PREFACE
--Since the decision of Roe v. Wade, tens of millions of Christian school students could have received a Pro-Life education. This group would today constitute a huge voting block; and with them, the culture of death might have already been defeated.
The Pro-Life movement has worked tirelessly, attempting to change the hearts and minds of adults in the voting booth and in government. However, this is addressing the problem after the damage has been done. Simultaneously, children's hearts and minds are not being properly cultivated in the truth of the sanctity of life while in Christian school. The result is that Christian schools continue graduating more voters and future government leaders whose record of defending life is no better than the national average. This sad reality is made evident with every election (see below) and with every legislative session. This self-defeating cycle must stop, as it is one of the main underlying reasons why we have not yet ended the scourge of abortion and the growing attacks against the sanctity of life.
Few would argue that it is much harder to change the minds of adults than it is to properly form the minds of children, especially in matters of morality. Only by finally addressing this problem and moving to correct it can we begin to change our culture and our laws. The very soul of our country is at stake. If the people of our nation remain uneducated, then change cannot occur.
Implementation of a comprehensive Pro-Life education program from kindergarten through twelfth grade will steadily increase the momentum of the Culture of Life. After receiving a Pro-Life education, Christians will place life as the preeminent factor in their vote. In turn, this will lead to the defeat of the culture of death. This program has nothing to do with sex education. Rather, it teaches about the sanctity of life at all stages of the human continuum, with particular emphasis on the time from conception to birth. This simple and easily implemented curriculum is truly a missing key in our movement, perhaps the most important missing component in our battle for the unborn-and the culture at large. Other strategies do not have this powerful capacity to effect such a change. We believe that this plan could substantially transform our culture to one that reveres all life and simultaneously advance the return of a Christian nation.
Train up a child in the way he should go
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
NEW: We have posted excerpts from the first 12 pages of the
109 page document Respect Life Curriculum Guidelines.
This document is a great resource for developing a formal curriculum.
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THE POWER OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
We must start with being mindful that young children are naturally pro-life. Ask a young child who has a pregnant mother what is inside his mother's “tummy,” and he will likely respond that it is his baby brother or sister. It is so simple to a child. Truth usually is simple. Christian educators must work with this incredible advantage: That they have a captive audience of school students whose minds are open vessels for learning about the sanctity of life-from conception to natural death.
Among the current students who are in kindergarten through twelfth grade in the United States, over twelve million are in Protestant schools or Bible study, 6.8 million are in Catholic schools or Confraternity of Christian of Doctrine (CCD), and over one million are being home schooled. (1-3) Imagine how different our culture would be if all of these children were to receive a comprehensive Pro-Life education. These are monumental numbers that can no longer be ignored. The impact of these additional Pro-Life voters would be so tremendous, that the shift in our culture would be of historical proportions.
The spirit in the schools of one generation,
is the spirit in the Government of the next. 4
The scourge of the culture of death is a supernatural evil that
cannot be defeated by simply changing human laws. It will
require teaching the fullness of the truth that comes from our Lord Jesus
Christ about His immutable law regarding the sanctity of each human life.
Even if a Constitutional amendment were passed tomorrow that banned all
abortions, this education would still be required to change this culture of
death to one of Life.
After 30 years of political battles, we have a culture sinking into deeper
darkness and 42+ million dead by abortion. The sad reality is that the
duration of the abortion holocaust is prolonged by Christians who vote for
pro-abortion candidates. This can only end with a new generation of
Politics alone cannot succeed.
Education of school students is the key.
ABORTION MAP OF THE UNITED STATES
The map above has 17 states blacked out. The population of these states is
equal to the 42,000,000+ reported "legal" abortions since 1973. Perhaps
this visual perspective helps one to grasp the number of people that are
gone, dead—robbed of their God given, constitutional rights to life and
liberty. Each time a person is aborted and robbed of their rights; our rights
and very lives become less secure.
Implementing strong Pro-Life education in our schools can quickly begin to
save lives. While progressively weakening the industry of death each year,
other societal evils related to abortion and euthanasia can also be greatly
ameliorated.
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Issues of life, from conception to the grave. |
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Christian voters determine the future.
The numbers below speak for themselves. Half of the people who voted are aged 18-44, and eighty percent claim to be Christian. All in the 18-44 group were in school since Roe v. Wade, and could have received a Pro-Life education.
2000 Presidential Election 
Source: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/epolls/US/P000.html
(Note: The above chart was constructed using data from the listed source.)
Statistically, had more Catholics voted in the 2000 presidential election, the
pro-abortion candidate would have won.
Goals of the Pro-Life movement:
 1. To pass a Constitutional amendment that absolutely protects all innocent life—from conception to natural death.
2. A Supreme Court that acknowledges the personhood of the unborn, thus
guaranteeing their protection under the Fourteenth Amendment.
