Radical Womanhood

Back in the Dominican Republic

This weekend, I'm attending the first ever international Revive Our Hearts conference--in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. As time and technology permit, I'm contributing to the True Woman blog, along with Kimberly Wagner. Here's the background information on the event and a link to watch the conference live through streaming video. 

http://www.truewoman.com/?id=1999

Que Dios te bendiga!

Sanctity of Life, Gendercide, and Science

Though it may seem like it's been around a lot longer, the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday was declared by President Reagan in 1984, eleven years after the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion on demand. In the ensuing years of this observance, the science surrounding the issue of abortion has changed considerably, but the emotions have not. To understand why, it's important to understand the ideological progression of this moral norm. As one author and professed noted, contributions from Jewish, Greco-Roman, and Christian sources expanded this idea in Western culture. 

Much of the history of the past two centuries has involved the expansion and enriching of the concept of life’s sacredness in various forms. It has expanded in that the logic of every human life has demanded universal application—to religious minorities, women, racial and ethnic minorities, the poor and property-less, the disabled, and so on. 

At one level, the Roe v. Wade decision represented an attempt to value the sanctity of women’s lives by providing a legal freedom that some believed was necessary to protect it. Thus the most charitable reading of that decision was that it was an effort to stand in continuity with the trend toward the expansion of human dignity, in this case on behalf of women.

For those of us who believe that decision was wrong, we still face the task of showing not just that Roe opened the door to the mass destruction of developing human lives in utero, and that this assaults life’s sanctity. We must also show why Roe does not succeed in advancing the sanctity of women’s lives, and must offer both on-the-ground and legal alternatives that can do better.

Abortion was and is valued by supporters because it is seen in the continuum of the long march for women's rights. While I support many of those rights, I cannot say that pitting the life of an adult woman against her unborn child is a step-up in that progression. I urge pro-abortion supporters to study and know the ideas of people like Margaret Sanger, who purported to advance the cause of women but actually held to the Nazi idea of eugenics that some lives are worth more than others. This is why less than 100 years after Sanger began her crusade for women's reproductive rights, somewhere between 100 and 166 million girls worldwide are missing due to female gendercide, largely because of sex-selective abortions. The terrible irony is that abortion did not ensure that the lives of women were more valued after all.

When Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, the scientific argument in favor of it was based on the issue of "viability." Until a certain stage in the pregnancy, the fetus was seen as just an undeveloped blob of tissue and not a viable life. But even as that argument was being made in the early '70s, the ultrasound machine was being developed and our ability to actually see the wondrous development of human life undercut that argument. In fact, that development led to the famous conversion of an abortionist, a doctor who later made a film showing an abortion on ultrasound called Silent Scream.

With scientific advances like ultrasound technology and prenatal medicine, viability today is a medical collision course where doctors find themselves intervening to either create or save one fetus and then aborting another of the same fetal age. The only determining factor is whether the pregnant woman values or wants that life or not, a position akin to other abuses in history.

Therefore, as a culture we have not really made the progression in human rights that we believe we have.

Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, since the declaration of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in 1984, the ethics surrounding sanctity of life have only gotten more complicated. As one bioethicist told The New York Times, "In an odd way, having more choices actually places a much greater burden on women, because we become the creators of our circumstance, whereas, before, we were the recipients of them. I’m not saying we should have less choices; I’m saying choices are not always as liberating and empowering as we hope they will be."

Though it may seem that the bitter disagreements surrounding this topic will never end, I see that some of the underlying assumptions for abortion have been challenged over time. Therefore, as some of us will acknowledge Sanctity of Human Life Sunday tomorrow, I hope we will not grow weary of standing up for the lives of the pre-born. I also pray our concern for the value of human life will also lead us to fearlessly challenge other human rights abuses, such as human trafficking, modern slavery, gendercide and more. 

To study this topic further, I recommend a new e-book by John Piper, made free courtesy of the Desiring God ministry.

