If a woman decides to abort her child, but chooses to put the child up for adoption using an artificial womb, does that make it a pro-life decision? A challenging question to be sure. The very kind of issue that comes under scrutiny at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity (CBHD) in Deerfield, Illinois.

Several days ago, IFI published my first article on the subject of ectogenesis—enabling life to develop outside of a natural womb. Today, the conversation continues with Dr. Matthew Eppinette, the Executive Director of the CBHD.

When I asked him if the ectogenesis debate involves moral or ethical issues he simply replied, “Yes.” He noted that

the important thing is that in both [moral and ethical] we are concerned about how to live, which, as theologian James William McClendon said, “is a question no one can escape.”

Dr. Eppinette read the article I sent to him titled, “Artificial Wombs will Change Abortion Rights Forever.” He was impressed that the writer did a good job of working through various scenarios. Despite a more generally liberal slant to the publication Wired, he felt they offered strong questions about the headline they chose.

Will artificial wombs change abortion rights forever? Doubtful. As Dr. Eppinette says, “Perhaps most women would be unwilling to have their unborn child placed in an artificial womb rather than continue their pregnancy.” He adds, “Technological advances do change ethical conversations simply by creating additional options.”

The Wired article makes clear that ectogenesis will not ultimately upend abortion debates.

Okay, but… could ectogenesis advance the cause of the pro-life community? Or might it work against us? Dr. Eppinette is concerned that by embracing the ectogenesis technologies as an alternative to abortion, we might be alienating human beings from one another.

How so? We might find ourselves leaning heavily “into cultural narratives of radical individual autonomy rather than acknowledging the deep dependence that human beings have on one another.” That would likely happen no matter how much we might want to avoid acknowledging it.

He cites on this point Carter Snead’s book What It Means to be Human. This work considers the “Virtues of Acknowledged Dependence”—things like justice, generosity, hospitality, compassion, gratitude, humility, and openness, among others.

Dr. Eppinette explains that caring well for mother and child both during pregnancy and long after, are “far more important to pro-life work than technological solutions.” And thus we see why, like most issues surrounding “life,” complexity remains.

But how might this birthing option change opportunities for parents hoping to adopt? In other words, some women might choose to forego abortion and instead transfer the baby into an artificial womb so that someone could adopt the baby. To which Dr. Eppinette replied,

It does not seem possible to know whether or how often that might happen, but I am skeptical that this will be a frequently chosen path.

Finally, I asked if the CBHD has a position paper on ectogenesis. While they do not, Dr. Eppinette recommended this 2021 article: “Artificial Wombs: A Theological-Ethical Analysis about Partial Ectogenesis.”

In reading the aforementioned article, one paragraph personally troubled me. A reference was made to a 1971 essay on A Defense of Abortion by philosopher Judith Thompson. She argued this:

That even if a fetus is a person at the moment of conception, a woman’s bodily autonomy…means that it is morally acceptable to remove the fetus from her body. The ensuing death of the fetus is an inevitable consequence of ending the pregnancy, rather than the woman’s intention. This means that abortion is more an act of self-defense on the woman’s part than an intentional killing.

My, what ludicrous lengths we will go to to justify our actions. And to attempt to absolve ourselves of the guilt that often results.

Those who seek the wisdom of the Divine should consider these words in Job 10:11-12: “You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care.” (NLT)

May those who love God be of like mind and do the work of preserving life.

The website CBHD.org offers a wealth of information on a wide variety of bioethical issues.

Sometimes our pro-life arguments can become overcomplicated by statistics, rabbit-trails, and long rebuttals to straw-man arguments from the other side. We want to defend the pro-life position with everything we can muster, but sometimes it seems like we must have an answer to every argument from a pro-abortionist to properly defend life.

Fortunately, that is not true. All we need to know in order to effectively engage is a simple syllogism and three questions, which you can find here:

In this video, Scott Klusendorf, a pro-life speaker and author with the Life Training Institute, speaks at Illinois Family Institute’s 2023 Worldview Conference on “The Issue of Abortion” and what we need to engage.

You’ll want to re-watch this multiple times, both for the instructive content and humor!

Americans are big on choice. We can choose restaurants, automobiles, our clothing, and even where to live. We can make good choices and bad choices. Our prisons are packed with those who’ve chosen the wrong path. Leaders in government often make us wonder, “What were they thinking?”

One of the saddest of choices millions of Americans have made is the decision to terminate a human life through abortion. In bizarre fashion, we even call this a “pro-choice” decision. Frightening.

The progressive “choice” crowd is always looking for an out—a way to justify the gruesomeness of killing a baby. But there is a secondary issue at play in the discussion: the term “unwanted pregnancy.” This raises the question, what if there were a way for a woman to end her pregnancy without ending the life of the child?

Sound a bit twisted? I recently came across an article describing the growing interest in ectogenesis. It was in an April 2023 edition of Wired magazine and titled, “Artificial Wombs will Change Abortion Rights Forever.” Now THAT caught my attention.

To get a better grasp on the subject, I contacted Dr. Matthew Eppinette, director of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (CBHD) at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. He graciously provided helpful answers to several of my questions.

