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JONI B. HANNIGAN
Managing Editor
JACKSONVILLE (FBW) — Southern Baptists across America will mark Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, January 16, mindful of recent victories in the political arena—the re-election of a pro-life president, the gain of pro-life votes in the U.S. Senate, and the introduction of key legislation touching on issues from partial-birth abortion to stem cell research and cloning.
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In Florida, pro-life supporters were handed two victories when voters approved Amendment 1, “Parental Notification of a Minor’s Termination of Pregnancy” by a wide margin – 65.7 to 25.3 percent – in the November election in which they also tapped pro-lifer Mel Martinez for the U.S. Senate.
But with attention focused elsewhere on pro-life victories, Florida Baptists continue to be faced with a battle of international proportions being waged over Terri Schiavo, a disabled woman at the center of a right-to-die debate.
The 41-year-old brain-damaged woman who currently receives nutrition and hydration through a tube, and who is said by some to be in a persistent vegetative state, has garnered the attention of pro-life supporters world-wide (see related stories on pages 4 and 13).
Terri has also gained the attention of Southern Baptist’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) which produces resources for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.
The observance officially has been on the denominational calendar since 1985. The ERLC offers Faith & Family handouts that focus on life issues and pamphlets, such as “What the Bible Teaches About Abortion,” “What They Never Told You About the Facts of Life” and a tract by Land titled, “Is Life a Right?” The ERLC also produces a suggested sermon outline and Bible study on the Sanctity of Human Life, along with theme posters and an extensive fact sheet. These resources are available by calling 1-800-475-9127, or visiting www.erlc.com.
In addition to information about abortion, the ERLC produces a variety of resources and papers related to adoption, euthanasia, stem cell research, cloning and other major pro-life issues. The ERLC has also published stories about Terri Schiavo’s plight and has included a feature on Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) in resources available for this year’s SOHL observance (see story on this page).