End Times Preparation

I really wasn't going to jump on the Harold Camping bandwagon, but I've been thinking about something my pastor, Eric Simmons, said on Sunday. In helping us process the controversy around Camping, Eric provided a broader perspective, which tempered my own (impatient) reaction to Camping's claims.

Of course Camping was (and still is) in great error and should be held accountable for his false prophecies that directly contradict Jesus' own words in Scripture (Matthew 24:36, 24:44 and 25:13; Luke 12:40, etc.). Yet there's also a responsibility that we bear as followers of Christ (not followers of particular human leaders) to know God's Word for ourselves. But as Eric pointed out, it's far more common for Christians to live as though Jesus isn't coming back anytime soon. Camping's false prophecy just highlights the errors on both sides.

That made me think hard. People who believed Camping's false predictions in 1988, 1994, and 2011 made some rash decisions and changed their lives dramatically in response to Camping's predictions. But is this what the Bible expects of us? As I study Matthew 25, and in particular the parable of the talents, I see exactly the opposite. We are always to be investing what has been given to us in order to be fruitful for the glory of God. Since we do not know when the Master will return, we aren't to live in a state of suspended animation -- giving away all we have and standing on a mountain top in white robes, awaiting Jesus. (See: Millerites. Interestingly, Camping is following the same recalculation model of William Miller.) We are to be busy multiplying all that we have, but for the glory of His name, not ours.

If I have to give an account of all that I have, do, and say in an hour I least expect ... am I ready? Have I squandered relationships, resources, spiritual gifts, and time? Or have I invested them? Do I denigrate what I've received because I covet something else? Do I judge God as a harsh taskmaster and do nothing with what I have because I deem it inferior in comparison to what I want (Matthew 25:24-25)? 

If you want to prepare for the return of Jesus, then you should be busy multiplying what He's given you here and now with integrity and honor. Invest in your families, your church, your friends, your community. Be a wise steward of the money, time, and health that you have. Know that no matter how much or how little you have of anything, you can invest it and see a great return by the grace of God. And for that effort, Jesus promises you will not hear the dreaded words, "Depart from me." Instead you will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Could our Savior's pleasure at our faithfulness be eclipsed by anything else here on earth? If so, here's a hard truth: we are living just as foolishly as Camping and his followers, and making just as much of a mockery of God and the gospel. Ouch. Time to prayerfully review my priorities...

(Photo: I saw this sign on a rainy road trip last week.)

Tsunami

This is one of the most compelling videos I've seen of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This six-minute video of the tsunami is eery for many reasons, including the silence of the bystanders watching life washing away around them. I assume they are still alive because we have the footage now, but as I watched I kept wondering how the cameraman could shoot so steadily as his own life was threatened. 

[Update: The original video seems to have been removed. Here's an edited version of this film that the BBC posted.]

The origin of the word "tsunami" is actually Japanese, meaning "harbor wave." I've always pictured it as a giant wave, but this and other recent disaster footage makes it look more like an enormous surge. The power of moving water is incredible. It made me think of Psalm 93:

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
   the LORD is  robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old;
   you are from everlasting.

 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
   the floods have lifted up their voice;
   the floods lift up their roaring.
Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
   mightier than the waves of the sea,
   the LORD on high is mighty!

 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
    holiness befits your house,
   O LORD, forevermore.

I know you are already praying for the suffering people of the Sendai region and elsewhere in Japan. And I am sure you are also already prepared to give to relief agencies. But let us also pray that lasting mercy will be granted to the people of Japan so that they will come to know the true light of the world, Jesus Christ. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ... And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." (John 1:14.16)

Trafficking in the Shadow of the Super Bowl

Just in time for the Super Bowl in Dallas comes this important campaign. This article was brought to my attention by Shared Hope International, which I support, and was originally posted on the End Human Trafficking blog by Amanda Kloer.

