PRAISING GOD
January 23, 2005

Text: Psalm 139

If you haven’t figured this out about me by now, I’ll just tell you
straight out: I like science and technology. My interests in these fields
began in elementary school and have continued throughout my life. I was a
“nerd” and a “geek” even before such words were known - not that there
weren’t plenty of other words available to make fun of the “bookworm”
type of student.

Because of my deep-seated interest in science, technology, theology, and
the Christian faith, I am frequently concerned whenever they are made out
to be mutually exclusive. Yet, that is what has been building for quite a
long time now. Anytime something in science can be made to appear to
contradict the Christian faith, much is made of it. Theoretical evolution
has been at the center of such debates for several decades now. As time
passes, though, it appears to me that science is the discipline having to
move closer to acknowledging the reality of God.

Yes, that is the good news. Even though fascinating new breakthroughs in
scientific studies pose new challenges to faith, many technological
advances created by those studies also create ways to more strongly
affirm the Christian faith and its associated morality and ethics. That
is good news to all of us, because more and more the issue is not a
division between science and religion, but a failure of men and women to
recognize and to praise God.

The month of January marks the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
For some, this is an event to be celebrated. Pro-abortionists are able to
celebrate because they have set aside the magnificent wonder of God’s
creation. If any of them took the time to reflect upon the overwhelming
magnitude of God, as David did, they would find it impossible to justify
their position. “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know
when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar… Where can
I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? …For you
created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I
praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well.” I fail to comprehend how anyone could
dwell on Scripture such as this Psalm and still be able to justify the
killing of an unborn infant.

But this is exactly the problem: men and women fail to praise God like
this. They attempt to replace God with all types of humanistic
rationalism and emotionalism. That may sound like a strange combination,
but it is used all the time to lead people away from God. We hear it time
after time in today’s headlines and news. I mentioned at the Unity
Service last Sunday evening a New York Times columnist who wrote with
concern that many Christians continue to believe the Virgin Birth of
Jesus. This columnist cannot fathom how reasonable, thinking, rational
people can entertain such an outlandish thought. Dr. Albert Mohler,
president of Southern Seminary in Kentucky, provided a ready response to
the article.

Similarly, pro-abortionists have used a combination of humanistic
reasoning and emotional appeal to support their misguided position. Who
here has not heard that we need legalized abortion to protect the lives
of at-risk mothers, or to terminate a pregnancy caused by rape, incest,
or other molestation? Their appeals are frequently accompanied by
heart-wrenching stories of incidents that are truly sad. How could we, a
thinking, rational people, oppose a procedure that so evidently improves
the lives of women caught in such unfortunate situations? And so they
capture the minds and hearts of those who have forgotten how to praise
God.

A very big problem with replacing praise to God with the pro-abortion
ethic is that the humanists do not stop at their initially stated reason.
Abortion is not used as a medical procedure to save a mother’s life or
terminate a pregnancy caused by extraordinary circumstances, not that
this is justification for an ethic of death. It has become a procedure
available on demand to terminate pregnancies as a matter of convenience.
And, even though those arguing in favor of the original Roe v. Wade
decision spoke of limiting abortion to the first trimester of pregnancy,
we can see today how the killing has been expanded to include every
moment of pregnancy, up to the very time of birth. This is where the real
danger of failing to praise God becomes evident. Such failure leads to a
greater acceptability and promotion of the ethics of death. The extremes
of this ethic show up even in the halls of our Senate. In his January,
2004, issue of “Family News,” Dr. James Dobson writes about a debate that
took place between Sen. Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania and Sen. Barbara
Boxer of California. “In 1999, after president Bill Clinton had
shamelessly vetoed a bill banning [partial-birth abortion] in both 1996
and 1997, a new attempt to pass the legislation pitted the two senators
in another confrontation. Boxer claimed that partial-birth abortion was
medically necessary to save the life of the mother, even though the
American Medical Association insisted that it is never needed for that or
any other purpose. During the heat of the debate, Santorum asked Boxer,
‘[Do] you agree, once the child is born, [and] separated from the mother,
that the child is protected by the Constitution and cannot be killed[?]
Do you agree with that?’ Boxer’s answer was stunning. ‘I think that when
you bring your baby home, when your baby is born… the baby belongs to
your family and has rights,’ she sputtered. Think for a moment about that
disturbing statement that is now immortalized in the Congressional
Record. Though she did not say so, the position taken by Sen. Boxer would
clearly support the murder of an infant until, and if, the mother and
father decide that they want to keep it. As long as the baby is still in
the hospital, however, he or she has no rights whatsoever - not even the
right not to be killed. This is a tragic example of postmodern reasoning
that, if enacted into law, would lead ultimately to infanticide at the
whim of the parents.” (Dr. James Dobson, “Family News From Dr. James
Dobson,” Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO, January 2004, p. 1)