3. Transforming the culture: From one of death to Life.
In order to meet these ends, we need to add several million voters to the Pro-Life position. Three decades of "legalized" abortion proves that this many adults cannot be changed. We believe that the only way of achieving this monumental task is with a new generation of Christians fully educated on the sanctity of life before birth.
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CHRISTINATY'S UNIQUE CAPACITY
TO DESTROY THE CULTURE OF DEATH
Down through 2,000 years of history, Christian leaders have forcefully taught and stressed certain truths to combat atrocities throughout the world. Today, the escalating war against the sanctity of human life and of the family is being waged on a global scale. This requires, yet again, that church leaders take up their unique mission in proclaiming and teaching the unalienable right to life for all—from conception to natural death.
We propose that students from kindergarten through twelfth grade be taught about the sanctity of life in a comprehensive way like any subject--with testing. This would be done in religion class, CCD, or bible study.
In light of the situation that we find our society in, this must not be an optional addition to other classes IF some of the teachers get around to it. This should be at The Fundamental Core of the entire Christian education, in an overt and powerful way. It must be embedded in the students' mentality and ingrained in their spirituality.
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If a student graduates with perfect grades, but does not have a solid understanding of the sanctity of Life and his personal obligation to defend Life, we have failed him and our Lord miserably.
There truly is no valid reason why teaching the sanctity of life should not be mandatory in all Christian schools, bible study, and CCD programs across the nation and around the globe. The Christian world has everything to gain. It is only the culture of death that has something to lose.
There is an enormous wealth of material available that is suitable for classroom use. Victory One, (5) a leading supplier of Pro-Life material that is used by Father Frank Pavone with Priests for Life, (6) is a great source. There are many others (7). Additionally, Lutherans for Life (8) have excellent teaching materials for kindergarten through twelfth grades available for their schools.
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Christian Patriots for Life are in the early stages of developing a Pro-Life curriculum. Our initial version can be accessed HERE. We offer this as a model to be taken for further development by any Pro-Life and/or religious education department. Keep in mind that the program is still in development. Suggestions are welcome.
HIGHLIGHTS OF PROPOSED PROGRAM
Teach in Religion/Bible study class.
Like any subject, repetitive instruction with testing that is built on previous lesson plans from kindergarten through twelfth grade
Age appropriate lessons for each grade that encompasses the complete teaching on the sanctity of life from conception to natural death (in the higher grades, increasing details about abortion and related topics can be taught)
High school will pay special attention to the role of being a Christian in society and the importance of voting for Pro-Life candidates
Have students write book reports on Pro-Life literature
High school students will be introduced to the Pro-Life movement
Parental involvement will be encouraged
Pro-Life posters/signs will stay up in classes year-round
By the end of the fourth grade, students will understand that:
Life (PERSONHOOD) begins at conception, not birth.
Each baby is a unique creation and gift from God.
The unborn baby has a beating heart (starts at 18-25 days).
The unborn baby has fingerprints and toe prints.
The unborn baby sucks his/her thumb and breathes fluid.
The unborn baby kicks and makes swimming motions.
The unborn baby can learn, develops habits, and dreams.
The unborn baby listens to voices and music with preferences.
Unborn babies are just as human as we are and can feel pain.
Kindergarten through fourth grade will provide the children with a body of
information, which will enable them to reject pro-abortion messages that they will
be exposed to as they grow older. At this level, abortion is not mentioned at any
time. Instead, the teachings focus on the development of the unborn person.
As a result, students will know that the unborn child is not a "blob of tissue," but
is in fact a little person. By the end of fourth grade, the children will have a strong,
lasting foundation from which to build upon in following grades. (10)
and are crowned by our unborn Lords' own story in the Gospel of Luke. Gods'
teachings, which are the biblical foundation of the sanctity of life, will be built upon throughout this educational process.
Fifth to twelfth grades will continue to lead the students into a Culture of Life and begin to educate them about the evil of abortion. The children will learn more about the developing unborn baby, and grades 5-12 will begin each class with a prayer of Spiritual Adoption. (Spiritual Adoption involves a nine-month commitment to pray for an unborn baby that may be in danger of being aborted.)
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 Each year of high school will cover the VOTE PRO-LIFE message and the history of the battle between the cultures of life and death. We are in no way promoting political parties or specific candidates. However, the students must fully understand that “Whatsoever you do to the least of these my brethren, you do to Me,” also applies in the voting booth. One must vote with a properly formed Christian conscience, supporting the candidate who will work to rebuild a Culture of Life. Students should memorize the following quote and be able to use it in defense of why all Christians are called to Vote For Life: “Abortion and euthanasia are crimes, which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law, or vote for it.'”
