Dear Friends,
It is with great appreciation that I write today to thank those of you who contributed to the ministry of Family Talk in December. Your kindness will make it possible for us to continue the work God has called us to do. In my 36 years of advocacy for marriage, parenthood, the sanctity of human life, and righteousness in the culture, I have never experienced such exciting opportunities as those lying before us in 2014. That might sound like an overstatement, but it is true. And you have made it possible for us to pursue them.
This month, I want to turn my attention to the plight of children, especially those not yet born. We and other pro-life organizations are gradually winning the battle for the hearts and minds of the American people. According to LifeNews.com, a website that publishes an update on the Internet daily, a record 87 abortion clinics closed their doors this past year. Yet the killing goes on day by day.
As we approach the 41st anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, more than 57 million tiny human beings have been dismembered, poisoned, or vacuumed from their wombs before they had a chance at life. One large Planned Parenthood facility is located just two blocks from my house, and every day I drive past and see the parked cars owned or borrowed by young women who have come to have their babies extracted. I don’t blame them for doing it, but I do grieve for them. Most have been victimized by a culture that has taught them to think of a casual sexual experience as a fun game without consequences. If unwanted pregnancies occur, and they usually do sooner or later, abortion is offered as a quick, easy and painless solution. It is a lie. Many will suffer from the experience emotionally for the rest of their lives. That is the dirty little secret the abortion advocates don't want the public, and especially young women, to know.
We are up against formidable forces in the struggle to save babies. The most powerful, Barack Obama, is the most pro-abortion president in American history. He and his Administration not only promote the movement at every opportunity, but they continue to coerce citizens of this country to support the killing with tax dollars. It is an activity that is prohibited by the Hyde Amendment, but they find a way around the law.
The U.S. Congress has blood on its hands, too. The Senate, with its liberal Democratic majority, is beholden to the abortion industry. Even the House of Representatives, led by Speaker John Boehner and other moderate Republicans, allocates more than $500,000,000 every year to the support of Planned Parenthood and similar obituaries. Where do they get the money for this purpose? They borrow it from China and add it to the national debt. But that is another story.
You may have heard that Family Talk is suing the federal government for mandating that we and other Christian non-profit ministries provide the "Morning After Pill," or Plan B medication, to their employees. These pills are erroneously called "contraceptives." That characterization is not accurate. Contraceptives prevent fertilization from occurring. The "Morning After Pill" can allow babies to be conceived but then prevents them from attaching to the uterus. When that occurs, the babies die. That’s why these medications are called "abortifacients," because they result in the deaths of tiny human beings. We believe that is immoral and unconscionable. Yet, the Department of Health and Human Services has decreed that if businesses and Christian ministries don't provide this medication to their employees, they will be fined $36,000 per year for each employee. It will quickly close them down, and our ministry will be one of them.
That’s why Family Talk is suing the federal government, with the generous help of our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Our case, which has been filed in a Colorado federal court, is called James Dobson vs. Kathleen Sebelius. If we prevail in the courts, we will have protected our Constitutional rights to religious liberty. Hundreds of other non-profit Christian organizations will also be shielded.
The founder and president of ADF, Alan Sears, said this is one of the most important religious liberty cases in the history of the United States. That is because no president has ever issued a mandate forcing Christians to kill other human beings. This is "a first," and it must become "the last."
This is not a new battle for me and the organizations I have led. I began trying to defend voiceless, helpless infants during the mid-1970s. As recently as April 2012, I wrote this statement declaring our unwillingness to be forced by the federal government to do what we know is wrong. This is what I wrote:
I am deeply saddened by the assault on religious liberty that is occurring, and by the promises the Administration has broken. I want to be very careful regarding what I am about to write now. It will not be said flippantly or with malice, but it will reflect the passion of my heart.
I believe in the rule of law, and it has been my practice since I was in college to respect and honor those in authority over us. It is my desire to do so now. However, this assault on the sanctity of human life takes me where I cannot go. I WILL NOT pay for the surcharge for abortion services. The amount of the surcharge is irrelevant. To pay one cent for the killing of babies is egregious to me, and I will do all I can to correct a government that lies to me about its intentions and then tries to coerce my acquiescence with extortion. It would be a violation of my most deeply held convictions to disobey what I consider to be the principles in Scripture. The Creator will not hold us guiltless if we turn a deaf ear to the cries of innocent babies. So come and get me if you must, Mr. President. I will not bow before your wicked regulations.
Shirley and I have signed the Manhattan Declaration, written by the late Chuck Colson, Professor Robby George, and Dr. Timothy George. It ends with the following affirmation:
Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institution to participate in abortions, embryo destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriage or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. WE WILL FULLY AND UNBEGRUDGINGLY RENDER TO CAESAR WHAT IS CAESAR’S. BUT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL WE RENDER TO CAESAR WHAT IS GOD’S.
That is where we will make our stand. I hope you will also have the courage to let your voices be heard. America is at a critical moment in its history. This is no time to cut and run.
You might start by coming to Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2014. There will be a huge rally on the mall to remember the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. My son, Ryan, will be one of the speakers, and I will be standing in the audience. I spoke at such a gathering at the Washington Monument in 1990. Approximately 700,000 people were in attendance. It would be a wonderful display of support for life if another enormous crowd would be in attendance this year.
Also, please pray about the upcoming court case. Ask the Lord to give us the right judges who will decide the outcome. May I also suggest that you send a financial contribution not only to Family Talk, but also to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Both organizations need your generous support. Defending religious liberty in the present political climate will be difficult. It is my prayer that future generations will look back on our struggle and thank God that He provided a mighty victory at this time of great crisis.
Blessings to you all,
James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder and President
This letter may be reproduced without change and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes without prior permission from Family Talk. Copyright © 2013 Family Talk. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Printed in the U.S.A. Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk is not affiliated with Focus on the Family.