Abortion Terminology and Hate Speech

Abortion Terminology and Hate Speech

I find it fascinating how many people think that by simply saying, “abortion is the killing of a human person,” I am somehow practicing hate speech. It seems like even those who are opposed to the killing of innocent human persons are reluctant to call it just that: killing. Some have even told me not to use the word abortion because it might offend someone who has had one if they have to think about what they have done. The crazy part about this is that these statements often come from those who call themselves Christian and pro-life.

I recently got an e-mail from a Christian who was furious at me for using the term "abortionist". He was appalled that I would refer to someone who performs abortions as an abortionist because that is saying he wants to commit abortions.  Are you confused? I was when I read his e-mail; I actually had to read it a couple of times through just to make sure I was not mis-reading it.

I explained to him that “abortionist” was simply a technical term such as therapist, anesthesiologist or scientist. He claimed that no one wants to perform abortions and using a term like that was hateful. I actually think that using the term is too kind; abortionists don't deserve professional titles.

In almost any genre, field, clique, movement or belief system you will find terminology that is unique and not often know outside of that group. You will find that inside the pro-life movement people often refuse to call the building is which abortions are performed, “clinics,” but rather “abortion mills.” The fact is a clinic is a place where people go for healing, not to have someone else killed. The term "abortion mill" comes from the fact that most of these places cycle through large groups of mothers in short periods of time and will kill the largest quantity of babies in the shortest periods of time; therefore, we call it a mill.

Another term often used is "pro-abortion" instead of the inaccurate term coined by the abortion industry, “pro-choice.” Before you rant at me about this one please read my commentary about this particular subject as it is too much to cover inside this commentary - Tough Questions - Pro-choice or Pro-abortion; is There a Difference? http://www.standtrue.com/pages/commentaries/choiceabortion.htm . The simple answer to this is that if someone is "pro" the right to abortion then they are pro-abortion; this is just basic logic here.

Most pro-lifers will also refuse to say "terminate a pregnancy"; we would call it what it really is: child-killing. I refuse to refer to a child in the womb as a "pregnancy". Why do we feel the need to sanitize abortion and not call it what it really is, the killing of a human person? Why do we have to change everything to not hurt people's feelings by using correct and proper terms?

I understand that there have been some harsh aspects of the pro-life movement and people that have no business being involved in the movement. I know that a few idiots have done some inexcusable things in the name of pro-life and that is wrong.

I believe we need to love those who have been hurt by abortion and be compassionate in our work. I don't think we need to scream and yell at people but rather love them and offer hope.

In the same manner I refuse to dishonor the over 50,000,000 full human persons who have been killed by abortion by referring to them as "terminated pregnancies". I will never afford the term "doctor" to a man who uses his God-given talents to rip babies limb from limb and leave mothers hurting for the rest of their lives.

Why is it that we only want to tip toe around the atrocities of abortion and not other heinous crimes? Imagine if someone started calling rapists "involuntary sex partners" just to soften the term so there is not as much stigma in the name? What if we called murder "post-pregnancy termination" so it would not make the person who committed the murder feel bad for what they had done?  Maybe we could call people who believe it is ok to molest little children "pro-choice" because they should have the choice to do what they believe?

I hope you find these examples ludicrous; I do. What I find more ludicrous is when I am told I am using hate speech for call the killing of an innocent human person “homicide.” I find it unthinkable to reduce the lives of precious babies to simply "choices"; that to me is the real hate speech.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

Valentine's Day, Sex and Chastity

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I decided to republish something we put out last year as it is so appropriate for this time of year. Chastity so key to the pro-life movement and needs to be discussed by parents and churches.

One of the main arguments people give to support the pushing of contraception and sex education on kids is the lack of knowledge teens have today. I have to agree that too many parents and churches are afraid to talk about sex and treat it like it is some sort of evil taboo they never want their kids to know about.

I believe that sex is a beautiful gift from God and we need to teach our children that information , as well as what it is intended for and how to respect that gift. I believe if we can accomplish this, we could drastically reduce abortion rates.

Chastity is for Lovers

We are often asked why we use the word chastity over the word abstinence. Isn't it the same thing? Why would you tell married people to practice chastity? Are you saying that sex is bad even if you're married?

Most people think that abstinence and chastity are the same thing. Far from it: abstinence is simply abstaining from sex, but with some people that definition becomes very fuzzy. Some would say that remaining abstinent means refraining from all sexual activity, while others would say it simply refers to sexual intercourse and nothing else. 

Chastity, on the other hand, is not just about abstaining from sexual behavior; it's a lifestyle that we choose to live. While chastity does include refraining from sexual activity before marriage, it also encompasses much more. 