(Gospel of Life)
Suggested reading: “Reflections on the political Responsibility of Christians,”
from Priests For Life. This is the churches unique capacity to destroy the
culture of death. Together we can reform the conscience of our
culture to one that reverences all Life.
With proper education, students will know that each of
us looked like this unborn child at that age. They will 
know the truth that the unborn person is a very young
citizen waiting to be born, and deserves the same
protection under the law as everyone.
Imagine the possibilities of a single course spanning
the thirteen years from kindergarten through
twelfth grade. Here is one example of the program
in action: While every student is holding a model of
an 11-week old unborn baby (right), they watch the
video “Let Me Live” by Pat Boone.(9)
This would be a powerful beginning to a strong
and lasting understanding of the sanctity of life.
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IN ORDER TO CHANGE AND REBUILD
AN ENTIRE CULTURE,
WE MUST FOCUS ON THE CHILDREN
AND TEACH THEM.
 How many students have heard of Samuel Armas?(11) Telling his story would be another example of how to impress students with the truth that the unborn are just as human as we are. Samuel was operated on at 21-weeks gestation in utero for a spinal cord defect. Pictures of his hand grasping the surgeons are among the most powerful and unforgettable in recent years. He was born on Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 weighing 5 lbs 11 oz. Samuel's mom, Julie later wrote, “He was born at 36 weeks but came into the world screaming his head off! He did not have to spend any time in a neonatal unit and came home with us on Monday, Dec. 6.”
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| MANY HAVE DUBBED THE PICTURE BELOW “THE HAND OF HOPE”
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The Armas story and his pictures should be part of this program in every grade from at least sixth and repeated annually through to twelfth. Students will have a personal story of “Life Before Birth” that simply cannot be denied or forgotten.
The photo above was taken by Michael Clancy. It is protected by U.S. Copyright Law.
Visit Michael's website. Used with permission
The LORD called me before my birth; from
within the womb he called me by name.
Isaiah 49:1
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The leaders of the Protestant and Catholic Churches in America hold collectively in their hands the power to implement this program and mark the end to the culture of death.
Their participation will be imperative if we are to effect this change.
It is crucial that these leaders recognize the dire need for a major change in the way this life-and-death battle has been handled for the last 30 years.
We will encourage them and pray that they carry it out.
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If you agree with this program, please contact us with your input to help make this
a reality. Also consider forwarding it to your contacts, and the leaders in your
church and Pro-Life groups.
CONCLUSION
The authors of this document went to Catholic schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Two of us started kindergarten one year before the Roe v. Wade decision, and the Pro-Life education that we received was almost nonexistent. Our time in the Pro-Life Movement has led us to the conclusion that little has changed in the way of educating young Christians of today.
Compared to the time devoted to other subjects in Christian schools, it is deplorable how little time is spent teaching about the sanctity of life. This may one day be seen as the single greatest reason why the holocaust of “legalized” abortion lasts as long as it does. Can we honestly expect to defeat this growing culture of death if we do not thoroughly educate our students now, so they will vote and fight against it?
We have had thirty years of failed politicking, during which the root cause of the problem has not been properly addressed. Teaching our next generation about the sanctity of life and the wrongs of abortion is the correct and Christian thing to do. For when it comes to the soul of a nation-a nation that is uneducated is one that cannot change.
If you agree with this program, contact us at: Kevin@CpForLife.org. Your input can help to make this a reality. Also consider forwarding it to your contacts, the leaders in your church, and Pro-Life groups.
We challenge the leaders of churches throughout America to be pro-life and teach your flocks. You can do this by beginning a comprehensive “Life Before Birth” education program. This world is teaching them, even the youngest, to be pro-death. Indeed, each person will eventually choose a culture to which to belong. You are in the unique position to influence our youth so as to destroy the culture of death.
In His Name, please do not miss this opportunity.
"Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live."
Dt 30:19
REFERENCES
1. Office of Non-Public Education
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/NonPublic/organizations.html
2. Office of Communications, US Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.usccb.org/comm/statisti.htm
3. Homeschool Learning Network
http://www.homeschoollearning.com/resources_articles.shtml
4. http://victorywon.com/index.htm
5. http://victorywon.com/index.htm
6. http://www.priestsforlife.org/
7. http://cpforlife.org/pro_life_education28.htm
8. http://www.lutheransforlife.org/catalog/full.htm
9. Let Me Live video: The Anthem of the Unborn, (video: 6 minutes) may be
purchased from Pat Boone Enterprises at 310-858-0044
10. Peg Kenny, Louisiana Pro-Life Council
11. Holding Hands: Samuel Alexander Armas's Story
http://www.chiesacristiana.org/English/studies/fetalsur.htm
If you expect a nation to be
ignorant and free, you expect
what never was and can never be.
Thomas Jefferson |
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