Celebrating the Sanctity of Human Life

We observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday on Jan. 19. This memorial day to remember lives lost to abortion was designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. He was the first president for whom I ever voted.

I have been involved in the pro-life movement for many years. More than ever, I am convinced this remains the critical social justice issue of our time: to protect the lives of unborn children, while also protecting the lives of women. Without a right to life, all other rights are meaningless. Legalized abortion has cheapened all human life and degraded women. We can witness its evil fruits rotting the culture around us.

Like Eve in the garden, women are still being deceived and men go along with the lies. We treat the blessing of fertility as a problem to be solved and believe abortion is necessary as a back-up for birth control. In the United States alone, we’ve lost 63 million babies and are still counting.

As Christians, we need to clearly stand for life without being judgmental of women who have suffered abortion. Our hearts ache with theirs over a tragic choice they may have been pressured into. They need to grieve their loss and they deserve our compassion.

God’s grace is enough to cover every sin.

Of course, it may be necessary for a doctor to intervene in an ectopic pregnancy or following a miscarriage. But these are outcomes we mourn, not celebrate. We do damage when we prematurely end a healthy pregnancy. Abortion traumatizes women.

Women have suffered shame, flashbacks, depression, addiction, miscarriage, infertility, even death as the results of legal abortion.

I am grateful to have outlived Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion-on-demand up to the moment of birth. This flawed decision was reversed in 2022 because there simply is no right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution.

Now, the “choice” has been returned to the states. Sadly, in the 2024 election, 7 out of 10 states with ballot initiatives removed protection for the unborn. Neither political party is unapologetically pro-life. Politics is not enough to change our society’s lack of respect for human life. The work of building a culture of life begins with recognizing the dignity of Womanhood.

That is why I volunteer for Guiding Star Siouxland, a non-profit women’s health and wellness center.. Guiding Star is committed to breaking down the cultural fear of fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. This fear tells women their natural, biological processes are something that need to be altered or suppressed. 

Instead, we want to empower women to embrace their uniquely created feminine design. We want to listen with compassion to the story of every woman who seeks counsel at our clinic. We are here to tell women that their bodies were created beautifully, and that a precious new life begins at the moment of conception. 

Thank you for supporting Guiding Star Siouxland with your prayers and gifts because being pro-life means being pro-woman!

Lynn Wielenga serves Guiding Star Siouxland as a board member, weekly volunteer and as the director of Spiritual Health. To learn more about Guiding Star Siouxland call 712-266-3282, visit www.guidingstarsiouxland.org or email info@guidingstarsiouxland.org.