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Pregnant and homeless on the doorsteps of a Christian megachurch
lsn ^
| 10/6/2012
| Abby Johnson
Posted on 10/06/2012 5:45:50 PM PDT by Morgana
One night over dinner, a friend of mine told me that he had seen a very pregnant homeless woman on the corner of a busy Austin intersection. I knew the intersection he was referring to…there is a huge non-denominational church on the corner. I felt confident that she had probably received some assistance from them. Maybe they were in the process of trying to help her find resources.
One of the friends with us at dinner, Heather, is the executive director of the Austin Coalition for Life, a non-profit group who holds daily vigils outside of Austin’s four abortion clinics. Their goal is to connect abortion-minded women with pregnancy resources in the area to help them choose life for their child. I was about to deliver my own baby any day, so I was limited with what I could do to reach out to this woman. Heather said she would continue to go by the intersection until she found her.
After several days of unsuccessful attempts, Heather was finally able to connect with her. She explained that there were several pro-life agencies in town that could help her with housing both before and after her baby was born. They could also help with expenses, pre and post natal care, labor and delivery, food, clothing, and all of her other basic needs. She talked to her for a long time and found out that she was running from an abusive relationship and was trying to protect her unborn child from the father.
Heather’s next question was a pretty obvious one … had the megachurch a few hundred feet away offered to help her? Instead of asking the woman and putting her on the spot, Heather decided to go and ask the church if they knew anything about the woman. She was startled at the response. “Well, one of our members took her to the Target Café to share the Gospel with her.” So, no material assistance was offered for her or her baby? No resources offered for where she could receive assistance? No phone calls made to maternity homes or pro-life groups in the area? “No,” the woman responded. “Just the meeting at Target to talk about the Lord.”
Well, isn’t that fantastic. I’m sure the Gospel will help her find a hospital to deliver her baby in. I’m sure the Gospel will help her with food to nourish her body during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. I’m sure the Gospel will help keep her safe from harm as she sleeps outside night after night.
Their answer made me disgusted. How can we expect to nourish someone spiritually when their physical needs aren’t met? How can we expect someone to be receptive to the Gospel when they go physically hungry during the day? How can we expect someone to believe in the power of Christ when they don’t know if they will be forced to deliver their baby in alley somewhere? This is Christianity? This is how we treat those in need of help? Certainly not. That is not what faith is about. James clearly states that “faith without works is dead.” What is faith if we are not willing to step out of our comfort zone and get our hands dirty in service to Christ? We are called to be the “hands and feet of Christ,” right? That means service to those who need him … not just words … actions.
When we say we are pro-lifers, what does that mean? Does it mean that we just don’t like abortion? Or does it mean that we are willing to go that extra step? Are we willing to take a young pregnant woman into our home to care for her when she has no one else? Are we willing to give sacrificially to those who have nothing? Are we willing to set our superficial judgment aside and truly be Christ-like? Are we willing to show mercy when others condemn? Are we willing to get our hands dirty?
Being pro-life isn’t always pretty. And it’s not just about “saving babies.” It is about saving the person … the woman, the baby, the man involved, the family. It is sometimes about putting someone else’s needs above our own. It is about stepping out of the comfortable and moving into a place that is unfamiliar.
Is it comfortable to talk about abortion? Not always. Do people always want to hear about it? Not usually. But silence breeds apathy, and that is what we are soaked in. APATHY. The greatest breeding ground for apathy seems to be in our churches. Why is that? It’s not like the sanctity of human life isn’t all over Scripture. It isn’t as if God didn’t make it pretty clear that life is sacred. We aren’t scared to talk about a slew of other “hot button” issues … but we tend to be silent on the number one issue that has invaded our churches. According to the Guttmacher Institute, seventy-two percent of women seeking abortions come from the church. I actually think that number is low. We performed very few abortions on women who proclaimed to be atheists or agnostic. No, many of them brought their bibles and/or rosaries to their abortion appointments. Many would ask if we would pray with them before the abortion procedure began.
APATHY. It is what keeps these churchgoing women coming to the abortion clinics over and over again. The churches are silent. The majority of clergy are silent. And their silence is deafening! By not speaking up they are telling those in their congregation who are suffering in silence that their sin of abortion is too big for God. That is a LIE. Clergy who are silent on this issue are not doing any one any favors. They are doing their congregation an incredible disservice. With seventy-two percent of abortions coming from the church, a sermon once a year during the Sanctity of Human Life month is not enough!! People are hurting! They are in desperate need of healing and they have no idea where to go because the church is silent. We have become so concerned with “offending” others that we have forgotten about how much our apathy offends God.
If you are in a church where your pastor/priest actively speaks on the sanctity of human life, I encourage you to thank him, and thank him often. It is not easy, but it is right. If you are not hearing the message of abortion and healing from the pulpit, I strongly urge you to go to your pastor and ask why. Share why this is important to you. Share these statistics with them. Share your heart. Just because your pastor is silent doesn’t mean you have to be. Stand up for life. Stand up and speak up. Lives are depending on it. It is time for the church to STAND UP.
TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: abortion; austin; christians; church; megachurch; prolife
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To: Chickensoup
Yeah, it can go either way.
I seen members of a church tithe faithfully, help build the building, and when tuff times came, they said they have other priories, no single men need to apply for help.... we got more important people to help.
To: Chickensoup
Even though some churches and pastors make it seem that way,
Tithing is NOT a entrance ticket into heaven....
They use that old trick in the book called:
" YOU ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE " bat over people's heads.
Didn't Balaam the prophet try to " CURSE " God's people when God said that they are not cursed ?
Numbers 23:
8. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
Guess what ? you know what Moab saw when looking at the camp of Israel from the hill tops ?
Funny thing is ? Jesus Christ took our " CURSE " away.... he bore our " Curse " ....
Anyone who has trusted in, believed in, put their faith in and received eternal life from Christ is now more " CURSED " .
A true born again Christian is not cursed nor can they ever be cursed again..... yes, God can use chastisement to correct us, but, we are not ever cursed again.
To: Morgana
Romans 8:
8. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Anyone who has received, trusted in ( Jesus Christ ) accepted his ( Jesus Christ ) gift of Salvation and has received eternal life has no more " Condemnation " coming to them.
To: texas booster
Job was tested, and anyone who has a druggie in their family knows full well how it is a trying time and it tests your faith.
To: Morgana
The " CHURCH " is the body of Christ.... the body of Christian believers world wide.
When this world and this country comes to a major crises, people will see how those man made Denominational walls start to come down and those people learn to love and co-operate among each other.
It's the us4 and no more mentality..... or they have set up their own standards in how people should qualify to get into heaven.
What's people going to do when Christ says " Sorry, no Baptist allowed " .... " Sorry, no Catholics allowed " .... " Sorry, no Church of Christ people allowed " .......
No, Jesus Christ will not say that, even though all of us argue among ourselves who should and should not make it to heaven.
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
There is only ONE WAY to enter into heaven....
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
That's by and through Jesus Christ by his blood...
To: American Constitutionalist
I know the nit pickers heresy hunters ( as the spelling checker nit pickers do ) will hound me for saying this.
" Didn't Balaam the prophet try to " CURSE " God's people when God said that they are not cursed ? "
( I am still searching to see if God actually said this, ok heresy hunters ? ( spelling checkers ).
When the bible says this:
Numbers 23:
8. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
Ok, ok, ok, Balaam said, that ? how can HE curse whom God has not " cursed ".
To: American Constitutionalist
Typo hunters, spelling checker hunters, heresy hunters.... ok, I make my correction:
Anyone who has trusted in, believed in, put their faith in and received eternal life from Christ is now NO more " CURSED " .
To: Citizen Tom Paine
This is THE point St. James was making in his book when he said " Faith without works is dead "
James 2
3. And you have respect to him that wears the fine clothing, and say unto him, Sit here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand there, or sit here under my footstool:
People say, they state that their faith is being a Christian ?
But, with no love ? .... then, it's a dead religion...
Faith without works is dead..... a dead man made stale religion....
It has nothing to do with the actual act of getting saved as the works to salvation people believe.
To: Morgana
I get the passion and emotion, and the crux of your argument.... but when it's all finally said and done ?
It is God who is THE ONE who is the arbitrator of who is dammed and who is not.... ok.... the Muslim prophet Mohammed is dammatible condemned.
To: Morgana
APATHY. It is what keeps these churchgoing women coming to the abortion clinics over and over again. When a mother wants to kill her baby, apathy is not the cause. No one wants to take responsibility for their own sin; always trying to shift it to someone or something else.
