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Bless you Donna!

Thanks so much! Happy New Year Donna!

You’re too kind! I’m not sure there’s a market for these behind the few of you who are such stalwarts. Thank God for you!

Father Phil, you are the BEST!

As always you’re so welcome! I’m honored you continue to participate in Saint James from afar. God bless you!

@@saintjamesgi You are the best Priest , Father Phil. Your church is vibrant and filled with love and compassion. I will always be honored to listen to your sermons . I am blessed that I found you through the Holy Spirit! ❤

Wonderful questions. Thank you for writing. Many of your comments refer to the embryo or fetus as a child. These are technical terms and they are not synonymous. A clump of dividing cells are not ethically or medically equivalent to a baby. I am told that some 55% of pregnancies end early in miscarriage. Do we believe God is killing over half of the world's babies? No we do not. I do believe, and did not clarify in this message, that there is a point in pregnancy where the state has justification in limiting abortion. That limit has been "viability" since Roe and Casey, which is around 24 weeks. Before this boundary, and especially significantly before, a woman must have the right to make the medical decision about what is happening within her body, affecting her life, and directing her future. With medical advice and counsel she should be able to make the decision after this time as well, at a higher threshold of necessity, I would suggest. The bottom line is that human beings have inherent dignity and autonomy, we call this freedom and liberty; it is God-given; it is what makes love so profound, because love that is freely chosen is most powerful. Allowing a political majority to tell you what you must do with yourself---that you don't know what's best for you but we do---is profoundly troubling to me in a free country. That is oppression; that is slavery; when it has to do with your own body, that is deeply unjust. God set the Israelites free. "If the Son sets you free you're free indeed." Freedom is a central value of all the scriptures. So is life. There is a balance here to be found, which has been thrown profoundly out of balance in the Dobbs decision, God help us all. + Thank you for your care. Pray for me and I'll pray for you as well.

Thank you for responding here and on the church’s FB page. (I tried to reply there, but sadly you disabled comments there). With all due respect, you have made some statements still that truly trouble my heart and you never showed me in His word any scripture to help me better understand your position. After spending much time in reflection on this after your post and turning to His word on the matter of life and free will, I am continuously drawn back to the following scriptures: (Exodus 21:22-23, Gen 2:7, Psalms 139:13-16) While you mention 55% of pregnancies result in miscarriage and ask the question is God killing half of the world’s babies, in attempt to justify abortion, you fail to address the difference in God’s role and our role in this world…in our lives. You suggest that a woman should play God herself in choosing when to end the life of another human being. While you try to disassociate a child in the womb as a human being, a fetus has always been a person to God. Our society is changing the definition of life. Exodus 21:22-23 NRSV 22.“When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman's husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. 23. If any harm follows, then you shall give life (nep̄eš) for life (nep̄eš),” Notice under the Old Covenant that if two men are fighting and they injure a pregnant woman and the child dies, those men would have to pay the penalty of death. Verse 23 says they should give “life for life.” The Hebrew word for “life” is “nep̄eš” which means “soul, living being, that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man.’ In other words, God considers that fetus or child an actual person, which means, they have life! Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (nep̄eš). Notice that God used the same word for Adam as he did for a baby in the womb. “For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.” Psalms 139:13, 16 HCSB I also want to challenge your statement “With medical advice and counsel she should be able to make the decision after this time as well, at a higher threshold of necessity, I would suggest.” Here you are referring to a mother’s right to terminate the fetus in her womb even after the courts have rendered her pregnancy as “viable”. This…is where I see a fundamental flaw in anyone’s argument in support of abortion. If the mother is going to die if she carries the baby any longer…why would we not deliver the child alive? This is simply an emergency c-section and can be done within minutes. Supportive care can then be given to both mother and child. If the baby doesn’t make it, at least we all know that we did everything humanly possible to save the life of both mother and child. (We can and should love them both.). Side Note: Abortion after 20+ weeks (aka viability) is brutal on the mother and takes multiple days to complete the process. Surgical means are required. (Link at bottom) Finally, you wrote “Allowing a political majority to tell you what you must do with yourself---that you don't know what's best for you but we do---is profoundly troubling to me in a free country.” I don’t disagree at all with that statement. However, when it comes to abortion there are pro-life people on both sides of the aisle. Abortion is not, nor should it be political in anyway. It is a spiritual issue, and the Bible is clear that we are not to shed innocent blood. What more innocent is the life of the unborn? In my first response, I asked for you to point me to scripture that supports abortion and didn’t read you respond with any. I did however, find plenty of scripture that points me to life, my creator, how He made us fearfully and wonderfully in our mother’s womb. A secret place where He knew us before we were born. Where He called each of us for a purpose. He tells us to trust in Him with all our hearts, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. He tells us not to conform to this world. He says “Do not be conformed to this age….so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” God’s perfect will isn’t for us to choose who lives and who dies. It never has been our place to play God. We are given free will to do what we want, but ending the life prematurely of 63+ million humans which were made in our God’s image, doesn’t seem good or pleasing to me. Especially when there is no scripture that tells me abortion is good. I’ll wrap up this reply with: Isaiah 5:20-25 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. Surely you know the rest. In verse 25 it reads “corpses in the streets”…I can’t help but think of the millions of barrels of medical waste that have been filled with innocent blood, tiny corpses, each representing a life lost. Those mothers’ sadly believed the lies that they were told, that they couldn’t trust our God. I am praying for discernment and wisdom daily for all of us on this issue. I am praying our eyes and hearts are never deceived by the ways of this world. Satan is a master manipulator, and the king of deception. I just do not see how any mother, (myself included) taking a life, which according to scripture, was planned, has a purpose, and was created in His image, would ever be considered “good” in our Father’s eyes. ruclips.net/video/r5Af8vIym2o/видео.html