Chastity is not just for non-married people; it's something for everyone to embrace and practice. As a married man I must live a chaste life in my marriage and remain chaste to my wife. That does not mean that I abstain from sex with my wife; it means that I abstain from outside sexual behavior. A married couple enters into a bond and covenant with God to remain faithful to each other and to keep their marriage bed sacred.

Outside of the marriage covenant, sexual behavior is simply an act of lust. While many may say that they love each other and that it's entered into in love, it really cannot be defined as love. God is the creator of sex and He made us sexual beings. However, He did set guidelines for sex and created it for a purpose. 

Sex is not simply about physical pleasure, as today's society may teach. If you were to look at what the media, educational system, Planned Parenthood, MTV and most of popular culture push onto the youth, you would think that humans were simply wild animals with no self-control. 

Sex is so much more than just physical pleasure. It was created for two main purposes: reproduction and unity between man and wife. We, of course, know that there is physical pleasure involved, but that does not mean it's good for all occasions. 

There is a popular saying: "If it feels good, it must be OK." We know that it would be ridiculous to apply that to everything in life. I know that drugs feel good, but does that make them OK? When someone commits a crime they may get a rush of adrenaline that feels good, but does that make it OK? There are many things in life that are fun and give us pleasure. That does not necessarily make them right. 

Many also teach that sex is a taboo or dirty thing. While outside of the marriage covenant sex is forbidden by God, it i s not in and of itself dirty or taboo. Sex is a beautiful act that God created for man and wife to enjoy and to bring them closer together as one. Sex brings a unity and bond to a man and a woman that God intended for us to share in a loving relationship. 

The word love is so misused in today's society; it has almost no meaning in most instances. God created love and gave us the ability to love. Lust, which is what takes place when we abuse sex and ignore its purpose, can very often be mistaken for love.

When people enter into a sexual relationship outside of the bonds of marriage it is simply to fulfill their own selfish desires for physical pleasure. When a man pressures a woman into sex and tells her, "You would if you loved me," he is simply coercing her for his own selfish desire. Lust becomes the driving factor, not love.

When young people start to date and become physically involved certain things happen inside their bodies. It's how we are created. Physical activity will trigger our bodies to react in ways that God intended, but He intended those reactions for marriage. 

So, where do we draw the line? What is appropriate behavior for a man and woman who are not married? The question should not be, "How far can we go before it's a sin?" The question should be, "Are we acting in lust or in love?"

It seems so often that we just want to fulfill our own desires instead of wanting to honor God and our bodies in the way God intended. We look at sex and physical pleasure as simply that : pleasure.

Many groups teach that it's unhealthy to restrain ourselves and deny the sexual desires that we have for each other. This comes from the mindset that we should indulge in what feels good and live our lives for ourselves. This is contrary to all that God teaches us about life. The scripture teaches us in Galatians 2:20 , " I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

We must live our lives for Christ and not for ourselves or for our selfish desires. Many of us forget this principle when it comes to our physical relationships, but truly unhealthy behavior is living our lives for ourselves, including engaging in sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage. We all know that there are so many pitfalls to promiscuous sexual behavior such as STDs, unwed pregnancies, heartbreak and brokenness. The world seems to try so hard to come up with false hope and protection from these dangers, but the answer is simple. 

If we truly act in love and treat sex as it was intended, then we can avoid these dangers along with a need for false safety nets. If we truly act in love we can experience sex in the way God intended it, which is the most beautiful expression of our love to each other.

If we are acting in lust, not love, then we are robbing ourselves of the true purpose of an amazing gift God gave to us. If we are acting in love, than we are honoring God and each other. If we are acting in love we are living a chaste life both before and in our marriage. 

Chastity is for lovers.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

Stand True's March for Life and Inauguration Recap and Slide Show

Stand True's March for Life and Inauguration Recap and Slide Show

If you can't see the slide show here - Go here: http://www.slide.com/r/HavAxZjJ7D9owzT68KbJkvuYw-92z-hq?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

You can also see the pictures on Facebook here:

Part 1- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57009&id=501983555

Part 2 - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57014&id=501983555

This is probably one of the most depressing parts of my job: writing the recap for yet another March for Life which starts another year of decriminalized child killing in America. While I know that we had some amazing ministry, fellowship and outreach in Washington D.C. last week, I am saddened that another year of the American Holocaust has begun.

Our week started out with the drive to Washington D.C. on Monday, January 19th, the day before the Inauguration. We gathered with friends from Survivors, Christian Defense Coalition and other to prepare for Inauguration. At least 20 of us squeezed into two small rooms and attempted to sleep on hardwood floors for about 3 hours before our adventure began.