70
posted on
10/07/2012 6:55:40 PM PDT
by
af_vet_1981
(The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began,)
To: rabidralph
I’m still trying to figure out how a pregnant and homeless woman is that church’s fault. Convenient scapegoat
71
posted on
10/07/2012 6:57:29 PM PDT
by
af_vet_1981
(The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began,)
To: Morgana
| I am not sure of the reason/s as to why the mega churches are attracting these people.... |
Many newer churches, many larger congregations offer gyms, child care/nurseries, live music, basketball sessions, meeting/dining/banquet halls, seminars, national speakers, foreign missions activities, modular rooms conducting programs such as 'Promise Keepers', "Divorce Care", "Women in Faith", "Purpose Driven Church", numerous youth activities (dances, vast charity work, father/son, Mother/daughter dinners, formal retreats), numerous music ministries, group counseling, more associate pastors/ministers to attend to more of the 'flock' (home visits), just more amenities of all sorts (something for everyone.
To: Stand Watch Listen
From what you are telling me it would seem most people live at these mega churches. Do they ever go home?
73
posted on
10/07/2012 8:42:57 PM PDT
by
Morgana
(Time to play cowboys and muslims.)
To: ansel12; GeronL
You seem like you’d get along with them just fine. In fact you seem very much like those kind of people. Since you think being mean and rude is okay. You sit there and judge and you have no idea how badly I was treated.
You wanna discuss bad treatment well I am gonna. The church I grew up and ran out of like it was on fire when I was 18 treated me so bad. There were clicks, bullies, teasing you name it. This was in the 80’s too. Well the youth pastor always said “be nice to strangers so they will speak good of us and come back”. Okay Annsell I was never a member of that church. I was never baptized in that church so what does that make me? Not a member I will tell you that! I am still just a “visitor” until the day I officially join. No one ever asked me if I wanted to be baptized. Funny is that not? Geron what do you think of that? No one asked me if I wanted to join. I have been to churches that baptized kids in grade school, but no one at this church asked me. In fact all the years I was there no one ever asked me. Well after all the crap I left and you know what? I tell everyone how mean that church was just cause that pastor said “to be nice” to visitors and no one was “nice” to me. In fact when I left on my 18th birthday no one even called to ask me back. Such a nice church. Oh..and yes it was a mega church.
Oh but I am sure you will make up some excess for them. They are never in the blame /sarc. I know you kind.
74
posted on
10/07/2012 8:59:05 PM PDT
by
Morgana
(Time to play cowboys and muslims.)
To: Morgana
| From what you are telling me it would seem most people live at these mega churches. Do they ever go home? |
I would venture to say that all DO NOT participate in all or most activities. Simply, varied choices are presented throughout the week. The larger, wealthier congregations just have more to offer..that's all. Your smaller Baptist church may have very little to offer any one families' varied, unique interests.
IMHO....The 'Electric Company', Sesame Street', 'MTV', video game generations are now easily bored, jaded, and need constant simulation of most senses to be engaged.
I have not addressed whether these larger congregations presents a bonifide Bible centered worship service/belief. That area may be subjected to a 'watered down' Christianity in this enviroment of mind numbing choice of actvities. Spread too thin, in that Bible study/reinforcement is left at a low priority. There is a danger of attempting to be all things to all people leaves one wanting (hence a jack of all trades...master of none).
To: Morgana
I belong to a smaller church. When my dad died suddenly, the only thing I could think of to tell my mom was to call our pastor. Even though it was early on a Saturday morning, he and his wife dropped everything and rushed over.
I’m not sure how we would have handled the day if they hadn’t done what they did. She made coffee and comforted my mom, while he worked with the funeral home to get my father’s body out of the house.
I’m not sure how our local megachurch would deal with the situation, since you have to make an appointment on their website to get a chance to meet with an associate minister if you have any issues. ...but they do have an espresso bar.
To: Morgana
In fact you seem very much like those kind of people. You might want to read what you have been posting against small church Christians on this thread.
77
posted on
10/07/2012 10:25:59 PM PDT
by
ansel12
To: Morgana
Sounds like you agree with me?
78
posted on
10/07/2012 10:54:21 PM PDT
by
GeronL
(http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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