Some are concerned about churches being involved with the Value Them Both Constitutional Amendment. This raises the question, “Can churches have a voice on biblical issues?” The obvious answer is a resounding “YES”! The next question is, “Is the Value Them Both Constitutional Amendment a biblical issue?
What the Kansas Supreme Court Did
In 2019 the Kansas Supreme Court declared that the 1859 Kansas Constitution established a right to abortion. In effect, the Kansas Supreme Court took away the rights of Kansans to have laws that constrain abortions. From 1995-2019 our state legislators passed laws that placed common-sense constraints on the abortion industry (for example – parental consent, clinical inspection, and informed consent). Now those laws are presumed to be unconstitutional. In effect, Kansas is now a state where any abortion procedure is allowed.
No Longer a Political Issue
The Value Them Both Constitutional Amendment is no longer a political issue. It has already passed the Kansas House and Kansas Senate by two-thirds majorities. The amendment now goes to the people of Kansas. The motivation to pass this amendment will vary based on worldview and ideology. Some simply recognize that human life is important and should be preserved. Many feel that abortions should be rare. For many, they want the restoration of common-sense constraints on the abortion industry. For many in the church, abortion is a compelling biblical issue.
Life is a Biblical Issue
What makes it a biblical issue? The Bible, in the first chapter of Genesis, declares that God not only created everything, but He also specifically created man in his own image. According to the Bible, human life is sacred (see Genesis 1:27). Human life inside a woman’s womb is declared in both the Old and New Testaments (consider the stories of Isaac, Samuel, John the Baptist, and Jesus, just to name a few).
What About “Separation of Church and State”?
Many have misunderstood the “separation of Church and State,” yet the phrase is not in the US Constitution, nor in our Declaration of Independence. It was a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson to refer to the Church being protected from the state, not the other way around. There was never any intention to keep the Church from the public arena. A state without the moral compass of the Church can lead to a culture of lies and deception. Churches can and should share about biblical issues, and this certainly includes the biblical issue of the sacredness of life.
The Bottom Line
So, should churches influence their congregants to embrace a biblical issue? Obviously, yes. The Church can and should be a conscience to not only congregants but also their communities. To keep the Church from having a voice is to try to control culture in a way that is against our US Constitution. Churches are made up of Christians and the speech of Christians in the United States is protected.
Churches and pastors are free to influence congregants to vote “Yes” for the Value Them Both Constitutional Amendment, a very biblical issue.
To learn more: https://valuethemboth.com
To ask a question or request a speaker: email me