A.H. was trafficked to Dallas/Ft. Worth and forced into prostitution when she was just a teen. Like many other girls, she was beaten, raped, and enslaved not far from Dallas Cowboys stadium, where the 2011 Super Bowl will be held. To fight back against sex trafficking in Dallas and during major events like the Super Bowl, A.H. has written an open letter to the 2011 Super Bowl Host Committee and the NFL, asking them to endorse the I’m Not Buying It campaign. Will you help support her?

Here's A.H.'s letter, in full:

Dear Super Bowl Host Committee & National Football League,

My name is A.H. and I’m a survivor of sex trafficking. I’m not a big football fan, but I’ll never forget my first trip to Dallas/Fort Worth several years ago. It was 2006 when I was dragged there against my will by a pimp. I was forced to dance, strip and sell sex (along with five other young girls) for over a month while he pocketed the cash ($1,000-$3,000/night from each girl) and planned our next gig. I was trapped in a life I never wanted without any hope of escape.

You might be shocked to know that I come from an upstanding, supportive and loving family. I’ve been an excellent student my whole life, earning a scholarship to college. I had dreams, ambitions and the courage to make them happen. Everything changed the day I met the man who would later become my pimp. He was intelligent, attractive and seemed to genuinely care about me. When I lost my scholarship due to an injury, he offered to help me and I believed he would. As soon as I realized what he had in mind, I tried to leave. He grabbed me by the neck, threw me down and almost choked the life out of me. When he threatened to hurt my family if I didn’t cooperate, I knew I was trapped.

This nightmare was my life for over a year. During that time, we traveled to several states where I was sold at nightclubs, bars, and parties -- fulfilling a demand for sex nationwide. He was always there, always watching. If I refused to work, I was beaten and tortured.

We spent an entire month in Dallas/Fort Worth, where my pimp said the “real money” was. We were all young (some as young as 14-years-old) and that’s what the men wanted. No one asked if we were being forced to work, or if we enjoyed it. No one cared. While we were being sold for sex every night, our pimp was recruiting other local girls – from the Galleria, the clubs, concerts, and even McDonald’s.

I lived in fear every day, hoping I’d survive to see the next. It wasn’t until I heard him loading his gun to kill me that I finally mustered the courage to escape. Today, I’m a survivor. I share my story with you in the hopes that you’ll realize sex trafficking is real. It happens to young girls across America every day – girls as young as 13. With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, you have a choice to help stop it. Dallas/Fort Worth will soon become the nation’s biggest party – and every pimp’s center for business.

Please join me, Dallas Cowboy Jay Ratliff, and 65,000+ fans who’ve signed the Change.org petition in taking a stand against the exploitation of women and children during the Super Bowl. Every victim deserves the chance to become a survivor. And every young girl deserves to be protected and live a life free from slavery and exploitation.

I’m asking you to endorse the I’m Not Buying It campaign. By placing posters and billboards in and around the stadium you can deter men from engaging in the commercial sex market and save the lives of countless victims. You can make a difference – please, what would you do if it was your daughter?

Thank you,

A.H., Survivor of Sex Trafficking

A.H. was provided support and assistance through the anti-trafficking organization Courtney’s House, and her letter is supported by Courtney's House and Shared Hope International. You can check out the I'm Not Buying It campaign video, starring Dallas Cowboy Jay Ratliff, below. You can also support A.H. and the many other trafficking survivors who have been sold in Dallas/Ft. Worth by joining the campaign to fight sex trafficking at the Super Bowl.

Our Ambivalence Toward 'Medical Progress'

As you are no doubt aware, the pioneer of in vitro fertilization has just been awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. Robert G. Edwards is an English biologist who developed this procedure for treating human infertility with his now-deceased colleague, Patrick Steptoe. It led to the 1978 birth of the first "test tube baby," as she was known -- Louise Brown. Since then, it's been reported that more than 4 million babies worldwide have been conceived using this procedure. 

