James Dobson, speaking today at the National Day of Prayer, addressed the abortion struggle that is currently taking place in the United States with the advent of the Affordable Care Act, also known as 'Obamacare.' Dobson refuses to pay the surcharge of murder, and all Christians should agree with him. He explained to the gathered audience the on-going legal struggle in which the ministry he founded, Focus on the Family, has been engaged. According to Dobson, this is what they were faced with in Obamacare:

“The mandate requiring that we provide abortifacients such as the morning after pill would have begun on May 1st. After that, if we hadn’t prevailed, fines amounting to $800,000 per year would have kicked in,” he said. “We would have closed our doors.”

Dobson went on to address President Obama directly:

“I believe in the rule of law, and it has been my practice since I was in college to respect and honor those in authority over us. It is my desire to do so now. However, this assault on the sanctity of human life takes me where I cannot go. I WILL NOT pay the surcharge for abortion services. The amount of the surcharge is irrelevant. To pay one cent for the killing of babies is egregious to me, and I will do all I can to correct a government that lies to me about its intentions and then tries to coerce my acquiescence with extortion. It would be a violation of my most deeply held convictions to disobey what I consider to be the principles in Scripture. The Creator will not hold us guiltless if we turn a deaf ear to the cries of His innocent babies. So come and get me if you must, Mr. President. I will not bow before your wicked regulation.”

Writing from the perspective of one who believes in Jesus Christ, desires to go to heaven at death in order to be with God, and seeks to align his perspective with that of the Creator as explicitly outlined in the Scriptures, I agree with Dobson. Christians seek to honor government. We are not enemies of the state. Rather, we strive to be friends of our local and national communities through charity, service, and sacrifice for the greater good of the communities in which we find ourselves. It is my fervent desire to see Kamloops prosperous and to see the community thrive. In this spirit, I believe in the rule of law. However, like Dobson, I will never pay for nor participate in the murder of an innocent child, even if it means going to jail, for three reasons.

First, I will not be a party to murder because, of least significance, it is detrimental to the flourishing of my community, my province and my country. It destroys the fabric of the family, reduces the beauty and sanctity of marital intimacy to nothing more than animalistic pleasure, weakens the bonds of brotherhood, feeds the spirit of narcissism and selfishness, and throws away the children of our future for a few minutes of fun in the present.

Second, I will not be a party to murder because, of secondary significance, it is sadistic and cruel to the child and the mother. Recent studies demonstrate that children in the womb can feel a great deal of pain from very early in the pregnancy, and it is true, even within the surgical operation of abortion, that children experience terror and pain during their murder. Additionally, there are numerous health concerns, both physical and mental, with women who are deceived into participating in the murder of their child.

Third, I will not be a party to murder because, of ultimate significance, it is an assault on the image of God. Abortion is an attack upon a person that bears God's imprimatur, and therefore, it is an attack on God personally. It defies the Creator from having proper rule and authority over the creature, and it denies His ultimate purposes and plans in creating the child and bringing the child to life.

As it says in the Bible:

“You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.” (Job 10:11, ESV)

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13, ESV)

Dobson recognizes that what takes place in pregnancy, from start to finish, is an amazing miracle from God. Indeed, it is a precious gift that we should treasure, not destroy. Dobson refuses to pay the surcharge of murder, and all Christians should agree with him.

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Photo Credit: http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/949789/from-unique-to-classic-find-your-baby-name-style