A Time To Remember
Sanctity of Human Life Memorial Service
- 7 – 8 PM on Sunday, January 23, 2011
- at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 7601 SW 39 Street in Davie, Florida
Refreshments in Fellowship Hall after the service
Please join the staff, board, and friends of Hope Women’s Centers as we gather to remember the lives lost to abortion. This will be a solemn worship service appropriate for middle school aged youth through adults. We will focus on God’s faithfulness to the generations and celebrate the One who knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb. Hear testimonies from women and men who have experienced the pain and regret of abortion choices. Questions? Need More Information? Call Jaime at 954-726-7464.
The History of National Sanctity of Human Life Day
In a January 13, 1984 proclamation, President Ronald Reagan designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortions in the United States.
Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush’s successor, Bill Clinton, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush’s son and Clinton’s successor, George W. Bush, resumed the proclamation, and did so every year of his presidency.
The proclamation of National Sanctity of Human Life Day has been heralded by National Right to Life as “a wonderful statement of what the pro-life movement is really all about”. Reproductive activist groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood have denounced it, saying it signals a desire to roll back the rights of women.
In an amicus brief filed by the National Lawyers Association in the case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, National Sanctity of Human Life Day was cited as an instance of the executive branch acknowledging the theistic philosophy of the United States government.
What does all this mean to Hope Women’s Centers?
It establishes a great tradition that we have chosen to follow, no matter who is in the Whitehouse because we know that abortion is NOT a political issue; it is a spiritual issue. We are committed to protecting and defending life because we believe God created it and it is worth sacrificing for! The decisions made in YOUR house about life have much more power than the decisions made in the Whitehouse!
Each year we plan a worship service on the Sunday closest to the January 22 anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. We remember the 52 million+ lives lost to abortion and we recognize that 52 million women and men have had their lives altered forever because of the choice they made to abort their children. We acknowledge that God heals and forgives those who seek Him, and that abortion is not the unforgiveable sin. This year, “A Time To Remember” is scheduled for January 23, 2011 at 7:00 PM at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
“Of this day, two things I kept:
the earth was cold and grey and heaven wept.
~ Ruth Bell Graham, January 22, 1973