@@paigeweatherly You have misread and misunderstood Exodus 21. This text is the basis for Judaism’s believe that life begins at birth not conception. The text says that if there is a miscarriage there is a simple fine, but if the mother dies it is life for a life. Thus the loss of the pregnancy is not equivalent to the loss of a life. You can research this. This is the accepted meaning among rabbis and the plain meaning. I do not intend to square off comment for comment on this post, although I do welcome further conversation by email or telephone. I appreciate your desire to do what is right and to honor God and protect life. Thanks for your concern. You’re in my prayers. Phil+

I'm so sorry - you're not a pariah to us!

Good question Donna. Jesus doesn't say much in this unique regard. We like to put words in Jesus' mouth about all sorts of issues, but his commands are broadly focused on having a right heart and genuine discipleship, not about specific issues. I can think of a lot of Gospel stories that people may like to use regarding Jesus, but I don't think they actually apply. Perhaps the closest Jesus gets to giving us guidance on this topic is saying that all the law and the prophets are grounded on Love. Paul says much the same. Then it's up to us to extrapolate the implications in particular circumstances. This is usually quite tricky. Ultimately, I suggest it's most loving to give people autonomy and support rather than to force them to do what you think is best for them. (Rarely do we actually know what is best for someone else to do!) This would lead to lovingly and supportively allowing people choice when it comes to their life, their body, and their future. At some point the state has an interest to protect life; it may be some time during pregnancy; certainly it is by the end. Thus, the general rule of "viability" with certain exceptions came to be, which was the longstanding situation under Roe and Casey. Faithful people may come to a different conclusion. For me, this is mine. +

@@saintjamesgi As Christians, we believe that we are created in Our Lord's image. What a privilege and honor it is to share in His divinity through the Holy Spirit to be loved and cherished beyond our understanding. . Therefore, the sanctity of life , which begins at conception needs to be protected and loved. The Mother of Our Lord is a perfect example!

Thank you Donna! Your kindness and faithfulness are off the charts! 😊

@@saintjamesgi ❤

Thank you Isabel! God bless you too 🙏🏽

Thanks for writing in Linda! It’s lovely to hear your voice! Say hi to H for us!

Thank you! And a blessed Holy Week to you too!

You’re welcome as always Donna! Have a wonderful week ❤️

@@saintjamesgi Father Phil, it was wonderful that your parents hosted coffee hour, this past Sunday. They are probably about my age. I'm 68. Enjoy your next pot-luck dinner. The food looks delicious! Looking forward to next Sunday!

You are always SO encouraging! Thank you :)

@@saintjamesgi Father Phil, it is my pleasure to share my thoughts with you concerning your sermons which promote in me a deeper relationship with Our Lord. I thank you for your wonderful comment!