At 3:30 we started to wake up and pile on the layers of clothing as we prepared to make our way towards the Inauguration parade route. I have never seen so many people up and walking at 4:30 in the morning in my life; it was a very strange morning to say the least. As we met with the Secret Service to be escorted to our permitted spot, we were ushered by thousands of people who had been waiting in line for hours. We were not that surprised by the booing we got from the crowd as we were taken right to the front of everyone.

I can honestly say that I have never been as cold in my life as I was that morning.  By the time the sun came out I could not really feel the big toe on my left foot. By 7:30 AM we were in our spot for the parade and now it was just a matter of waiting several hours for President Obama to pass by. We spent time in prayer and talked to people around us about why we were there. When President Obama passed us he was seen reading the banner, "53,000,000 lives lost through abortion, President Obama end the violence".

We know that his first week in office was spent doing the opposite of what our banners pleaded but that will not deter our determination to stand for our brothers and sisters who need a voice. President Obama has already opened the floodgates for funding of embryonic stem cell research and funding abortion overseas and he has not even been in office for a month. We must continue to pray for and admonish him to stand for life and live out the faith he claims to believe in.

The Inauguration may have been over, but our week was just beginning. We were up bright and early the next morning to set up the Stand True booth at the March for Life convention. We welcomed in the rest of the Stand True team as we prepared for the March and other events we had planned.

Thursday morning we got up early and headed out to the White House to pray for our new President on the anniversary of Roe vs Wade. We prayed for him to embrace life and the sanctity of all human life from the moment of fertilization to natural death. Later we met up with many of the other organizations from the Youth Life Alliance and marched together as a unified youth pro-life movement. We were excited to see over 300,000 people gather in Washington for the March for Life, the biggest I can remember since 1994 when I started coming.

Friday morning we were up bright and early again as we met at an abortion mill near George Washington University for the start of our prayer walk. We were so blessed to have over 350 people join us for this event. We prayed at the first abortion mill for about 45 minutes before walking to the Planned Parenthood a couple of miles away. After a time of prayer and singing at Planned Parenthood we walked to the White House for a time of prayer and a talk from Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I was honored by the chance to speak and pray next to Dr. King and join her as we laid down 1,400 flowers at the White House, commemorating the number of African-American babies that die each day through legal abortion.

Later that day we finished up our activism with a display of Life Development signs near Union Station in the heart of D.C. We ended the afternoon with prayer and then got some much-needed rest before the Students for Life Conference the next day.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early again to set up our booth at the Students for Life conference. I was speaking at the conference that afternoon and was excited to see the place so full. It turned out to be a great conference and we talked to hundreds of students who were excited to be more active in pro-life and get involved with Stand True.

The staff and I probably got about 10 total hours of sleep the whole week, but it was so worth it. We know that God was glorified, His word was proclaimed in love on throughout the streets and His people came together for the voiceless.

My prayer is that we do not have to return next year for the 37th March for Life (I refuse to say annual, because it must end). While I don't want to come back, I will if necessary and I hope you will join us.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

They, Too, Are America - A Commentary by Bryan Kemper

They, Too, Are America - A Commentary by Bryan Kemper

Langston Hughes wrote a poem entitled, "I, Too" in which he dreamed of a day when African Americans would not be shunned. This simple poem speaks volumes about personhood and the struggle to attain equality.

Corrie Ten Boom wrote a book entitled, "The Hiding Place" in which she talked about her days in a concentration camp. She was not Jewish; she was imprisoned and tortured for hiding Jews in her home because she believed they were equal human persons.

Rosa Parks sat down and refused to get up from a seat she was told she had no right to sit in. She decided that she was no longer going to be told that she was less human than anyone else on that bus.

Anne Frank wrote in her diary, "I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains" – this coming from a young woman having to live in a hidden apartment for two years because she was declared a non - human person.

Martin Luther King, Jr. cried out, "I have a dream." He believed in a world where men were not looked at as black or white, but as men. He believed we could live as equal human persons and destroy the prejudices that plagued mankind.

What do all these people have in common?

Some may say oppression. Oppression is certainly a word that can be used to describe all of their lives. Can you imagine yourself as young girl like Anne Frank living in a small hidden apartment for two years, never allowed to leave for fear of certain death?

Some may say determination. Langston Hughes was determined to see a day when our African American brothers would not be seen as less than any other American.

Some may say courage. I can't imagine the courage it took for Corrie Ten Boom to risk her own life and freedom for total strangers. She endured years of torture and even found a way to thank God for her bunk being infested with fleas, knowing it saved her from abuse.

Some may say resolve. Oh, to see the resolve in the face of Rosa Parks on the bus that day! To see her claim her spot as an equal human person and refuse to be dehumanized.

Some may say passion. Passion is one of the best words you can use to describe Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. When you hear his speech you can't help but be moved.

While all of these words are truly things these great humans had in common, there is one other thing that makes them stand out from others who have been dehumanized: their voice. They all had a voice and were able to use that voice to cry out for their lives, their freedom and their humanity. A voice is something that thousands of innocent people every day in America will never have.

Can you imagine if a child in the womb could write a poem about how one day he too would be called an American?

Can you imagine if babies that were not going to be killed by abortion could hide others that were scheduled for death?

Can you imagine if when the abortionist tried to kill a young little girl she was able to sit down in the womb with resolve and say, “I will not be killed”?

Can you imagine the speech a young child would give proclaiming the day all innocent pre-born children are counted as human?

While we know these things are impossible for the children in the womb to accomplish, they are not impossible for us. We do have a voice; we now need to find the courage, determination, resolve and passion to fight against the oppression of innocent children.

Some may say, "How dare you compare abortion with the holocaust or oppression of African Americans!" I say how dare we not. How dare we look back at some of the most brutal, inhumane and dehumanizing acts in history and not also include the killing of innocent babies?

We are ushering in a new era in America this year. With the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency, we are seeing something many people believed would not happen in their lifetime. We are witnessing something that we should all be proud of regardless of our political views. America has taken one more step towards equality and wiping out racial prejudices.

So many people do not believe they will see the killing of innocent children stop in their lifetime either. So many people have accepted the abortion holocaust as status quo. I refuse to accept or believe that we cannot defeat this evil.

It is time, my friends, to adopt the words that describe these great humans I wrote about. It is time to believe that we will usher in an era where pre-born children are considered full human persons. It is time to use our voices to proclaim life and freedom for the thousands of our brothers and sisters who die needlessly every day.

It is time to say: They, Too, America.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

Merry Christmas from the Stand True Family.

Merry Christmas from the Stand True Family.

I sat in Church on Sunday morning listening to the sermon and it was hard to concentrate on what my pastor was saying. It was not that he was not giving a great sermon or that I was bored or any thing like that. I just have such a hard time thinking of anything other that Charlie Brown and Linus when I read Luke chapter 2.

I am not trying to trivialize the Holy Word of God by comparing it to a cartoon. I just love how bold and simple the message is given in the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon. I love Christmas time and I love all the fun family activities we do this time of year. Watching Christmas specials is one of those activities, and there is no better Christmas special on tv in my opinion than "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

I hope you will all have an opportunity to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" this year. If you are not able to watch the whole show, here is a video clip of Linus explaining Christmas:

If you can not see the video in this e-mail go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA

If you are not able to watch the video at all, here is a transcript of the scene:

IN THE AUDITORIUM, CHARLIE BROWN AND LINUS ARE STAGE RIGHT, AND THE REST OF THE PEANUTS GANG ARE STAGE LEFT

CHARLIE BROWN: I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about.

SHOUTS

Isn't there anybody who knows what Christmas is all about?

LINUS: Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

WALKS TO CENTER STAGE

Lights please.

LIGHTS GO DOWN, SPOTLIGHT ON LINUS AS HE RECITES LUKE 2:8-14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

LIGHTS COME BACK UP AS LINUS WALKS BACK

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Merry Christmas,

Bryan Kemper

President, Stand True - Christ Centered Pro-life

Indiana Planned Parenthood Rape Cover Up Part 2

Indiana Planned Parenthood Rape Cover Up Part 2

Last week I wrote a story entitled" The Abortion Industry and How They Cover Up Child Rape". If you did not have a chance to read that story or see the videos associated with it, click here: http://www.standtrue.com/pages/commentaries/industrycover.htm

This week we are bringing you another video from Lila Rose and Live Action Films. This is another Planned Parenthood in Indiana willing to cover up child rape.

If you can 't see the video in this e-mail click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTxsWZz9whg

The good news is there are many great organizations like Live Action Films who are fighting against Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry. I told you about flying to Orange County a couple of months ago to speak for a 40 Days for Life vigil; the abortion mill we prayed at is now closed forever. The Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity saw 57 girls cancel abortion appointments and decide to keep their babies. Events like these and the films from Live Action Films are changing lives and saving babies.

More good news : many of the world ' s youth pro-life organizations have joined together to form the Youth Life Alliance and work on projects together. We talked to Lila Rose , and Live Action Films will be joining the Youth Life Alliance as we work together with many other youth pro-life groups to bring and end to child killing and establish a culture of life.

Please check out http://www.youthlifealliance.com and our action calendar of youth events you can get involved with.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com