Draper Calls for Christian Action in U.S. Sanctity-of-Life Crisis

by   Charles Willis                                                                                                                                   Vol. VI, No. 7, September 1993

A rapidly worsening sanctity-of-life crisis in the United States calls for a Christian response that may be the legacy for future generations, James T. Draper, Jr. told participants in the Christian Life Commission's annual seminar. Draper, president of the Baptist Sunday School Board, said the U.S. has "a rising crescendo of voices which question the moral necessity of preserving every human life, if some egalitarian or utilitarian purpose can better serve the cause of humanism." "The crisis which we face in the area of sanctity of life seems to be worsening rather rapidly with the inauguration of the new administration in Washington," he continued.

Among indicators he cited are the rescinding of the ban on abortion counseling in federally funded clinics, the lifting of the ban on use of aborted fetuses for medical research, indications that President Clinton will move to legalize the French abortion pill RU-486, Clinton's pre-election statements favoring prochoice appointees to the U.S. Supreme court, and the possibility of a Freedom of Choice Act which would take abortion away from the courts and state legislatures. "Add to all this the high-profile agenda to legitimize homosexuality in America in the military and elsewhere, the push for safe sex with condoms furnished in our schools, the almost-certain reversal in policy at the national Endowment for the Arts, the movement toward more and more state control of our children, and Christians in the United States can hardly be blamed for being apprehensive, if not outright discouraged and frustrated."

"It is obvious that there is a great gap between biblical beliefs and principles and public policy ... It is imperative that we as Christians address that gap and bridge it. The response which we make to this crisis may well be the greatest legacy we leave to the world of tomorrow," Draper said. Among actions he proposed are for Christians to press for laws that honor the sanctity of human life, for the church to become a prophetic voice rather than a reflection of the culture, to "fight the good fight of faith," evaluate and "use good common sense in the battle that is before us," pray for our government leaders and live out the Great Commission.

"The cliche, ‘you can't legislate morality,' is so commonly heard that even some Christians are taken in by it as though it were an irrefutable axiom of life, Draper said. "When you really think about it, there is precious little to legislate except morality. Laws against murder, laws against theft, laws against restraint of trade are all attempts to legislate morality. All criminal law and most civil law attempts to legislate morality. The question is not whether to legislate morality, but what morality to legislate," he said.

Draper said he believes Christians "have attempted to camouflage our concerns under the euphemisms ‘traditional values' or 'fam ily values.' The only way our nation can regain its moral bearings is for the church to again become a prophetic voice, rather than a pale reflection of the culture. It is time to talk about Christian values, biblical values."

On the matter of prayer, Draper said he is "convinced evangelicals in this generation talk about prayer more and pray less than any generation in church history." He observed, "It is entirely possible that God may be allowing American Christians to move into a situation where prayer becomes an urgent necessity rather than an ecclesiastical formality."

Draper said Christians need "to recapture the vision of the church as a mighty spiritual army, marching across the land, sweeping multitudes into the kingdom of God. It is no coincidence that when people come to faith in Christ, they also begin to change their views about life's great issues," he concluded.

[Charles Willis is a Christian Life Commission writer.]