wfn.org | Lutherans for Life Hold 18th Annual Convention

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LCMSNews -- No. 66
November 14, 2000

LFL told to learn, tell
of partial-birth abortion

In an emotion-packed address, Dr. Don Matzat challenged an audience of
nearly 400 pro-life Lutherans, meeting Nov. 3-5 at Bloomington, Minn.,  to
"learn everything you can about partial-birth abortion."

"Call everyone you know and tell them exactly what is going on," he said,
adding, "We should not be ashamed to speak the truth of what is happening in
this procedure."

Members of Lutherans For Life (LFL), a nationwide pan-Lutheran pro-life
organization, gathered in Bloomington from 25 states and Canada for their
18th National Convention.

Matzat, host of a talk-radio program in Pittsburgh and of the national radio
program "Issues, Etc.," said he has "sensed that Christians have been
distracted." He believes they "have spent too much time being concerned with
the atrocities that have taken place in the Oval Office and possibly have
turned away from the atrocities that have taken place in the abortion
mills."

Matzat, the keynote speaker at the convention, said: "With partial-birth
abortion being discussed, this is the first time since 1973 that the baby is
being discussed. Before, nobody ever asked, `What is the right of this
baby?'"

"I don't believe we are going to take the land all at once," he continued.
"The Lord said to Joshua, `Take the land little by little.' I believe this
is the beginning of a reversal."

In a panel discussion led by four pro-life physicians, Dr. Karen Karn asked
the pro-life Lutherans to pay close attention to terms being used.

"The pre-implantation embryo was given the name `pre-embryo' to say that
this is not really a child," she said. The scientific fact is, she added,
that "after fertilization there is a human being."

Also on the panel was Dr. Norman Virnig, who told attendees that when he
started in practice, "a baby that was born early _ about 28 weeks gestation
_ weighing about 2 lbs., 2 oz., had more chances of dying than living.
Today, that same baby has about a 95 to 98 percent chance of surviving, and
doing well. You would think that people would say `How can we be killing
babies that are capable of being saved?'"

Dr. John Patrick of the Christian Medical and Dental Society challenged the
convention: "We need a revival in the church, not to do away with abortion,
but to make abortion unthinkable."

Dr. James Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life, reminded the
convention in his Bible study that God has welcomed all people as His
children by adoption through His son, Jesus. Using Mark 9:33-37 as his
sermon text, Lamb pointed out that it takes a servant to welcome a child.

In her closing remarks, LFL President Linda Bartlett said, "Apostolic moral
teaching compared `the way of life and the way of death,' noting that `the
difference between those two ways is great. Therefore, do not murder a child
by abortion or kill a newborn infant.'"

"The message of Lutherans For Life is the same," she continued, "We know
that Satan's way of death is too easily the solution for those who see
children as merely products of chance.

"In contrast, God's way of life is more easily the solution for those who
see children as sons and daughters of the King. Lutherans For Life exists to
share this message."

Lutherans For Life is based in Nevada, Iowa, and has 159 local chapters, 15
state affiliates, and 681 Life Ministry Coordinators nationwide.

For more information about the convention, contact LFL at 1120 S. G Ave.,
Nevada, IA, 50201-2774; (888) 364-LIFE (5433); e-mail: info@
lutheransforlife.org.  Or, visit its web site at www.lutheransforlife.org.

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