not exist to
govern parental involvement in minors’ use of contraception, sterilization, and
transgender treatment. With the vague
language of the Amendment (i.e. “reproductive decision” and “individual”),
it will invite developing law that will challenge and likely remove parents
from the minor’s decision-making.
8. For consideration of other current
Ohio law restrictions that will be affected by Issue 1, please consult AG Yost’s
full article (click HERE).
Avoid Being Deceived
Whether deliberately or due to the influence of a worldview that is so common
in our “culture of convenience,” or “have it now,” or “I owe it to myself,” the
wording of “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and
Safety (11/7/2023)” is deceptive. We
have already noted how the title of the Amendment claims to offer something that
is contrary to our Founders’ concept of “freedom, health, and safety” based on
biblical values. The following table
lists provisions of the Issue 1 and the Amendment that leave the door open for
the destruction of life, children, and families as suggested in the right
column for each provision (CLICK on table to enlarge):
But Where Is Your Christian Compassion?
Having laid out our position on Ohio Issue 1, we hope readers will not think we are arrogant know-it-all’s who lack compassion and are divorced from the physical, economic, and moral realities that many Ohioans face during these hard times. The issues surrounding Issue 1 are complex, particularly as relates to our personal moral standards and our beliefs about when human life begins, when minors are mature enough to make their own decisions, and the extent to which government should be involved in personal and family decisions.
Perhaps the largest factor dividing our culture relates to the question of whether there is a God and if He exists, the extent to which His commands as revealed in the Bible should guide our lives and decisions. As we have stated, we have unapologetically presented a biblical perspective on Issue 1 as well as possible.
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked.
Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
The one who sows to please his flesh,
from the flesh will reap destruction;
but the one who sows to please the Spirit,
from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
These are hard words. But we invite readers to join us in our humble dependence God through prayer and through His Word in the Scriptures of the Bible.
--Then Vote!
On issues as important as Ohio Issue 1 and Issue 2, it is a matter of Christian
obedience for voting age and able Ohioans to exercise our right to vote. Beyond that, we ought to take use
opportunities to encourage others to read, pray, and vote. We have included some links at the end of
this article that provide yard signs, booklets, and other resources for
spreading the word.
We will close this article with a prayer and invite you to read and mediate on
its words. Prayer reminds us that we serve on
behalf of God’s purposes and His coming kingdom. Prayer helps us develop a distinct hate and
aversion to sin while loving the sinner as Christ loves all of us sinners—i.e.
both the redeemed Christ-followers and those who still need to repent and
receive Christ as their Savior.
The following is a challenging call to worship and to lift our prayers to God
on behalf of the unborn, mothers, and fathers:
“American culture is captivated by instant
gratification. As our attention spans
have waned, so has our ability to wait; to endure moments of discomfort and
distress; even to understand why sometimes we shouldn't get everything we want
the moment we want it.
In such a culture, patient and persistent prayer to the God of the universe is
a radical idea. Prayer is stillness. Prayer takes time. Prayer requires honesty
and, even sometimes, discomfort. Prayer acknowledges that we are not in
control.
Through prayer, Christians are invited to "humble yourselves under the
mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all
your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you" (1Peter 5: 7).
Not only is prayer counter-cultural to those outside the church; often it's
misunderstood inside. Prayer is not a
moment that we decide to spend in God's presence, as if He lives in our world. Rather, prayer is a moment in which we
discipline our hearts to focus on God's constant presence.
Through prayer, we worship God. Through
that worship, we tune our hearts to His goodness. We remind ourselves of who He is, and of the
gift of knowing and trusting Him. And
yes, we bring Him our supplications-- because that is what Jesus told us to do
when He said to pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done (Matthew
6: 10).
Praying for the protection of preborn babies in a culture captivated by instant
gratification, the worship of "individualism," and a growing disdain
for the value of human life can feel like a futile endeavor. But let us remember, again, how God delivered
His people from slavery in Egypt. Exodus
3 contains five of the most radical words in all of Scripture: "I have
heard their cries." And because God
heard those cries, with a "mighty hand and an outstretched arm
(Deuteronomy 26: 8), He brought justice.
Pray this week, with confidence in God's goodness and His deliverance, that He
would hear the cries of His people for the protection of new life. Pray that He would turn the hearts of
mothers toward their children and away from fear, and that He would thwart all
plans of the Enemy to persist in building a culture of death. Pray that his justice would "roll down
like waters" (Amos 5: 24). Pray
that his Kingdom would come, where every human life no matter how new or small
or "planned," is valued and protected. Pray that his will would be
done. (From: “More Than Conquerers,” Center for
Christian Virtue, pages 13-14.; click HERE.)
Resources:
1. Center for Christian Virtue Resources— yard
signs, helpful
booklets, church bulletin inserts calling
for rejection of
Issue. Click HERE.
2. Know Your Rights as
individuals, pastors, and churches.
Click HERE.
3. 171 FAITH LEADERS WARN OHIOANS ABOUT 'DECEPTIVE'
ISSUE 1. Click HERE.
4. Governor Mike DeWine and
wife Fran voice their concerns
about Ohio Issue 1. Click HERE.
5. Thorough analysis of the
vague language of the Amendment,
line by line. Click HERE.
Comments:
As always, we welcome “Comment” from readers.
We are particularly interested in your thoughts and questions about Ohio
Issue 1. If you reside in another state,
or in a smaller town or city, you may still participate. How can we make a difference? Please use the “Comment” link below for ideas
or questions; or, contact us personally at silviusj@gmail.com