Before we discuss “artificial wombs,” you should know a bit about the CBHD’s work. Dr. Eppinette explains,

CBHD addresses a full range of bioethics issues—what to pursue and what not pursue when it comes to matters of life and health. Said simply, issues involved in Taking Life, Making Life, Sustaining Life, and Faking Life.

Obviously, “Making Life” issues include questions arising from reproductive technologies that allow for the creation of human life in laboratory settings. Thus this issue of artificial wombs (ectogenesis) is in their wheelhouse.

Dr. Eppinette explains,

Ectogenesis is the process of gestating a baby outside the body of a woman. To some degree, a version of ectogenesis occurs in IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), where eggs are fertilized in Petri dishes and allowed to develop briefly before being transferred into a woman’s uterus, placed into frozen storage, or discarded. In general, though, ectogenesis has to do with bringing a child toward full term in some technological device, outside of a womb.

Stages of this are currently being done. Most labs hold to the “14-day rule,” which forbids keeping human embryos alive in laboratories for more than 14 days.” Dr. Eppinette notes, however, there is increasing pressure “to extend the 14-day rule to 21 or even 28 or more days.”

Some of the experimenting has been done on lambs showing that a developing lamb fetus can be removed from the ewe’s uterus and gestated in an artificial womb until ready for birth. A gap exists between 14 or so days and several weeks in humans. So, to Dr. Eppinette’s knowledge, this line has not yet been crossed. Thus, no successful removal from an animal embryo from conception to birth has taken place entirely in an external womb. That, by defintion, is ectogenesis.

But wait…there must be some positive, real-life value to this “technology.” And there is. Dr. Eppinette offers this scenario. Consider a child being born very prematurely. (No child has survived in under 21 weeks of gestation). In this case, the baby spends weeks to months undergoing very intensive care. This child often faces significant developmental delays and even continued challenges throughout life.

However, a child reaching 18-24 weeks gestation could be transferred into an artificial womb. This would allow the baby to continue to develop for several more weeks before being fully delivered. Dr. Eppinette terms this “partial ectogenesis” and would be the most likely scenario in which this will be used.

But like any emerging technology, there are downsides. Among them, as Dr. Eppinette explains,

are all of the unknowns that go on between the body of the mother and the body of the child during pregnancy. We are only at the beginning of understanding the interplay between the two bodies and perhaps even more, between the mother’s body and the child’s mental and emotional development.

There’s more to be said on this. My next blog will include Dr. Eppinette’s answer on “will artificial wombs change abortion rights forever.”

For now, let’s ponder in amazement what King David wrote in Psalm 139, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  Verse 14 (ESV)

For more information, contact The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity.

The problem of child sexual abuse in the United States is far greater than most people realize. Sixty million American adults are sexual abuse survivors. Twenty percent of us. Thirty-nine million of the victims were abused before turning twelve years old. Because most of them will never tell anyone about their experiences, the scope of the problem remains largely a hidden evil.

One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before reaching eighteen.

Why is so little being done to stop it?

During the 70’s and early 80’s I worked for the Illinois Legislative Investigating Commission, eventually becoming the Chief Investigator. More commonly known as the Illinois Crime Investigating Commission, the agency was created to attack organized crime and official misconduct. Because of that focus, we were directed to investigate the rising instances of child pornography and child prostitution that we were seeing throughout the country.

It was well known that vice activities were dominated by organized crime. So it stood to reason that the outfit was responsible for sexually exploiting growing numbers of children as well. That theory proved to be untrue.

Ninety percent of abuse victims are abused by someone they know. Sixty percent are abused by a family member. Almost twelve percent of students who graduate from high school are victims of educator sexual misconduct sometime between kindergarten and twelfth grade. The mob was not behind it.

The sexual exploitation of children turned out to be something beyond what anybody thought.

Our investigation uncovered a range of horrors none of our investigators ever expected and it led to an almost eight-year investigation into every aspect of the issue—the victims, the families, the perpetrators, the social service agencies, the health workers, the police and detectives, the prosecutors, the entire judicial system. It was all a mess. Nothing worked smoothly. There was little or no cooperation or coordination between and among agencies. Every facet of the system was riddled with incompetence and indifference.

There is no easy solution.

We contacted every police department in the state and interviewed scores of detectives about sex abuse cases they handled. What became very clear immediately was most detectives did not like being assigned these cases. A downstate detective told me one time he heard over the radio the call come in about a child being sexually abused. Immediately, he said, he hid under his desk until the supervisor assigned it to someone else.

The cases were depressing, even more so than homicides. And because the conviction rates were so poor and because they sometimes involved prominent people in the community, they were seen as career killers. Today, these cases generally are handled by specialists. But there are not enough of them.

As a way to improve the overall system, we drafted the initial enabling legislation for what has now become known as the Child Advocacy Centers. There were none back then. Today there are over 800 around the country and, for a time, they were performing a coordinating function that was very effective. Based on indicators I’ve seen recently, I am not sure that is true anymore. In Illinois they seemed to have lost touch with the original intended purpose. I have seen a similar erosion of purpose in other states as well.

During the 70’s, prosecutors were reluctant to take on cases involving child sexual abuse because convictions were hard to get. That remains the situation today. Prosecutors often take plea deals that don’t involve the perpetrator admitting to a sex offense. Or, they agree to a less serious offense that has less jail time.

Social workers for DCFS and contract agencies remain ill equipped to handle any serious cases as they remain hamstrung by rules that prevent adequate triaging of the caseload. Often, then and now, they will spend more time on easy cases where parents and caretakers are cooperative, than they will on much more serious cases where the parents actively resist and evade the caseworkers.

You would think that at least the health care workers would be universally committed to the protection of children. Not always. They generally are pretty good at reporting suspected cases of abuse, at least physical abuse. But underage girls who are pregnant sometimes are not reported as victims of abuse, despite the prima facia evidence that the child was sexually abused. Children legally cannot give consent.

In some cases, health workers help arrange, or provide, abortions without notifying the police, DCFS or any other official.

This is also sometimes true when there is evidence boys have been sexually abused, and the boys refuse to cooperate.

No report.

When a case overcomes all the hurdles, and the prosecutor secures a conviction, there is no guarantee justice will be served. Too often, judges minimize the sentencing.

Recently, a teacher in Michigan engaged in sexual intercourse repeatedly over several months with her 13-year-old student. She was convicted of multiple counts of first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, for which she could have received life imprisonment. She was sentenced to 3 to 20 years. Period. She probably will be out much earlier. She’s not the only one. It’s the same as it was 50 years ago.

In the 70’s, one of our first cases involved a man who was sexually abusing a girl for three years, starting when she was 6. We got him cold on child pornography charges and he gave a full confession. He was sentenced to five years.

Pathetic.

Those immersed in the system know all this is true, but for one reason or another are not inclined to do anything about it. Those outside the system are largely oblivious, and very often want to remain ignorant.

This leaves our next generation condemned to evade the predators as best they can largely on their own. The consequences? More and more children will become victims of child sexual abuse. In thirty years maybe there will be 90 million adult survivors. By then, twenty five percent of us?

Unless we step up and start doing something much more effective, the numbers are going to keep growing.

(Next time, some things that are working and what you can do.)

On May 2, the town of Danville, Illinois became what some have called a “sanctuary city for the unborn.” After Planned Parenthood staff announced plans to open an abortion clinic in the town, the city council reacted by narrowly passing an ordinance (8-7), citing a section of federal law that forbids the mailing of abortion paraphernalia.

Danville’s recent ordinance does not quite make it a “sanctuary city”—at least not in the same sense that Seattle is a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants on the run from federal immigration officials. Danville’s ordinance is actually a reverse “sanctuary” provision that enforces federal authority in the township, in the face of state law. And herein lies the convoluted back-and-forth of legal argumentation, as both the pro-life and the pro-choice movements have exposited the law to support their side.

The pro-life ordinance makes a clear-cut appeal to the U.S. Constitution, citing Article VI which makes all federal laws the “supreme Law of the Land.” The ordinance further references a section of federal law, U.S.C. §§ 1461–62, which prohibits using the mail system to deliver abortion paraphernalia. Thus, the ordinance explains, since 1) the Danville City Council is “bound by oath to support and defend the Constitution,” 2) the Constitution makes federal law the supreme law of the land, and 3) federal law prohibits mailing abortifacients, therefore Danville is upholding the Constitution in passing this restriction.

The pro-abortion-rights side is not backing down easily, however. According to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Danville’s new rule violates Illinois state law. The state’s Reproductive Health Act prohibits local governments from restricting abortion rights tighter than the state law does, so he claims that Danville simply lacks the legal authority to pass such a regulation.

This article is not intended to endorse or refute either legal argument. Either way it turns out in court, the pro-life movement can still learn a valuable lesson from the Danville controversy.

Roe didn’t get rid of abortion—it made the national discussion that much more tangled.

Pro-lifers cheered as Dobbs struck down the blanket national ruling which said “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” Immediately, state governors and legislators went to work to pass pro-life or pro-abortion laws, depending on the state.

I’m sure some of us, cheering for Dobbs, were tempted to view ourselves as the reasonable states-rights defenders, in opposition to those big, bad authoritarian federal mandates and rulings. But being “pro-states-rights” really only truly works for the pro-life cause when the state you live in is already pro-life. In states like Illinois, being “pro-states-rights” actually seems to be more like being “pro-choice,” at least in the Danville case.

So states’ rights is not our savior, if it ever was. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a worthy principle, enshrined in our nation’s founding, and one that works well for our side in many places, especially right when the Dobbs ruling came down and various states started banning abortion right and left. But those states only did so because they were already pro-life. The cultural and political groundwork was already in place. In states where these prerequisites are not already in place, “states rights” is just a further justification to keep and expand the abortion restrictions they believe in.

Dobbs was not the end of the pro-life fight. It just moved the battle to a different battlefield, one that is currently focused more on individual skirmishes in particular states than mass movements of troops on the national stage. The dispute over Danville’s ordinance shows us much more clearly how important the local cultural battle is. Overturning U.S. Supreme Court precedent is a major step, but it was only the first step.

Influencing culture and educating the populace who will in turn vote for next year’s lawmakers is the way to ensure the breakthrough we won with Dobbs will actually bring pro-life wins to our states’ laws.

When it comes to the abortion debate, our local neighborhoods are now the new Supreme Court chamber.

We have another must-watch video recommendation, this one released by Canon Press on YouTube. Pastor Douglas Wilson reacts and responds to a video in which the 2017 Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, lists “8 reasons to stand up to abortion bans.” Wilson easily responds to each of her arguments, thereby showing how pro-abortion arguments can easily be countered by common sense.

This video is only about seven minutes long and contains some fantastic points to add to your repertoire of pro-life replies, so click HERE or watch the video below.

It’s incredibly awkward when you’re in an important worldview conversation with a friend, and you don’t know what to say. You can’t figure out the right facts or convincing words to combat their argument, and worse, the conversation ends with you questioning your own beliefs.

First Peter 3:15 says “…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Though this verse is speaking about sharing the gospel, the principle – always being prepared to make a defense with gentleness and respect – applies to anything we believe.

The Sanctity of Life is one area in which it’s especially important to be prepared. This video about the abortion pill from Live Action is a good starting place to build practical knowledge for your next conversation. Check it out and share the video!

This Sunday, Americans will celebrate another Mother’s Day. Since everyone has a mother, it’s an important proposition to honor them. Biblical, too. You know, “honor your father and mother” is one of the Big Ten.

One Illinois mom who has an extra reason to celebrate this year is Caron Lamen. In February, this Aurora mom was at home alone with her daughter Aria. Caron suddenly passed out while talking to her daughter.

Aria quickly called her father. Then 911. The dispatcher kept Aria on the line while giving her instructions as the girl checked on mom’s breathing. As Caron Lamen would say, “For her to do what she did and stay so calm is amazing.” Indeed.

Aria then had to compose herself to help first responders get the needed information to save Caron’s life. The dispatcher, Tracie Whalen, sent the ambulance. Observed Tracie,”I’ve taken calls for 30 years. I have never seen a kid ever do as well as she did. I don’t see most adults do as well as she did.”

Mom came back home after spending 16 days in the hospital. Such a godly blessing! And what a special Mother’s Day this will be for the Lamen family!

But worth noting, how many mothers have been by their child’s side as they struggled with the many issues of life? Too many to count. Whether it’s an illness or injury, an emotional or relational problem, or some other form of pain, a loving mom will be the chief support person for her children.

One seemingly impossible task is to select a national “Mother of the Year.” Yes, there is such a competition. And the nominees appear to be selected having earned the same title in their home state.

Rachel Ternstrom was selected by the nonprofit American Mothers Inc. as the 2022 Illinois Mother of the Year. (Not able to find a 2023 winner yet.) The Rolling Meadows woman was the 72nd woman in Illinois history to receive the honor.  She has two daughters.

Ms. Ternstrom graduated from DePaul University. She worked for many years in the recruiting and sales industry. Then she became a stay-at-home mom. Her passions are interior styling and home decor.

I personally know a previous state of Illinois winner. Her name is Kendra Smiley. She was selected as the Illinois Mother of the Year in 2001. Kendra was the “baby” in her family and a true achiever. This woman graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois and earned her Master of Science degree from the University of North Dakota. Again, graduating with highest honors.

Kendra and her husband John have raised three sons. She is a true “Proverbs 31 woman” having spent years as a teacher and a girls basketball coach. Kendra also served as a church and community leader. She’s a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

A few years ago, Kendra gave women a wonderful devotional blessing. It’s a book titled, Mother of the Year: 365 Days of Encouragement for Devoted Moms. Along with her several other books, Kendra has touched the lives of women as a speaker and host of the daily radio program Live Life Intentionally. She has also been a blogger a TV personality.

While every one of us has a mother, not everyone has a mom with whom they feel connected. And, of course, there are women across our country who are unable to have children and experience the joys—and pains—of motherhood. Yes, the celebration of Mother’s Day annually can leave gaps.

My children have learned from my wife not to greet women randomly with “Happy Mother’s Day.” Unless, of course, she’s your own mother! That greeting is reserved only for that maternal relationship.

There is a mother who stands head and shoulders above all others. She gave birth to the Savior of the world—Jesus the Messiah. Her name is Mary.

When this special “pregnant virgin” went to visit her cousin, here is the account: “Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, ‘God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.’” (Luke 1:42, NLT)

The opportunity to be a mother means a woman has been blessed to bring life to another soul in this world. What a privilege! And honor. Even…a divine calling.

There is a terrible proposal in Springfield being shopped around behind closed doors – a  bill to legalize assisted suicide in Illinois. Certain members of the Illinois General Assembly are trying to rush a measure through so that the Governor can sign it into law, but is this a good idea? What does the Bible say about such things?

There are a number of examples of suicide that are recorded in the Bible and they are all tragic and terrible. King Saul threw himself on his own sword in 1 Samuel 31 after the LORD declared that the Kingdom would be taken from him and given to David. King Zimri is another example. 1 Kings 16:18-19 tells us,

“When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire, and died, because of his sins which he sinned, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, making Israel sin.”

And who can forget the most famous account of suicide in the Bible, when Judas after his betrayal of Christ went and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5).

In these, and other accounts, the Bible makes it very clear that suicide is sin. Life is precious, and life has sanctity because God is the Author of it. Our own lives are not ours to take whenever we wish. They belong to God, and God determines when life begins and ends, not us. Listen to the words of Deuteronomy 32:39,

“See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My Hand.”

And again in 1 Samuel 2:6,

“The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.”

Do you see that? GOD ALONE has authority over life and death. GOD ALONE is able to take life and give life. He is the Author of Life!

Scripture does not give us license to take our own lives. Suicide is self-murder, and murder is always wrong. Those who say that people should have the right to go to a physician to assist them in killing themselves are engaging in foolish talk. It is the sort of talk that Job’s wife took part in after Job lost his wealth, his children, and his health.

^“Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:9-10).

Job’s attitude was righteous, but his wife’s was foolish and evil.

And this foolishness will only increase if legislation allowing physician assisted suicide passes in our state. It will be presented as a “mercy” for terminally ill people, but inevitably it will snowball into “compassionate suicide” for people with all sorts of various maladies like chronic arthritis and depression as it has in European nations, and eventually it may even culminate in forced euthanasia. What a disaster such legislation would be for Illinois.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your local state senator and state representative today and tell them you are against any bill that allows assisted suicide in our state!

And friend, for anyone who is considering suicide, I want to share with you a story from the Bible about a man who was just like you, but he found hope in Christ. If there was hope for this man, there is hope for you too. No matter what sort of trial is happening in your life, there is always hope in Jesus.

^“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 

But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.” (Acts 16:25-34).

Planned Parenthood and their pro-abortion allies in the Illinois General Assembly aren’t satisfied with abortions up to birth, paying for them with your tax dollars, inviting women from other states, and protecting child molesters by permitting young girls to obtain abortions without their parent’s knowledge. They have now placed pregnancy care centers directly in their cross hairs.

SB 1909 creates the so-called Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act. It passed in the Illinois Senate by a vote of 36 to 19 on March 31st. This bill  has now been scheduled for a hearing in the Illinois House Health Care Availability & Accessibility Committee on Tuesday, April 25th, at 4 PM in Stratton, Room C-1.

Pregnancy Care Centers are local, nonprofit organizations that offer life-saving services to women and men faced with difficult pregnancy decisions. They offer a wide variety of free care from pregnancy testing to providing material needs such as cribs, diapers, clothes and abstinence training. Some centers offer housing, Bible studies, medical care, and parenting education if the mother/parents choose to keep their child. The selfless people who work and volunteer at these centers offer hope and choice for women and men who feel as if they don’t have a choice. Many centers also offer post-abortion counseling.

The ambiguous language of SB 1909 would allow the Attorney General the right to investigate and penalize a pregnancy care center if it “appears” that the center is “engaged in, is engaging in, or was about to engage in [a deceptive] method, act, or practice.” What isn’t ambiguous are their intentions. From the bill:

It is also the public policy of the State to ensure that patients receive timely access to information and medically appropriate care and that consumers are protected from deceptive and unfair practices. Despite these laws, vulnerable State residents and nonresidents seeking health care in this State have repeatedly been misled by organizations and their agents purporting to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services, but which, in reality, aim to dissuade pregnant persons from considering abortion care through deceptive, fraudulent, and misleading information and practices, without any regard for a pregnant person’s concern or circumstances. … The advertisements and information given by these organizations provide grossly inaccurate or misleading information overstating the risks associated with abortion, including conveying untrue claims that abortion causes cancer or infertility and concealing data that shows the risk of death associated with childbirth is approximately 14 times higher than the risk associated with an abortion. [Emphasis added]

The intent of this bill is to close pregnancy care centers with attorney fees, court costs, and fines up to $50,000. All it would take to begin the process is a complaint. Can you imagine how many abortion cheerleaders would take part in setting up PRCs for streams of legal challenges to harass and disrupt these ministries?

You might also want to file a slip to oppose HB 2039. This bill has already passed in the Illinois House by an 81 to 27 vote on March 24th. It is now being considered in the Illinois Senate. This proposal allows all private health data be made available to the local health department “for the purposes of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability” and allows the Dept. of Public Health, Dept. of Human Services, and Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services to “adopt any rules necessary to implement the Act.” Allowing more government oversight over your personal health care should raise red flags.

Take ACTION: Please CLICK HERE to file a witness slip in opposition to SB 1909. 

-Fill out your name, address, email and phone number. Leave everything else blank unless it requires the blank to be filled, then try self, citizen, or voter.
-Highlight “Opponent” and “Record of Appearance Only.”
-Check Terms of Agreement and click Create Slip.

Take ACTION #2: CLICK HERE to file a witness slip against HB 2039.

More Action Needed: Please also call your state rep to oppose both SB 1909 and HB 2039. CLICK HERE for his/her contact info.

Population alarmists have been violently ringing the doomsday bell about overpopulation for generations. For decades, they have been predicting a population boom that would result in famine, chaos, and war, with too many people vying for too few resources. But as generation after generation has marched on with no sign of these outcomes, people have started to wonder. What if we were being alerted to the wrong thing? What if the problem isn’t too many people, but too few?

The creators of Birthgap, a documentary film, set out to warn viewers about the declining population, traveling all over the world to visit and talk to government officials, professors, and laymen. The documentary seeks to answer a series of questions: Do people know about the birth gap? Are they concerned about it? Are they doing anything about it? Should something be done? Why is the birth gap so large?

The data is staggering. Most developed countries have an over 50% birth gap, meaning that there is a ratio of 1:2+ of children born to elderly citizens. If this trend continues – and that is pretty much guaranteed – fewer children will be born and adults will continue living longer. This isn’t sustainable for a nation. When there are more elderly people than working adults, social systems fail. There aren’t enough people to care for the elderly, schools close, businesses start to fail, and as a result, countries decline economically. Using graphs and data, Birthgap presents this worldwide problem with stark clarity.

Please watch and share this on your social media platforms:

Although this documentary is produced from a secular worldview, there is no denying that this problem should concern Christians. It is also a problem that becomes understandable once it is viewed through a Biblical lens.

A question that is frequently raised throughout the documentary is simply, “Why? Why is this happening?” Those to whom the question was posed had a difficult time answering it. But as believers, we know that when countries ‘forget’ God and rebel against Him, they will also despise what He values. We know God values children and that one of His first commands to mankind was to be fruitful and multiply. As Biblical morals decline, leading to the breakdown of the institutions of marriage and family, people increasingly prioritize what they want and feel they need more than children.

Having kids is a blessing, but it also requires sacrifice. Especially in the developed world, those of childbearing age are increasingly focused on self: What I want. What I prefer. What makes me happy. What’s best for me. A mindset like this is directly opposed to a desire for or love of children. As Birthgap demonstrates, the ramifications of this shift in priorities will be devastating.

This documentary is a must-see, so click the link and head on over to YouTube to watch Birthgap!

We’re likely all familiar with the phrase, “there’s only two things you can’t avoid in life: construction in Illinois and car warranty calls.” No…wait. I think the answer is supposed to be death and taxes. Of course, in Illinois we love our taxes. We must. That’s why they keep finding new ones for us!

My wife Rhonda and I are in that stage of life where we generally get only one kind of mail: requests for money. There’s the bills that we are rightfully expected to pay. Then there are the infinite number of requests for donations. These arrive from every which, what, and who. There are also sales brochures with coupons to remodel your entire house.

I even get mailings asking for money after they send ME money! March of Dimes sends me a dime a couple of times a year—asking for 300 dimes in return. One pet care group recently sent me TWO dimes!

Then come requests with my name spelled wrong. My ego is not bothered by this. But what good are mailing labels with the wrong name?

And speaking of those mailing labels, I now have close to 22,000 saved up from the last 20 years at my home address. Some money requests arrive with “greeting cards” for birthdays, friendship, get well, and sympathy. I’m thankful I don’t need to use all those sympathy cards!

How does all this “junk” mail find me? Mailing lists. One group sells their mailing list to another. That’s how I get four different organizations that spell my name wrong.

This passing along of my name to other groups is easily tracked when it comes to my soft spot: caring for animals. I can barely stand it when I get a picture of some forlorn dog’s face on the envelope. I want to rip open the mailer and get to the reply envelope to send them money. Okay, a mild overstatement.

I think I now have seven different animal care groups sending me monthly mailings. One offered me a nice doggie t-shirt for my gift. It came in one size: too-small-for-me.

One animal care group I give to is the Anti-Cruelty Society based out of Chicago. They take in animals and provide them food, shelter, and even medical care for those that are suffering. They work to save the lives of animals.

Another group is the SPCA— the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.Their cause is noble. And they sent the two dimes.

I won’t give to PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It’s the largest animal rights group in the world. This group has not always been so ethical in their treatment of humans. Or pets. It’s reported they promote euthanasia. And to end zoos. No animal crates. I’m also not a vegetarian. I consider them extreme.

One might also say, PETA is a misrepresentation of truth. Sort of like groups that are ”pro choice.” Or “Planned Parenthood.” Anyone with third grade reading ability who reads the details of a partial birth abortion, would know that these abortionists and their followers would certainly not be called an “Anti Cruelty Society.”

Fortunately, in Illinois, we are blessed with several wonderful pro-life organizations. I’ve attended their banquets and fundraisers and am always impressed by the depth of care they provide. Never judgmental. Always supportive to both the mom-to-be and, if he’s open, the father-to-be. The Illinois Family Institute is a big supporter for pro-life organizations.

By God’s design, all creatures great and small have design and purpose. It begins in creation when, in Genesis 1:20-21, we read that what God made He “saw that it was good.” We’re told by the psalmist to know the condition “of your flocks and herds.” In Proverbs 12:10 we read, “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” (ESV)

Yet only one of God’s creative works is made in His image. The human being. For a refresher course, read Psalm 139.

If you want to save a life, put your money where your faith is. Support the pro-life cause. You’ll find groups to support at www.illinoisfamily.org.

And if you must know, I will accept more junk mail. Assuming they keep sending me dimes. Retirees need all the dimes we can get.

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, little if anything has changed concerning abortion in Illinois. You would think radical pro-abortion activists and legislators would be satisfied to know the status quo remains, but sadly, you would be wrong. Even though Illinois’ abortion law is one of the most liberal in the nation, pro-abortion forces are not content with unfettered access to abortion, and they are now coming after crucial pregnancy resource centers (PRCs).

Last week, SB 1909 passed the Illinois Senate on a partisan roll call vote (36 to 19) and has arrived at the Illinois House for their consideration. The so-called Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, giving the Illinois Attorney General, who is militantly pro-abortion, the ability to fine PRCs for any perceived fraud or misleading statements.

So, what constitutes an instance of fraud or a misleading statement? Based on the Executive Committee hearing testimony by State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago), it depends entirely on the interpretation of the AG’s office. The so-called “testimonies” shared in support of the amendment were in no way substantiated, with one coming from Planned Parenthood Action and the other–get this–from the AG’s office. It’s a textbook conflict of interest, and yet no one seems to think this is problematic.

Now, a senate committee meeting is not a trial in which evidence is expected to be produced, but you would think that the obvious bias and lack of proof on the side of the bill’s proponents would raise some red flags. But apparently, the consciences of pro-abortion Illinois legislators are seared. Even a clear assault on religious liberty and free speech is no problem to them where their pet issues are concerned.

In addition to the shaky-at-best reasoning behind this new legislation, it was brought up multiple times in the hearing that this bill is not necessary, as the current Consumer Fraud Act more than covers the examples Villanueva and others gave. If a PRC is acting unlawfully, they are already subject to the law currently on the books. When pressed, the Deputy Attorney General for Policy at the AG’s office said over and over that infractions would be evaluated on a “case-by-case” basis. In other words, it’s subject to the whims of the AG, not the objective standards set out by the law. But then this isn’t about using the law correctly. It’s about punishing and potentially fining out of business these critical, often faith-based, centers for any reason.

Unsurprisingly, proponents cast “limited services pregnancy centers” as preying upon women, set against Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses as compassionate providers of healthcare. Among the accusations they brought against PRCs is that they delay or under-deliver healthcare for pregnant women through vague language or outright lies about their pregnancies. But as Serena Dye, regional executive director of Hope Life Center, testified, “The wording in this bill reminds me of my personal experience at abortion facilities, not pregnancy help centers.”

Although the eventual outcome of the hearing was evident from the start, it was heartening to hear from both Dye and Kristi Hofferber, a pro-life speaker and executive director of A Beacon of Light. Both women know personally the harm done by the abortion business. They spoke boldly, detailing the compassionate and crucial work done by their respective organizations and drawing attention to the damage this bill will do if signed into law.

Another bright spot was the dogged questioning of State Senator Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia), who pointed out the inconsistencies and clear animus embedded in SB 1909, over the protests of other members of the committee. With Democrats in the majority, however, the bill passed out of committee along party lines and went on to do the same in the Senate. The same will likely happen in the House, and then it will go on to the Governor’s desk, where it will no doubt be signed into law.

Watch the Senate Committee Hearing HERE.

So, what next? This bill spells disaster for one of the last places where vulnerable moms in Illinois (and beyond, thanks to burgeoning abortion tourism coming from surrounding states) stand a chance of hearing the whole story about what their pregnancy could mean for them, and of course, where their innocent, unborn children can be saved. First, we must pray for God’s mercy and that more and more believers will be stirred to stand for life in their homes, churches, and communities. Second, we must pray for and support pro-life PRCs. Third, we must pray for and support pro-life, pro-freedom organizations that can use the law to bring attention to this unconstitutional, government-sanctioned witch hunt.

The Thomas More Society, a pro-life law firm headquartered in Chicago, has already gone on record that if this bill is signed into law, they will bring a lawsuit against it. Peter Breen, a former Illinois state legislator and the Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation at Thomas More Society stated, “Senate Bill 1909 is a radical attempt to silence and chill the speech of pro-life advocates in Illinois. The bill is presented as a ‘consumer protection’ measure, but its purpose is to protect abortion clinics from competition…” He went on to say, “This bill is flagrantly unconstitutional, and if it becomes law, we will immediately file suit to protect pro-life organizations’ right to free speech.”

Democrats in Illinois have long stood for ever-increasing abortion access. SB 1909 demonstrates, in no uncertain terms, their desire to eliminate all options but abortion for women facing an unplanned pregnancy. We know God will not allow evil to continue forever, but today, we lament and cry out to Him for justice for those who have no voice.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your state representative asking him/her to leave PRCs alone by voting against SB 1909. Point out that pregnancy care centers do not engage in “deceptive practices” but rather vital life-giving work. The people at these centers minister to needy, vulnerable women and children and are supported by people of faith across the state who want to be a blessing.

Read more:

How A Pregnancy Center Saved Me From Homelessness, Addiction, And Despair
(The Federalist)

Pregnancy Resource Centers Must Be Ready for a Post-Roe America
(National Review)

The Critical Pro-Life Work of Pregnancy Resource Centers
(ERLC)

With more and more states in the region and beyond moving to protect the lives of unborn babies or at least restrict the mass killing, abortionists in Illinois are busier than ever, according to the abortion industry in the state and news reports about the gruesome phenomenon.

The Associated Press, a far-left pro-abortion propaganda service masquerading as an objective news agency, reported last week that hundreds of women were being lured to Southern Illinois each week to kill their pre-born children. Many more are expected.

The pregnant women are coming from almost a dozen states where authorities started reining in the unchecked slaughter after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. In fact, even before the Dobbs decision, the flow of victims into Illinois was growing as states like Texas cracked down.