A further example of the expansion of the dangers of an expanding ethic
of death and immorality is found in a letter dated last December from
Indiana Right to Life. “Recently we learned that one of the persons
Planned Parenthood of Indiana is using to target children in Indiana has
a background that includes work as an adult book store clerk, a ‘dungeon
monitor’ for perverted sexual activity, and an escort service phone
dispatcher. This is the person NUVO magazine says is ‘always on the go,
teaching sexuality education’ in schools. This is the person Planned
Parenthood of Indiana’s web site advises persons as young as 13-years-old
to contact for more information about its ‘Sexuality Education Skills
Training’ program. And it’s the person who has chided abstinence programs
asserting that they ‘do not foster a positive attitude about sexuality.’”
Later in the letter, Executive Director Mike Fichter writes, “Think about
it - the same organization that profits from the killing of unborn
children is the same organization adding fuel to the fire with programs
that encourage sexual activity among youth. It’s a win-win proposition
for Planned Parenthood.” (Mike Fichter, Indiana Right to Life letter
dated December, 2004)

In the midst of all this, however, there is good news. As I said earlier,
many technological advances are creating ways to more strongly affirm the
Christian faith and its associated morality and ethics. Ultrasound
technology has been instrumental in presenting the Biblical fact from
Psalm 139 - “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my
mother’s womb” - as unalterable and irrefutable truth. When a parent or
parents considering abortion see the high-tech, high-definition pictures
of their baby, they are having second thoughts. In fact, Dr. Dobson
reports that “the available data indicate that 57 percent of women who
visit a pregnancy center and report they are considering abortion will
decide to keep their baby after going through counseling. However, that
number jumps to 79 percent when such women are able to actually see their
babies by way of ultrasound images.” (Dr. James Dobson, “Family News From
Dr. James Dobson,” Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO, January
2004, p. 3) Such an increase is not surprising. No longer is the mother
carrying nothing more than a blob of tissue and protoplasm, as the
pro-abortion sector claims; she sees clearly that she is nurturing a
living human being - her baby. That puts the spotlight of reality back on
the issue. In fact, in 2000, Focus on the Family published a photograph
taken by Michael Clancy during the spinal surgery of an unborn infant
still of 21 weeks in the womb. During the surgery, little Samuel, as he
was named after his birth, extended a little hand and grasped a finger of
the surgeon. This amazing photo illustrates the marvelous humanness of a
reborn child. Major news outlets refused to publish the photo. I
considered projecting it on our screen this morning, but decided that
perhaps not everyone would appreciate it. I have included in the bulletin
the links to the web sites at Focus on the Family for anyone who wants to
view it online. If you want to see the photo but do not use the internet,
just let me know; I‘ll share my copy of the “Family News” newsletter with
you. (For those reading the sermon, they are included at the end).

Another partially encouraging sign comes from Planned Parenthood itself.
According to CNSNews.com, an online news source, the Planned Parenthood
Federation of America saw a 17 percent drop in private donations last
year. Unfortunately, they continue to receive record federal funds.
Additionally, their annual report discloses that they are continuing to
close clinics where low patient load is causing a drop in their revenue.
The report states, “Claudia Stravato, chief executive officer of Planned
Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle, said the Tulia facility
was closed due to low patient load and insufficient government funding to
reimburse the organization for its expenses. ‘We're basically in survival
mode here,’ Stravato told the Amarillo Globe-News when the clinic in
Pampa was closed down for similar reasons.” The report goes on to say
that a “net loss of almost 90 clinics over the past 10 years and 17
facilities during the most recent fiscal year suggests that the public is
increasingly steering away from Planned Parenthood offices.” That’s the
good news. However, the report also says that “Planned Parenthood
increased the number of abortions at its facilities by 6.1 percent to
244,628, according to the FY 2004 report, even though the total number of
abortions performed nationwide has been declining since 1997.” (Randy
Hall, “Planned Parenthood: More Abortions, Fewer Clinics,” CNSNews.com
Editor, January 18, 2005)

No matter how good the news may be from technology and economic fronts in
the battle to decrease and eliminate abortion, the bottom line is this:
when people fail to praise God and reflect with wonder upon His goodness
and greatness, distorted and perverted ethics and morals are bound to
emerge. The recent history of abortion in America and several European
nations proves this. Humanity’s passions outside of God are evil. Throw
out God, and you throw out truth, decency, and even life. Again, look
around you for all the proof you need in today’s world.

Friends, let me state an obvious truth: God is good! That is the
awe-inspiring truth found in David’s psalm: “You hem me in - behind and
before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? …Search me, O God, and know my
heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any
offensive way in me, and lead me in the way and everlasting.” May this be
our prayer as well.

www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0029642.cfm
www.family.org/fofmag/sl/a0024070.cfm
www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0010560.cfm


Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN