This upcoming Sunday marks the 40th observance of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, a day where pro-life citizens and churches across America come together and commit to upholding the dignity and sanctity of every human life, and to lament the evil of abortion.
While we praise God that Roe v. Wade was finally overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, we know that the battle to stop the legal abortions of babies in the womb continues – especially here in Illinois. Thanks to a super-majority of abortion cheerleaders in the Illinois General Assembly, tens of thousands of pre-born lives are intentionally snuffed out in our state every year. We still have much work to do!
The History of Sanctity of Life Sunday
On the tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Ronald Reagan wrote an essay about abortion, which would become the only book to be published by a sitting president. He wrote that,
“Prayer and action are needed to uphold the sanctity of human life. I believe it will not be possible to accomplish our work, the work of saving lives, ‘without being a soul of prayer.’”
The next year, Reagan issued “Proclamation 5147 — National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 1984,” which highlighted the lives that had already been lost due to abortion and designated Sunday, January 22, 1984, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day.
“I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life,” the proclamation states, “and to reaffirm our commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of each human life.”
This tradition was continued by George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald J. Trump. Unfortunately, presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and now Joe Biden failed to recognize it while in office. Regardless of presidential support, pro-life citizens and churches have made it a point to continue marking Sanctity of Human Life Sunday across America. (Read more about the origins of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.)
We are grateful to report that newly selected U.S. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is scheduled to speak at the national March for Life in Washington D.C. today.
What You Can Do To Participate
Pray for a culture that reveres life
- Pray that God would convict the hearts and minds of policymakers and candidates running for office to make the sanctity of life a priority. Pray that they will become defenders of innocent human life and not enablers of sexual immorality and death. (Prov 21:1-8)
- Pray for a softening of hearts and minds. May God give us opportunities to minister to those who are hurting and may our conversations be filled with His grace and love.
- Pray for the pregnancy resource centers that are helping women facing an unplanned pregnancy.
- Pray for political and church leaders and that they would be willing to stand up for life.
- Pray that the church steps up to teach and defend God’s truth regarding the sanctity of human life, marriage, and family. We are seeing a steep increase in abortion traffic into our state as people come to abortion facilities in Illinois. The opportunities to be salt and light at prayer vigils, as sidewalk counselors, as friends and neighbors, are increasing greatly. Pray that we recognize these opportunities and ask God to work through us to help would-be mothers and fathers avoid the sin of abortion.
Educate Yourself and Your Family
- Watch the pro-life film “The Matter of Life” and then show it to your family, friends and, if possible, at your church.
- Join us and other pro-life organizations at the annual SpeakOut Illinois conference in Oakbrook Terrace on March 16th.
- Ryan Bomberger‘s book, Pro-Life Kids, is an excellent resource that reinforces the importance of every human life
- Ryan Anderson‘s newest book, Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing, discusses the lasting impact that abortion has had on our country.
- Watch/share this presentation by Scott Phelps: Being Proactive: Abstinence & Marriage (62 min.)
- Watch/share this presentation by Dr. John Diggs: Consequences of Sexual Immorality (43 min.)
- Scott Klusendorf is a well-known Christian pro-life apologist who excels at pro-life training. We highly recommend his book The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture and his two recent worldview sessions for IFI:
- The Issue of Abortion (50 min.)
- Engaging Your Church & Community (42 min.)
Have a Conversation About Life
Whether with a large audience or just your family, start a conversation about the sanctity of human life and God’s desire for each of us to experience abundant life (John 10:10). A life in which we produce good works (Ephesians 2:10) that will glorify our Father in Heaven (John 15:8; Matthew 5:16). There are a variety of resources that you can share with your community. You can find some of these at sanctitysunday.com.
Make sure you are subscribed to Illinois Family’s emails and E-Alerts!
