Standing for Life

When it comes to politics, I obviously have many personal opinions. I understand that not everyone will always agree. However, one thing that I do not find debatable is the sanctity of life.

"Trees aren't the only things worth saving."

My initial opinion comes from a biblical perspective. Psalms 139:13-14 says,

"For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well."

He created us in His image. He created each one of us with a purpose. I could go on and on about a biblical perspective of life. Some of the most popular pro-life organizations are not Christian organizations. Being pro-life isn't a Christian thing, it's a moral thing.

If we don't protect life, what do we protect? In fact, if any of us were aborted, we wouldn't be here on Earth to have any opinions about abortion. The Constitution states that we each have three unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Fortunately, the abortion rates are going down, as science begins to prove that life truly does begin at conception. Modern-day technology is also helping these abortion rates to go down, but unfortunately, on average, more than 2,500 human beings are being killed each day by abortion. Abortion kills the weakest of all in society.

I certainly could list facts about abortion and why it is wrong--but there is something more to being pro-life. Being pro-life is not just about abortion. It is throughout all of life. As someone who is pro-life, I think we often forget about this. Being pro-life means choosing life at age 92, just as much as it means choosing life at conception. Being pro-life means you love others. Being pro-life does not see race, gender, disabilities, or any other characteristic of a person. Being pro-life pertains to everyone.

Now, I am not saying you have to agree with everyone or their lifestyle choices. I certainly disagree with many people. However, you can still love the person, and not love their sin. So next time you think about being pro-life, think about how it pertains to the unborn, but also think about how it pertains to the people you come in contact with daily. A pro-life world would be a loving world.

Love

With it being Valentine's Day this week, I thought I would talk about God's love--but after an eventful week, talking about loving others sounds more appropriate. Love is needed more than ever now.

For the week of Valentine's Day, I saw a lot more hate than I did love. Being involved in politics is not for the weak. Every day, I find more respect for legislators, as they get nasty emails and phone calls from rude people. The lack of respect in our society is not like ever before in history.

I believe if you ever want to get a point across, you must be kind. Yelling and being rude never creates respect. For some reason, especially in politics, we don't know how to have a civil discourse anymore. Arguing and yelling at each other becomes our first instinct.

But that's not how we are intended to act or who we are supposed to be. Like the picture below, we don't choose who is worthy. We aren't the judge. We should love others no matter what. God calls us to love others, regardless of beliefs. And that's the problem--a lack of God in society. As a Christian, it's still easy to stoop to their level. Following God's call to love others isn't easy, but it's necessary. In fact, John 13:34-35 says,

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As Christians, we should show others God's love. If you aren't a Christian, I still feel kindness is necessary. If we ever want to get a point across, being nice and have a genuine, civil discussion, is the way you gain respect. If you want to be liked, you have to be nice. I always keep in mind a quote, which says, "No one will care how smart or pretty you were if you weren't kind." This couldn't be more true. People remember people for their kindness and love. So let's love and encourage others to love--no matter what time of the year it is, Valentine's Day and every other day.

The Election in the Eyes of a Foreigner

So this week was a big week for the states...the election! And when they say the whole world was watching, they weren't lying. My host family stayed up until 2 a.m. waiting for the election results, and it isn't even their country! Being in Guatemala for the election was eye-opening and fascinating. I had never really thought of how foreigners perceived America. Obviously, America is solely a dream for them. They will never get the chance to live or even see the United States.

Look who I found in their newspaper! Of all people, my representative (Steve King) and my senator (Chuck Grassley), were in the Guatemalan newspaper.

The whole world was especially watching this election, but only for one reason: Donald Trump. In America, everyone thought it was crazy because of Donald, but also because of Hillary. For Guatemalans, they get their international news from the TV. CNN, to be exact. Whether talking to some white missionaries that live here or Guatemalans, it was sad to hear what they thought. I had conversations with others explaining Benghazi, as they had never heard of it before. I explained Hillary's trial, as they didn't even know that it was happening. They simply assumed all Americans must be Hillary supporters, because that is how the media portrayed it for them.

Guatemalans did have a problem with Donald Trump. They could list off many horrible things he's done. According to them, he persecutes Christians, encourages discrimination, and will kick out any foreigner in America (legal or not). When it came to Hillary, there is nothing wrong with her in their eyes. In my opinion, I have never heard Clinton discuss religious liberty, so what makes Trump different for them? The media. Their opinion is only based off of that. After talking with some people, they realized that they might not understand the whole picture. Not all foreigners are going to be kicked out of America. If they are there legal, nothing will happen. If they are there illegally, there is a possibility, but we will never get ahold of the whole issue. I don't think Guatemalans even knew there was a difference between legal and illegal immigration.

So yes, the world is laughing at America. People claim we've joined their club: having a comedian for president. For me, this doesn't discourage me, but instead encourages me. Let's prove the world wrong. Let's prove that we can bring our country back. This does not depend on the President. This does not depend on the Supreme Court Justices. This depends on us. We were given these two choices based off of a reflection of our society and government. Let's change it.