to take a stand, in my opinion, in this year’s election. Many people I know are saying they will not vote but I believe that to do nothing shows a lack of responsibility and courage. Thus far I  have been trying to stay open-minded and somewhat silent, especially since I am an author who wants universal appeal. But as the election draws near, I believe God is calling me to speak out for truth and life whether I want to remain popular among as many readers as possible or not. Of course in my newly-republished novel, The Peace Maker, a contemporary political suspense/romance based on the Bible’s story of David and Abigail in the First Book of Samuel involving a modern-day  US Presidential Election with issues just like those we face today, I do take a stand. (I don’t want to give too much away for those who haven’t read it though). And even though I dislike some of the stances and character traits of both candidates this election, I know that I must speak out for, and vote for, the right to life. There are many passages in the Bible which defend every person’s right to life, including the unborn: “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them†(Genesis 1:27); “Be fertile and multiply†(Genesis 1:28); “Thou shalt not kill†(Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17); “Truly children are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward†(Psalm 127:3); “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.†(Jeremiah 1:5); When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:41). I recently attended the “Stand for Life” fundraising banquet of the Baltimore North Pregnancy Center. Keynote Speaker Rev. Edward V. Meeks spoke out on voting against the “death culture” of the current administration and Hillary Clinton…which means voting for the right-to-life candidate, Donald Trump.  Just days ago, news reports stated that Trump took a stronger stand on this issue by announcing his new Pro-Life Coalition, vowing to fight for a permanent prohibition on spending federal taxpayers’ money on abortions and selecting Marjorie Dannenfelser, a major anti-abortion activist, to lead it. He released a letter pledging to fulfill four pro-life goals as president, including nominating pro-life justices, signing a law ending late-term abortions, stripping funding from Planned Parenthood as long as the organization performs abortions, and making permanent the Hyde Amendment ban on taxpayer money going to fund abortions. Many considered this a bold move since most candidates usually try to tack to the political center, hoping to avoid thorny social issues this late in their campaigns. Meanwhile, Clinton recently leaned further in the other direction taking a more radical stance for abortion by calling for a repeal of the Hyde Amendment, supporting full-fledged taxpayer funding of abortions, and saying it would “champion” the abortion giant Planned Parenthood. The line has now been drawn clearly by both candidates on this issue…and it’s time for people to decide on which side of the line they stand. I know I stand on the side of God.