But it took the prize-giving committee for this award more than 30 years to award Dr. Edwards for his research, despite the stipulation in Alfred Nobel's will that it be awarded for a discovery made in the previous year. According to the New York Times, that was due to the ethical controversy that swirled around in vitro fertilization.

I am not surprised by this ambivalence. Consider what happened in the 1970s alone. In the U.S., abortion was legalized in 1973, which created a cultural schism that has never healed in our nation. And rightly so, in my humble opinion, as at its most basic level, this involves the death of those who cannot defend themselves. I am not trying to stir up debate here, but I think that both sides have to agree that this is a basic truth. Then in a few years, the ultrasound machine became commercially available, which negated the original pro-abortion argument that fetuses were just a blob of tissue. Then Louise Brown was born.

Which meant, at the close of a decade, Americans were now in the squeamish position of having technology that made it plainly evident that we as individuals were were capable of choosing whom we valued to live and whom we did not -- and to do so legally.

Consider the arc of the 20th century for a moment. The first half was dominated by issues of eugenics, genocide, and unethical medical experiments. To wit, Nazi Germany. But also to wit, the eugenic argument that undergirded the vision of Planned Parenthood's founder, Margaret Sanger. It wasn't just a Nazi problem. During that same time, governments in our nation and elsewhere were covertly experimenting on live human beings without their permission, unethical tests that infected African-Americans with syphilis or, as was revealed Friday, Guatemalans with syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases. 

But there were also bright spots in the medical research of this era that provided innovations such as the polio vaccine. Those of us born after that vaccine was created may have a hard time understanding what a breakthrough that was. A few months ago, I watched a PBS documentary about it and marveled that parents nationwide and without hesitation rushed their children to receive the polio vaccine, such was the fear of polio. (I recommend watching this American Experience film online, if you can.) Medical innovations such as this vaccine seemed to improve the quality of life. But by the second half of the century, medical innovations frequently opened a Pandora's Box of ethical concerns.

Which is why, arguably, it took so long for the Nobel Prize committee to award Dr. Edwards for his research.

For the parents of children conceived via in vitro fertilization, I understand that their children seem nearly miraculous, the products of much advance planning, physical discomfort, and great financial investment. I am not making a wholesale argument against this technology, but it certainly does require much forethought and counsel--counsel that for Christians that must include biblical perspectives on such problems as the unused frozen embryos that end up in storage, a limbo of never-realized life. As a recent Newsweek article stated, inertia often takes the place of thoughtful decisions:

For years, scientists, ethicists, politicians, and religious groups have held very public debates about the moral status of embryos (when does life begin?) and their ultimate destiny. But the decision about what to do with them after baby making is done is exceedingly private and can prove far more vexing, both emotionally and practically, than ever anticipated. Once couples become parents, their leftover embryos often take on more significance. Discarding embryos can feel hollow and wrenching when that frozen cluster of cells has the potential to become a beloved son or daughter. Donating to research raises its own quandaries. Couples soon discover that many clinics don't offer the option and it is no easy task for patients to figure out how to proceed on their own. Even when they do, the phone calls and consent paperwork can become too burdensome or provoke too many questions or regrets. Storing frozen embryos indefinitely at IVF clinics can cost hundreds of dollars a year. Still, despite—or because of—the emotional entanglements, many couples do nothing.

"Medical progress" as we know it today comes with all kinds of unforeseen consequences. Ultrasound technology undermined the "viability" leg of the pro-abortion argument. But conversely, it is estimated that 100 million females are missing around the world, partly because this technology allows sex-selective abortions. While 4 million were conceived due to in vitro technology, from 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million were killed through legal abortions. 

Yes, lives are saved and improved through medical research. But if you are look carefully, you may see that many more lives have been sacrificed for the same reason. Because of these consequences, we have good reason to be ambivalent about medical and biological "progress." 

Chattanooga and the True Woman Conference

I've been in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for two days now. Last night, the first of three regional True Woman 2010 conferences kicked off at the convention center here. At the 2008 True Woman event, I did some live-blogging. Two years later, about all I can manage is some "Tweetbooking"--short bleats on Twitter or Facebook. 

