Life ...

A new poll says more than 80 percent of Americans support stricter restrictions on abortion. And nearly 60 percent say they think abortion itself is morally wrong.
You can read more on that here.
 Then you come across a video like this one, and see this love a mom has for her child. Look at how her face lights up during the happy news of having a child. She radiates. How her face grows sad when receiving troubling news or when her child becomes the object of unkind stares and comments.
Ahh, but then watch that radiance return. Her son, named Christian, is a blessing. She recognizes it, and others are too.
This is worth watching to the very end. Amazing, how the power of a story is so much more important that the glitz and glamor of some high tech production. This video is low-tech and it doesn't matter.
I promise it will be worth your time.
Life. Precious. Short. A gift.
It's much more than a cereal, board game or defunct magazine.

No margin for error anymore?

Richard Mourdock said something stupid the other night. 

He knows it. Everyone knows it.

But I also think everyone knows what he meant to say but not many want to give him a little leeway or grace. Even among some evangelicals who preach grace are not offering any here.

Here's what Mourdock said during Tuesday's debate:

 "I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. And I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."

Some in the pro-life movement are using this as a rallying cry and the abortion supporters also see an opportunity.

We live at a time when there are just a lot of words out there. Sure, Twitter only gives us 140 characters, but nothing's stopping me from filing 7,000 Tweets.

Then posting them on Facebook.

Then commenting on stories on the web and other people's FB postings and re-Tweeting, etc. etc.

Ahh, we love to see people make missteps. It makes us feel a little better about ourselves.

Ha ha. President Obama mistakenly tells a crowd in Colorado that he wants wind turbines to be made in China.

Really?

No. But it's caught on video.

Forever.

And Vice President Joe Biden's latest gaffe is to tell the good people in Ohio about all the negative ads being run "here in Iowa."

So we get former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman telling Romney to ditch his support for Mourdock, calling it a sign that Romney lacks leadership because Romney won't.

Really?

Isn't it leadership to stick with your convictions and provide some grace for a misstep?

Huntsman goes on to say in the Huffington Post: "I cringe -- it's like fingers on a chalkboard every time I hear men talk about women's health issues."
Funny, I cringe every time I see someone take on a superiority pose. [And, yes, this applies to me, too].

But Huntsman's criticism may have been less on Mourdock's misspeak and more on some strange view that only women can speak on women's issues. Men can't talk about women's issues? Blacks can't talk about whites, etc.? Capitalists can't speak about Communists? 
Strange logic. Does Jon have daughters?

Radio commentator Laura Ingraham tweeted a "thanks" to Huntsman. 

Let the pile-on begin. [But don't look for support when you make a misstatement, folks].

But the bigger frustration I have isn't political opportunists looking for an chance to be relevant again but Christians who should know better.

People like Richard Lintz, dean of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. He told the Christian Science Monitor that Mourdock's comments were offensive

"The clumsiness is [to] so align God with evil that God becomes a horrific figure."

We know that's not what he meant. 

I was reading in the book of James today how "mercy triumphs over judgment" (2:13) and "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check (3:2)."

We know there ain't such a man walking the planet these days.

Huntsman made a mistake earlier in his losing bid to be the Republican candidate for president when he didn't qualify for the Arizona state primary because of a "paperwork mishap," the Associated Press reported.

And there was the goof on his boast that he spoke fluent Chinese.

I'm not going to throw stones. Remember, mercy triumphs over judgment.

--Word Smith

Pro life youth protesting Chinese consulate

Check out WordNews.org for the story.

Anti-abortion film to play on Jumbo screen in D.C. before March for Life

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WordNews.org) Jan 17, 2012 — An anti-abortion film “Created Equal” will be shown on a jumbo LED screen in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 23.
The video can be viewed here [Warning: Graphic].
The video will be debut at the March for Life. Organizers says this is the first time in the history of the pro-life movement that an abortion video has been broadcast in the public square on a jumbo LED screen.
“Getting this video into the heads of Americans is Planned Parenthood’s worst nightmare,” said Mark Harrington, Created Equal’s executive director.

For the rest of the story

Texas Appeals Court upholds ‘informed consent law’

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WordNews.org) Jan. 10, 2012 – A Texas Appeals Court has ruled in favor of a motion that will lead to the immediate enforcement of the state’s “informed consent law.”
The law requires abortion providers to make available to women ultrasound images of their unborn children prior to the women giving consent to an abortion.

The federal Appeals Court for the Fifth Circuit vacated an Aug. 30 preliminary injunction issued by a lower court. Under the law, women seeking abortions have the ability to hear a sonogram of the child’s heartbeat. Women are required to certify they have received the information before an abortion can take place.

"A picture is worth a thousand words, and the abortionists wanted to silence the voice of my baby,"
said Mayela Banks, one of the 317 Texas Women Hurt By Abortion.

To read more

Top 10 anti-Christian acts of 2011?

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (WordNews.org) Jan. 3, 2012 -- DefendChristians.org has compiled the top 10 anti-Christians actions of 2011.
The nonprofit surveyed the members of its online community for the top anti-Christian stories within the United States and the results surprised Gary Cass of DefendChristians.org.
"The fact the number one and number two issues are public policy and political in nature shows Christians are very concerned about the political direction of the country. I wouldn't be surprised if this translates into a strong political response in 2012," he said.

To read more