The most dangerous place: abortion & the arts in Gotham City

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By Mark Ellis 

The most dangerous place to be in America is not walking on the streets of New York after midnight. New York City averages 400 to 500 murders each year – on or off the streets. 

my second son, born 22 years ago today

The most dangerous place to be in America is inside the womb of an expectant mother in New York City, where 41 percent of pregnancies were aborted – totaling 80,629 in the last year statistics were available, 2009. 

It is even more perilous to be inside the womb of a non-Hispanic Black woman, with abortion rates of 59.8%.  

In the Book of Jeremiah it says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart.” 

And David praises God in the Psalms, saying: “You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 

Most Christians believe human life begins at conception. But your life began in the mind of God before conception. He knew your whole life before you were born: your struggles, your cares, your woes, the things you cherish, the things you hold dear. 

He formed you with great care and tenderness in your mother’s womb. With creative genius and artistry beyond compare, he knit you together in the secret, once-protected environment of the womb. 

Theologian R.C. Sproul maintains that the reason life in the womb is so valuable – why there is dignity assigned to every human being – is that we are made in God’s image. His imprint gives life its dignity. 

When God prints his image on a human creature, that image is precious and sacred. It is almost like a tiny self-portrait He is painting in the womb. When someone willfully assaults that sacred space, while God is fashioning together human life, He considers it an assault upon Himself and His creative prerogative. 

In addition to its horrific abortion rates, New York City is considered the arts capital of the United States. I attend church in a community of artists in Laguna Beach, California. My wife, Sally, is an artist. If I walk into her studio while she is painting and interrupt her concentration and creative process, she gets upset.

 Allow me to take this a step further. Let’s say it is 1658 and Rembrandt is in the process of creating one of his famous self-portraits at his studio in Amsterdam. The painting has a certain dignity because of the greatness of its creator, one of the great artists of all time. It has his unique imprint. 

If someone burst into Rembrandt’s studio, pushed him away from his painting, and began to slash the canvas with a knife, how would the artist respond? 

More than 3,000 times a day in America such a scene unfolds in God’s studio, as His creation is slashed, burned, injected, suctioned – literally torn apart limb-by-limb. Then God’s great artistic achievement is thrown away. 

R.C. Sproul has said, “I believe that if the Christian community knew how God felt about abortion, there would never be another abortion in this country legally. Christians would turn this nation upside down. If I know anything about the character of Almighty God, whose person and work I have been studying for many years, I know that God hates abortion on demand.”

5 COMMENTS

  1. this is very sad but very moving, It’s so wonderful to know how our Heavenly Father loves us and made us, Do you think that all those babies are waiting for their mothers when its their time to return home and then to raise them. keeping this article. Hope your day is good!

  2. God hates abortion, but the devil leads man to irresponsible sex and an immense tragedy that leads many a woman to depression, suicide or plain self destruction while killing God’s artwork.

  3. We know for the fact that Abortion is a NO, NO to God’s and man’s law. But those persons subject themselves to immoral act without thinking of the consequence of their act. As a Christian, it is our responsibility to pray for those person not to do such thing and pray that no country will pass the bill for Abortion, it is an act of crime.

  4. What a great perspective and parallel between the painting, the artist and God working on His masterpieces in a mother’s womb. Its a beautiful “portrait”!
    However, I know that making abortion illegal again will never stop it from happening and it will certainly not stop unmarried people from having sex! In fact, I think it will only drive illegal abortion into backrooms, increasing infection and death rates in the “immoral” mothers who feel they have no other choice-most of whom are under age. We, as Christians need to invest in educating the younger generation on the short and long-term negative effects, mentally, physically and spiritually that abortion will surely have, should they choose that-always focusing on the forgiveness and unconditional unconditional love of God.

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