Why I did the Ice Water Bucket Challenge

"Thank you Rebecca Troutner for challenging me to dump a bucket of freezing cold water onto my head. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka, ALS is the most common motor neurone disease and in America is known as Lou Gehrig’s disease named after the baseball player with ALS. What happens to someone with ALS is they progressively lose control of their muscles until they can no longer function.  There is no real known cause and there is no known cure. That’s why creating awareness to raise money for ALS is so helpful.  The more resources there are, the higher the chance a cure can be found.
Researching this viral movement has lead me to some interesting information about the ALS Association.  From the information that we have no, ALSA is getting paid by a single donor to perform experimentation on embryonic stem cell research.  This is an act of abortion because the stem cells cannot be harvested without the baby dying. As far as we know, the money that has been raised from the ice water bucket challenge isn’t directly tied to embryonic stem cell research but this does not mean that ALSA won’t use that money in the future for embryonic stem cell research.
So I’m challenging Ian Spencer, William Carlin, Austin Beigel, Gabriel Vance, Amelia Harrington, and Olivia Ball to either dump freezing water on your head or donate $100 to an organization that fights ALS and doesn’t perform embryonic stem cell research.  From my research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is a local group that doesn’t support or perform embryonic stem cell research. You have 24 hours! GOOD LUCK!"

Watch the video HEREThe idea that millions of people have participated in, millions of dollars have been raised, and it all still seems to be going strong. What could possibly be wrong with such a great cause?  
As it turns out, The ALS Association is performing embryonic stem cell research, which is funded by a a single donor.  Adult stem cell research can be beneficial to progressive science technology but still lets the human live.  This is great and has been shown to help fight ALS and other neurological diseases. Embryonic stem cell research harvests the baby's stem cells in such a way that the baby cannot live. This is the intentional act of killing an innocent human child which is a form of abortion. The biggest irony of the whole situation is that embryonic stem cell research has shown zero effect in fighting ALS or other neurological diseases!  
So what does this have to do with me dumping a bucket of ice water over my head?
The message of the video is to educate my friends of two points: first, ALS awareness and fundraising and second, supporting the ALS Association isn't an ethical or beneficial option. Abortion is never a necessary evil.  Why should we support the killing of millions of lives to hopefully find the cure for thousands? 


I think the problem with the ALS Association lies in the fact that they would allow that kind of study to be done. When you're donating to an organization, you're donating to their ideas, motives, and worldview. Even though the ALSA works hard at fighting ALS, they are going about it in the wrong way by accepting embryonic stem cell research regardless of who ends up funding it. Who knows, the ALSA is looking for a good outlet for all the money that is pouring in, they could very well use that money to fund embryonic stem cell research.

I really care about what people think about the ice bucket challenge because regardless of who is funding embryonic stem cell research, the ALSA is still performing the research. And therefore, ALSA is still killing babies.
So by all means, go ahead and dump freezing water on your head.  I did it!  Just remember why you're doing it and know where your money is going. 

Ending the Internship - Continuing the Fight

Are we all created equal? Ask almost anyone this question and they are quick to answer, “Yes!” Follow up that question with another, “Why?” and only a few can actually articulate their beliefs on equality.

Why don’t many people know why they have value and are created equal?  From what I’ve learned form this internship through classroom teaching and on the road experience, many people have calloused hearts and ignorant minds because they decide to reject God’s truth.  My heart is heavy for those who do this to themselves. Honestly, one of the primary reasons I joined this summer internship was to be able to educate the masses on reality and the harsh truth about abortion.

And that’s exactly what I got to do.  I had the amazing opportunity to routinely speak up for the preborn. I experienced, first hand, God’s amazing power in softening calloused hearts and changing ignorant minds.

A woman I talked to downtown Columbus named Kat confided in me that she struggled with choosing life but she inwardly knew that it is wrong to have an abortion. She knew it would be more convenient for her to get an abortion but she decided not to. Now five years later, she loves her son with all her heart and doesn’t regret her decision to keep her child. She has been convicted so much that she wants to help her sister, who is currently considering an abortion, to make the choice to keep her child. Praise be to God! I had the privilege to encourage her to help her sister choose life. God placed me and my team in the right spot at the right time so he could talk to her through us. We are truly making an impact in our community because we speak the truth in love.

Why fight against abortion? We fight for those who can't fight for themselves. We stand for justice even if no one else will. We can only change America when we change the minds and hearts of her people. We must consistently continue to work hard to overcome this evil with God’s love and truth.

Inherent Value - What About Unfortunate Circumstances?

Perhaps the most popular argument in favor of abortion is the argument questioning unfortunate circumstances.  Although, the ridiculousness of this argument is rather ironic. It’s supposed to justify an excuse for pro-choice people but instead creates a greater case for life. 

For example, “Supporting a child costs too much so I need to have an abortion.”  It sounds like there isn’t another option and it would be beneficial just to kill the baby. The logical fallacy in this example is the assumption that the child is just a “blob of tissue” that has no actual value and the mother has no other options.  Therefore, it’s a preference choice.

What about the 17 year old who costs too much because he’s been to the ER more times than his age?  What about the widow who costs too much because she can’t financially support herself?  Do humans loose their value when they can’t support themselves financially?  This is where it gets ironic.

Not only does an abortion cost money, it devalues human life.  Why not just kill someone who is financially inconvenient for you?  Because killing is murder and against the law, you can’t just kill someone you find inconvenient.  Our value comes from the fact that we are human; not our monetary status.

