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A Democrat congresswoman misused a Bible verse this week to justify her vote against a bill that would protect babies born alive after botched abortions.
Before a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the House of Representatives, Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) cited Jeremiah 1:5 to claim that the government should not be able to make laws surrounding a woman’s ability to choose to end the life of her unborn child.
Be informed, not misled.
"I am a pro-choice Christian."
Greg Price posted this video on Twitter. It's 1 minute and 17 seconds.
Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI): "As a pro-choice Christian who chose life, this issue is personal to me... When I read scripture, I turn to Jeremiah 1:5 which states 'I knew you before I formed you and placed you in your mother's womb.' It doesn't say the government's womb." pic.twitter.com/IH6Z2KhT4f
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 11, 2023
This is the text of what Congresswoman Scholten said on the House floor before she voted against protecting babies born alive in botched abortions:
"I’m the first mother in history to represent west Michigan in Congress. This matter is deeply personal to me. I recently shared publicly about my own experience navigating a complex miscarriage and the loss of my daughter. As a pro-choice Christian who chose life, this issue is so personal to me. My faith informs my actions, but it doesn’t dictate the policy of an entire nation."
Biblical teaching did dictate this entire nation's policies in its founding.
Daniel Webster, a leading second-generation American statesman, said: "Let us not forget the religious character of our origin...our forefathers were brought here by their high veneration for the Christian religion...They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to infuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, and literary."
"And further, when I read the scripture, I turn to passages, and I’m guided by passages like Jeremiah 1:5 which states: ‘I knew you before I formed you and placed you in your mother’s womb.’ It doesn’t say the government’s womb or the speaker’s womb — it says the mother’s womb."
Scholten then stated that while she believes “life is precious,” she “reject[s] the idea that if I embrace the sanctity of life, I also must be forced to invite the federal government in to regulate it.”
She concluded, “We must protect families from unnecessary government intrusion into the most sacred and personal decisions of our lives and our children’s lives."
The decision to kill an unwanted child is not a "scared" decision---it's a barbaric act informed by a faith that is not biblically based. Abortion is a decision made by a very uninformed Christian.
Exodus 20:13 is very clear about what God thinks of abortion: "Thou shalt not kill."
She made no mention of the fact that the government legislates many issues having to do with life and death, including outlawing murder and in most states, assisted suicide.
American laws were framed from biblical morality.
"My faith informs my actions, but it doesn’t dictate the policy of an entire nation."
Her "faith" may inform her actions, but her faith is not informed by the Bible.
To be clear the Scripture she quotes, Jeremiah 1:5, is one of the strongest pro-life verses in the Bible. It confirms that the unborn child is not a fetal mass, but is in fact a living human being.
It further affirms that God, our Creator, knows that individual and has a plan for that individual's life.
In the case of young Jeremiah, God had called him to be His prophet to the nations.
This verse shows God's sovereignty and omniscience, and it reveals that God has a plan for every life even before the person has been born.
The bill that Rep. Scholten was objecting to requires medical providers to treat babies born alive after a botched abortion with the same level of care as they would with any other newborn, and it adds penalties for violators.
Her argument is that because she is a very caring, compassionate, and fair person she will not force her beliefs on others.
Senator, then Vice-President Joe Biden made the same hollow, unbiblical, self-righteous argument. So has Nancy Pelosi; "I'm a very fair and righteous person---so much so, I will never force you by law not to kill your unwanted child."
They even have a new label for pro-life believers: "Forced Birth."
In fact, the Bible also teaches against abortion for any cause.
Isiah 45:9-10 makes the case:
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
Taking a stand against our Creator is popular today. The LGBTQAI+ movement is built on the premise that Creator God made a mistake that we must correct, so we are passing laws that invalidate God.
The pot is telling the Potter He doesn't know what He's doing.
The transgender movement is particularly rebellious against the Creator.
All House Republicans support the bill.
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), who led the bill, celebrated its passage in a statement:
Thanks to our efforts, after dozens of unanimous consent requests, two discharge petitions, and countless hours of advocacy work, the House has finally taken action to ensure that every single baby born in the United States receives lifesaving medical care at their most vulnerable moment.
Democrats opposing the measure argued the legislation was pointless in light of a similar but less comprehensive born alive bill signed into law in 2002 and contended the vote was part of a grander plan House Republicans allegedly had to make all abortion illegal in the U.S.
I sincerely hope the Democrats are right on that.
Wagner lamented Democrats’ rejection of the bill, saying, “It pains me that this fight has to be fought at all, but medical care for babies should not be a partisan issue.”
Thinking of our current leadership in the White House and the Senate---which will likely fight against this bill, I was reminded of something Founding Father Noah Webster said: "Corruption of morals is rapid enough in any country without a bounty from the government. And...the Chief Magistrate of the United States should be the last man to accelerate its progress."
Remember, God is in control. And the 2024 election is coming.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful.