On Monday the Canberra Declaration gave evidence at the Queensland Abortion Law Reform Inquiry.
Thank you to those in the Canberra Declaration community in Queensland who made submissions and to those in the prayer team who prayed at very short notice. In faith, we believe that your speaking out and your prayers will result in saving the lives of many innocent unborn babies.
We give special thanks to God for Teresa Martin who gave evidence with us. Teresa signed the Canberra Declaration in 2010. Her experience as the immediate past president of Cherish Life Queensland was greatly appreciated.
As we shared earlier, if passed in its current form, the Abortion Law Reform (Women's Right to Choose) Amendment Bill 2016 would give Queensland the worst abortion laws in the Western world.
In our opening statement to the Committee, copies of the Canberra Declaration were tabled and distributed to the six MPs. Each also received a copy of our leaflet entitled 'The Unborn and the Image of God'.
Just as in our submission, the Canberra Declaration was quoted as saying, "we believe that all human life, being made in the image of God, has intrinsic and equal value from conception to life's natural end" and that "the very heart of a civilised society is based on the way it treats its most vulnerable and innocent members including the unborn and the disabled".
Teresa read the moving story of a young mother, named Rose, who was saved from aborting her baby by footpath counsellors outside an abortion clinic. In conclusion Teresa said, "Abortion emasculates men who can and do suffer from lost fatherhood and the trauma of being unable, or at the time, unwilling, to protect and provide for their unborn child. Women are hurt and harmed and forever changed by abortion. But cruellest of all, unborn babies die from abortion."
We believe that God has gone before the Canberra Declaration in giving evidence at this Inquiry. Of the 1347 submissions, the Canberra Declaration was one of the 27 invited to give evidence. We thank God that about half of the witnesses were pro-life. These included Cherish Life Queensland, Australian Christian Lobby, FamilyVoice Australia, Australian Family Association, a range of church denominations, a pregnancy help centre and a Christian doctors' association. A full script of the public hearings is available here .
Let us be encouraged that God is working through the Canberra Declaration alongside other like-minded ministries.
Please pray for the Inquiry Committee as they deliberate and prepare their report which is due by Friday 26 August.
If you are a Queenslander, please write your local state MP. Find your member here . Ask your member to reject the Independent Member for Cairns Rob Pyne's Bill.
If you are not a Queenslander, please encourage your Queensland contacts to write a letter to their local MP.
Queensland MPs Rob Pyne and Jackie Trad launch the Abortion Law Reform Bill on 10 May 2016
During this Inquiry we need to be mindful that eight Queensland MPs belong to Emily's List. This is a feminist organisation which raises money to have pro-abortion women elected to parliament. One of its members is the Deputy Premier of Queensland, Jackie Trad.
To have the financial and political support of Emily's List this article explains that "a candidate must support the abortion of a full-term baby right up to the moment of birth".
Please pray that God will overrule the influence of Emily's List and bring to an end the shedding of innocent blood through abortion in Queensland.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:9-10)
Yours for speaking up for the unborn babies,
David Rowsome and Warwick Marsh
PS From feedback received we believe the two written prayers -