Fortunately for you all, there are some better bloggers at work here. So make sure to check out the True Woman blog for updates, as well as the summaries from Hannah and Lindsey at the Beauty from the Heart blog. 

Lord willing, I'll be speaking later today on a subject that combines my passion for biblical womanhood with my day-job of filmmaking. I'm giving a new message titled, "Women’s Global Issues: Challenges for Women in Developing Nations." In this overview of how women in developing nations suffer simply for being female, I will be showing some film clips from various documentaries. It's my way of taking my audience around the world to witness these problems. I also have the privilege of distributing brochures from some of my favorite ministries that are working on these issues: Shared Hope International, the International Justice Mission, Jubilee Campaign USA, Covenant Mercies, and Mercy Ships. I've never done show-and-tell in the middle of one of my messages before, so I'd appreciate your prayers that I can speak coherently and still operate the DVD player!

I've Left My Church

Yesterday, after eleven years as a member of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, I terminated my membership. In fact, I stood up with a group of people who were all leaving. 

We were sent out as part of the church-planting team for the latest Sovereign Grace Ministries church: Redeemer Arlington. 

Nope, there's no scandal here, but I was hoping to catch your attention! Why? Because the start of a new church is a momentous occasion in the Kingdom of God! I am excited to be part of a new venture. Eric Simmons is the senior pastor of this new church--some of you know him through his leadership of the New Attitude/NEXT conferences or the regional One meetings at Covenant Life Church. 

Redeemer Arlington will serve the Arlington, VA, and downtown DC regions. The church-planting team will meet for two months to establish the core functions of the church and then we expect to open our doors to public meetings sometime in March or thereabouts. The church's website will be up soon.

Arlington is an urban area that is home to both some of the most upscale and successful young professionals in the area, as well as a wide swath of internationals who come from dozens of nations. If you think of it, please pray for provision for our team as most of us will soon be moving from a less-expensive suburb to a more expensive urban core. It doesn't make sense in human terms to make this move, but we have learned to measure success in different terms! 

September Is Stop Human Trafficking Month

September is Stop Human Trafficking Month, according to Shared Hope International, a nonprofit organization that is on the frontlines of this issue. This coming weekend is the Stop Child Trafficking Now Walk, a national event to raise funds and awareness about child trafficking. Thousands of people will take to the streets in cities across the United States on the weekend of September 26-27 to advocate for those with no voice.  If you'd like to join the walk, visit the SCTW website to find a Stop Child Trafficking Walk in your area.

A Note of Hope Concert

One of my overdue tasks is getting a blog going for my new company, Citygate Films. When I am able to tackle that, I want to write about what I've learned so far about a particular American art form: the traditional Negro spiritual. I'm learning about the history of these songs because of a documentary I'm producing. It's a fascinating topic, but more on that later! 

For now, I want to invite you to a concert that I'll be filming. It's the "A Note of Hope" event in Glen Mills, PA (near Philadelphia) on May 2nd and it features some of the principals of this film. John Blake, Jr. is an internationally renowned jazz violinist and he has written some new jazz arrangements of these traditional songs. He will be performing these arrangements, along with other material, with fellow jazz artists Gerald Veasley, Sumi Tonooka, and Rosella Washington. And I can assure you, it's some smoking hot jazz! I had a chance to film one of John's concerts at Howard University a few weeks ago, when he performed these arrangements with Howard's jazz vocal group, Afro Blue. It was so much fun that it was hard to concentrate on my job! I am eagerly looking forward to the next performance.

So if you're anywhere within driving distance of Philadelphia, book your honey for a date or grab a group of music-loving friends and show up for this outstanding benefit for Covenant Mercies. Not only will you hear some topflight musicians, you'll also be supporting a ministry to AIDS orphans in Africa. And if you're planning on coming, leave a comment. I look forward to seeing you there!