Abortionists in Illinois can hardly keep up, they told reporters.

“With every piece of litigation, with every new constitutional amendment, with every new abortion restriction in a state that has some access, we are on this teeter-totter of, ‘what can we do here to make more space for the people who are going to be fleeing their home state?’” abortion “doctor” Colleen McNicholas with Fairview Heights’ Planned Parenthood was quoted as saying by the AP.

According to news reports, the waitlist at the Southern Illinois abortion operation has gone from two days to three weeks in recent months, even as staffers now do 10-hour shifts and work Saturdays. Now the leadership is talking about keeping the doors open on Sunday, too.

More than 10,000 pre-born babies are forecast to be killed there just this year. Meanwhile, the abortionists have turned an RV into a mobile baby-killing center that travels around the inner perimeter of the state perpetrating abortions.

Other local abortionists are seeing similar surges as multiple new “abortuaries” open their doors across Southern Illinois. Two opened in Carbondale late last year, the AP reported.

“Any additional decision [to restrict abortion by nearby states] has the potential to really change demand again,” abortionist McNicholas continued, as if killing babies were just like any other good or service to be provided in the marketplace. “It’s like crisis management every day of the year.”

Florida, despite GOP super-majorities in both houses of the legislature, has also become a Mecca for women from other states in the region seeking abortions. As in Illinois, the number of unborn babies killed in the Sunshine State has surged dramatically as other Southern states moved against the carnage.

However, legislation being considered by Florida lawmakers and a proposed constitutional amendment may shut that option down, too. That would increase the numbers even further in Illinois, which has some of the most radical and permissive abortion laws in the entire world.

In recent years, Planned Parenthood has been forced to acknowledge the grotesque racism and white supremacy of its brutal founder, Margaret Sanger. Among other evils, Sanger was a leading advocate of eugenics, deliberately targeting minorities and others she deemed unfit. That stench of that legacy looms large.

One key purpose of the AP article touting the surge in abortions in Illinois was obviously to mock those seeking to protect the unborn in other states. A childish taunt, the AP “reporter” and the abortion industry were letting readers know the slaughter will continue regardless of what other states do.

However, it cannot continue forever. As America’s founding documents make clear, God endowed all people with the right to life, and government exists primarily to protect that and other rights. As the Bible makes clear, too, the purpose of government is to punish evil, and God clearly defines murder as such.

Some of the nation’s most prominent legal minds have pointed out that governments — even in states like Illinois — have a constitutional obligation to protect the right to life of all people, including pre-born people. There can be no “state right” to allow abortion or any other murders, much less to subsidize it with public money.

In the meantime, though, state and local authorities in Illinois and beyond can and should start exploring options to rein in the savagery taking place under color of law. Nobody would tolerate it if Illinois legalized the killing of post-birth children and lured people to the state to carry out the grisly task. This cannot be tolerated either.

With more than 60 million babies massacred over the last 50 years, Illinois and the nation must deal urgently with these ongoing atrocities. Someday, civilized people will almost certainly look back at this much as Americans today look back on the slave trade or National Socialist (Nazi) concentration camps.

The time to stop this evil is now.

Last month we alerted you to tyrannical bills designed to shut down the operations of “limited services pregnancy centers.” State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) is looking to advance her bill SB 1909, which is titled the “Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act.” This overbearing proposal will probably be called in the Illinois Senate Executive Committee hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29.

**UPDATE: SB 1909 passed in committee on March 29th. It was then voted on in the Illinois Senate on Friday, March 31st. It passed in a partisan roll call vote, 31 to 19. It now moves on to the Illinois House of Representatives.

Make no mistake, this bill takes direct aim at shutting down all pregnancy centers. No other way to say it. SB 1909 allows the Illinois Attorney General (AG) to investigate all centers it believes are providing any wrong information or omitting any correct information in any form (advertising, speaking to a client, offering services, denying services, answering questions, etc.).

And guess who gets to define what qualifies as “wrong information”? That is correct, the far-left Illinois Attorney General.

The Illinois Attorney General has free reign to investigate any center it believes may be doing something “wrong,” or even about to do something “wrong,” based on any information that comes their way. If it is determined there is a violation of this Act, Pregnancy Care Centers can be fined up to $50,000 per incident and clients may take centers to court for other civil penalties with the AG’s blessing and detailed documentation against the centers.

We are living in scary times, my friends. Please, make your voice heard by taking action below:

Take ACTION: Click HERE to fill out a witness slip in opposition to SB 1909. (Not available yet.)

-Fill out your name, address, email and phone number. Leave everything else blank or put self.
-Highlight “Opponent” and “Record of Appearance Only.”
-Check Terms of Agreement and click Create Slip.

More ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your state representative and state senator asking them to leave crisis pregnancy centers alone by voting against  SB 1909. Tell them that pregnancy care centers do not engage in “deceptive practices” but rather vital life-giving work. The people at these centers minister to needy, vulnerable women and children and are supported by people of faith across the state who want to be a blessing.

Read more:

How A Pregnancy Center Saved Me From Homelessness, Addiction, And Despair
(The Federalist)

Pregnancy Resource Centers Must Be Ready for a Post-Roe America
(National Review)

The Critical Pro-Life Work of Pregnancy Resource Centers
(ERLC)