Life and Science

Persecution or opposition for the cause of Christ comes in multiple forms, and we live in a world in which the god of this world, the enemy of our souls, attempts to defeat us. Psalm 143 relates:
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land...

We cannot allow the enemy to defeat us because of what Jesus has won for us.  The devil wants to make inroads on our precious gift of salvation and cause us to miss out on the joy that comes from knowing the Lord. But, we have the spiritual weapons to stand strong against Him.  We have been given powerful resources that can sustain us in our journey through life.  Yes, there will be temptation, there will be trouble, but we can continue to look to Him.  

+++++

Living for Christ involves manifold blessings and tremendous benefits. But, it also comes with its share of challenges. 1st Peter 4 reminds us:
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

The American College of Pediatricians is an organization that, according to The Daily Signal, was "founded in 2002 as an alternative to the politically correct American Academy of Pediatrics."  It is referred to by a shorter name, ACPeds.  

The organization has been in the news recently for a couple of reasons, perhaps related. It is one of the plaintiffs in that ongoing lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, contending that the FDA should have never approved the abortion pill, mifepristone.  A federal district judge had agreed in an initial ruling, but that decision was put on hold by the 5th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.  Hearings in the case occurred almost three weeks ago before the 5rh Circuit.

According to the article, "the organization came under several targeted attacks April 24 when hackers attempted to access its website servers, email accounts, and social media accounts. Its cybersecurity measures repelled most of them, although an archived website—unused since 2019—was breached." The story notes, "ACPeds immediately moved to shut down the website, but documents on a Google Drive were exposed and then leaked to...[a] writer at Wired," a technological magazine and website, which published the material.

Executive Director Dr. Jill Simons spoke with The Daily Signal and stated:

“They don’t want to debate us because they can’t beat us on the facts and the science. They can’t even beat us on common sense,” she said. “Last week there was a coordinated, concerted attack on several of our organization’s key structures—our key technology structures, our databases, our financial accounts. … This was professional, and it was unrelenting.”

The Daily Signal reported:

ACPeds’ current policy priorities are to protect born and preborn children, to promote biological integrity regarding gender identity, and to defend conscience rights for health care professionals.

“Unfortunately, I’m seeing people in my own profession who are causing harm to these children and their families,” Simons said. “Those kids, those who can’t speak for themselves, the most vulnerable among us, that’s why we all have to speak up. That is just something we must do.”

The article noted that this was another in a pattern of acts of intimidation against pro-life people and organizations, stating:

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, pro-life institutions and individuals have faced sustained attacks. The militant group Jane’s Revenge vandalized pregnancy resource centers, the FBI arrested pro-life father Mark Houck in Pennsylvania, and a deranged pro-abortion man plotted an assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Roger Severino, Vice President of Domestic Policy at The Heritage Foundation, who was formerly the Director of the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said that ACPeds doctors "provide children with health care that is based in science, not ideology.” He added: “The American College of Pediatricians is under attack for one reason—because its members publicly speak the truth and protect innocent children from the Left’s dangerous pathologies...Because the radical Left can’t win in court or the ballot box, they resort to crime, intimidation, and doxxing. This assault on ACPeds is just further confirmation.”

And, the pregnancy resource center ministry of CompassCare in New York state is marking an ominous anniversary tomorrow - it notes on its website:

June 7, 2023 is the 1-year anniversary of the brutal firebombing of CompassCare’s Buffalo, NY pro-life medical office, causing half a million dollars of damage, injuring two firefighters, and inaugurating the pro-abortion Kristallnacht.

CompassCare CEO James Harden said, "Kristallnacht became the tipping point of violence into the Jewish community in 1938 Germany. This was because of a lack of public outcry by the political elite and their refusal to denounce the violence. Well, the pro-abortion violence continues today, exacerbated by the complicity of federal law enforcement and pro-abortion politicians..." The article goes on to say: "While CompassCare resumed serving patients the day after the firebombing and rebuilt the torched medical office in 52 days, there have been no convictions of the two arsonists who attacked CompassCare, nor in any of the over 300 other attacks on pro-life entities."

We continue to keep in mind that these physical and technological expressions of opposition are an expression of spiritual warfare at play.  So, while pro-life organizations are right to protect themselves, we also recognize that they need our prayers.  There are many on the front lines speaking out for the unborn, and it is a worthy cause - a cause of literally life and death. 

We can also be in prayer for this federal court case involving the abortion pill, in which the American College of Pediatricians and its allies are involved.  With somewhere around half of abortions in America now done chemically, this means that unborn children and women are facing grave danger in the privacy of homes, without the instant availability of medical professionals.  To think that a woman would place her own life at risk out of convenience and disregard for the gift of life within her shows the deception that surrounds this issue.  And, those who are Biblically pro-life can be motivated to continue to speak truth.