“The doctor said the baby would be handicapped and I can’t deal with that.” Does a person loose their value if they can’t do certain activities that others can? What about the young woman who was told her baby wouldn’t be able to walk or talk but is now proud of and loves her daughter?  What about the middle aged man who can’t move the lower half of his body?  Are they less valuable than you or I?  Of course not! 

It is considered murder when a man goes into a school and shoots many innocent children.  It is considered murder when a girl stabs her friend.  It is considered double murder when a pregnant woman is killed.  Why should it be okay for an innocent child to be murdered in her mother’s womb?  Abortion should never be acceptable because all humans have inherent value. 

We Stand United

Doing pro-life work isn’t easy and often times you feel alone. This past week or so, outreach has been very encouraging because there were many pro-life people supporting our movement.  The interesting thing is that pro-life people come from all backgrounds.  

Just yesterday, there was a young man who looked to be in his twenties and he approached our team with a smile on his face and said he supported us all the way.  As conversation progressed, he told us that we wasn’t a “religious” person but was still opposed to abortion.

This man’s story just goes to show that when it comes to the innocent life of a child, religion isn’t important.  Life begins whether or not you believe in God.  Really the only argument about abortion that is religious is when it comes to value. Fortunately, most people either religious or not, accept that humans have inherent value simply because we are human.

The point is that as pro-life activists, we may not see eye to eye on every detail of life, but when it comes to the murdering of innocent children we stand united to fight this modern day injustice. 

Human Life - What Does God Say About Abortion?

Many people don’t think that God has an opinion on abortion just because he doesn’t say the word “abortion.” The problem with this thinking is that God is very obvious about his views on murder when he told Moses, “Do not murder.” Generally, most lay people don’t understand that abortion is murder.  Those who do know it, don’t want to accept the truth. People tend to divorce life and religion when they work hand in hand. However, the questions about the value of life are questions of religion whether or not that religion is organized. Everyone has an opinion whether they want to or not.

First, the baby... is the baby human? If the fetus inside the mother isn’t human then it doesn’t inherently have the same rights as you and I.  Getting an abortion becomes just a personal preference.  But if the fetus is human, then it has every right to life as you and I. Looking to the Bible for truth, we can see that not only is the fetus human, it is made in the image of God therefore rendering inherent value. In Psalm 139:13-16 God said that He made us in our mother’s womb giving us value. 

The question of if a human mother bears human children is laughed at in the academia world. Embryologists are not significantly disputing this fact.  Those who do dispute that human life starts at conception, can’t come to a conclusion of when it actually starts.

Second, we are made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26-27 says that we are made in his image and likeness. Since we are made with the purpose of bearing God’s image, we have value.

Lastly, if we put all these facts together we can see a clear, biblical argument against abortion.  Since life starts at conception and has inherent value we can conclude that abortion is murder.  Since murder is wrong according to God, then we can know that the Bible is against abortion. 

After all, if our relationship with God is so legalistic that we can’t trust that He knows the better for us unless he writes out every little detail, then it’s not a trusting relationship.  If a mother would say, “Don’t run out into the street without looking both ways,” she wouldn’t find it acceptable for her child to run out into a specific street without looking just because she didn’t specifically say which roads.  We don’t expect our parents to lay out every detail of life and the things we can’t do, so why do we expect that from God?  He said, “Don’t murder.” Murder is murder. By saying that he didn’t specifically say that abortion is wrong is missing his point.

Outreach Week 1 Reflection

Are we all created equal?  Ask almost anyone this question and they are quick to answer, “Yes!” Follow up that question with another, “Why?” and only a few can actually articulate their beliefs on equality.

One man, during a recent outreach event in downtown Columbus, had an interesting response that periphrastically implied a crucial argument for the pro-life movement. He said, “Of course we’re all created equal.  We share the same blood.  Breathe the same air. Eat the same food.” 

What this gentleman was getting at is the heart of the matter when it comes to equality of human life; we are inherently created equal because live is valuable. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves more or less valuable.  Not a change in our height, shape, skin color, hair color, eye color, socioeconomic status, and not even a change in our age can separate us from our inherent value.

Are we all created equal and why?  Because of our inherent value, we are all created equal.  Why is this important to understand? There is a growing and significant problem called dehumanization.  If we continually allow human rights to be tossed out the window, then we are tossing along with it our inherent value. We are all created equal but not all of us are being treated equal.

How are we dehumanizing our future? By abortion specifically, we are tossing the human right to life out the window without a second thought. In just the U.S. alone, 2,900 innocent babies are being killed everyday.  Legalizing abortion in 1973 has obviously not solved the problem of dehumanizing these children.

What can we do about this injustice?  Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. We have a choice everyday: we can either speak up or keep quiet.  Stand up or stay sitting.  We have the power to make a difference in other’s lives by speaking out against this injustice.

There are multiple ways anyone can help.  First, educate yourself on what abortion really is and why people think it is okay to kill their baby.  Second, educate your friends and family.  Awareness is key in fighting this injustice. Third, get your church and friends involved.  Prayer is powerful and important. Getting involved with a local organization like Created Equal will make wise use of your time and efforts. Fourth, support financially. Many pro-life groups are fully funded by donors. Help fight abortion by giving to your local pro-life group. Finally, don’t give up.  We are at war and we stand for justice.  In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up.”

At the heart of the issue, we are all created equal but we are not all treated equal.  Abortion is discrimination of age.  Let us stop dehumanizing the most innocent of humans to show that all life has inherent value. We know that we can make an impact to help stop this injustice.  Are we all created equal?  What do you say?