On December 10th 2009 the Texas Health District Board had a hearing on whether to approve funding to pay for abortions for poor Austin Women. Austin is the only town in Texas to use tax dollars to pay for abortions. About 1000 per year.
My Sister and friends praying after the vote. Photo by Austin American Statesman.
We felt and still feel that this was a battle we could win. Harris County recently stopped funding abortions and we are sure Travis County will follow suit.
What Happened
About a dozen folks from ARC and half a dozen from my Monday Night Prayer group came to speak and pray for life. Of the 18 of us who registered to speak only Minda got the chance. Of the 49 who registered to speak they council only let 12 speak.
Of the people who testified many of the Pro-Lifers shared stories of how abortion had devastated their lives. Minda shared how Abortion is very much like slavery because of the depersonification of human persons that is used to justify it.
Most of the Pro-Choice speakers were middle aged women many of whom would receive a cut of the $450,000 that the counsel was about to dull out. Generation Y, my generation, is fed up with getting killed off by greedy, self centered Baby Boomers.
In the end the vote was unanimous to approve the abortion funding for one more year.
Why I’m Encouraged
The people on the left are pro-choice. The people on the right are in line to speak for life.
We will be back. If the enemy thinks he can discourage us into inaction he has grossly underestimated the power of the Holy Spirit and the persistence of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The left is used to us going away when we loose (or win for that matter). This trend is over. We are not going anywhere. We are already starting to organize for next year and we will get so many more people involved that they can’t help but hear us.
Also, we are going to start engaging in the small local elections that impact this board. So few people vote for City Council and County Commissioners Court that it will not be hard to impact the vote.
We are going to find pro-life candidates, fund those candidates and elect those candidates.
10 Ways You Can Fight Tax Funded Abortions in Austin
There is a lot we can do to fight this.
- Sign up for the Texas Alliance for Life newsletter.This will keep you up to date.
- Get your friends registered to vote. I was able to get 10 people in my prayer group registered to vote. Just got by the library and get some voters registration cards and get your friends to register where they live.
- Become a fan of TAL on Facebook. This will keep you in the loop.
- Pray & Fast. The battle is a spiritual one as much as anything else.
- Suggest the TAL page to your friends. Important! Texas Alliance for Life is the organization that helps get the word out. When you sign up you will get location specific instructions and updates.
- Read the Strategy for the abolition of abortion. It will give you more details for how you can get involved.
- Vote in Pro-Life county commissioners and city council members. These elections have tiny turnouts and it wont be hard for us to sway the numbers.
- Move to Austin. One challenge is the pro-life people have moved out of the town to be around people like them. This has given the land to the pro-aborts. I live in Austin for a reason.
- Donate to Texas Alliance for Life. They need money to fight for the unborn. The City gives Abortion Providers more $ than TALs entire budget. Where you money is your heart will be also. If each of my blog readers gave $50 we could raise $50,000.
- Find pro-life videos on YouTube and share them on Facebook. Get the word out. Don’t let people ignore the problem.
We will be back!
Thomas, I admire your tenacity in pushing for righteousness and justice in government. It's a blessing to partner with you in this. While the outcome was not all we'd hoped for, we had a resounding impact on the spiritual dimension. Let that be our encouragement. Our part is to be obedient to partner with God as He directs; His part is to effect a change in the spiritual realm that causes the laws of this lower realm to disintegrate.
Prov. 31:8 "Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die."
God answered your prayers, Thomas! From looking at the 3rd photo, there were MANY willing and able to obey the above verse. Their presence alone spoke volumes. Remember that God's hand is not shortented that it cannot save. We must walk by faith and not by sight.
The following Psalm is entitled "A Song of Confidence in God's Triumph over Evil."
When I read this I was astounded at how perfectly it fits the abortion war. This verse must be our prayer of confidence before we enter any battle against the murderers and the Great Murderer of the innocent.
Psalm 10: 8; 11-18
"8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
11 He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.” 12 Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, “You will not require an account.”
14 But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
16 The LORD is King forever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land.
17 LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,
18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more."
You have just lost business referred to you from someone who recommended your services for our new website. Your political beliefs are inappropriate on a business related website. I respect your right to express your beliefs and you must respect my right to reject them and be appalled by them.
"Your political beliefs are inappropriate on a business related website."
Umm… this isn't Thomas' business website. http://www.umstattdmedia.com/
Just thought you'd like to know that you are being overly reactionary.