“The only thing George Orwell got wrong” said Tony in the Men’s Shed “was the date 1984”!
The famous futuristic book has come to pass. The ‘thought police’ have arrived. You are known and that means a lot more than your postal address and email!

Recent revelations have shown that the data-mining and consultancy company, Cambridge Analytica, have been harvesting the personal information of Facebook users, without the permission of the users. Everything you ‘like’ is recorded in the famous algorithm which analyses what matters turn you on and what you dislike.

With such a wealth of information, when Trump was electioneering in Ohio for instance, he could get location specific details to tailor his speech to suit the ‘likes’ of the majority of his audience! Before you write this off as a US problem you should know that Cambridge Analytica were involved in the Brexit campaign which may help to account for the result which took even Johnston and Farage by surprise.
It seemed a small piece of research that Cambridge Analytica carried out. It was in the form of a personality quiz in which existing Facebook users revealed their thoughts. These were matched against the existing data (the ‘likes’) to fill in the thinking which led to the choices. Only 270,000 people completed the quiz but the company now had access to their friends! Again, without permission, and it is reckoned that the friends amounted to 50 million, providing a rich data harvest!

So what about the other networks? There is Instagram. Always a favourite for those who like pictures. It is owned by Facebook and if you are using the same email address for both this helps to locate your data and especially your home location. Then there is WhatsApp another Facebook acquisition. It is encrypted so your messages are safe. However, there is a lot of background information such as the frequency of usage, phone contacts and use of ‘cookies’ to harvest. Then there is Messenger. Facebook has admitted scanning their messenger chats to better understand their user’s needs.
Facebook has itself reaped a large revenue from advertisements targeted at user’s preferences. This has seen something of a setback this week with the withdrawal of Mozilla and other major purchasers of advertising space. Cambridge Analytica will come under more scrutiny but the fact remains that the preferences of millions and more importantly the thinking that influenced those preferences is ‘out there’ and there are no controls on its usage!

The Bible has always shown God to be all knowing, all seeing and ever present. The Psalmist recognises this and writes “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (139 verse 2).
Jesus, who the writer to the Hebrews states is the exact representation of God’s being, knew what was in the heart of man (St John Chapter 2 verse 25). This understanding enabled John to go on to write chapter 3 of his Gospel when Nicodemus came looking for Jesus one night. Nicodemus was looking for information and addressed Jesus as teacher. It wasn’t more information he needed it was a correct understanding of what he already knew. After telling him that a radical change was required he revealed that he, Jesus, was to be the crucified (lifted up) opening up a way for those who believed in him to have eternal life (Chapter 3 verses 3 to 14).

Nicodemus went on to defend Jesus before the Pharisees and later to assist in bringing Jesus body to the tomb. These were courageous acts for a man who was not only a Pharisee but a member of their ruling council (St John Chapters 19 and 7 verses 39 and 50).

We don’t need to be concerned by “thought police” but we do need to grasp what Nicodemus came to understand, it’s not more information we need but faith in the crucified and risen One.

This is the date St Patrick died. Many would have wished he had chosen a date in the summer as they stand shivering at one of the many parades. This year the Siberian airflow has come back to have a second bite of Ireland. There will be many groups of ‘Cheerleaders’ from the US with their minimalistic clothing returning with more than chilblains to show for their brief encounter with our erratic climate!

There is some mystery surrounding the Saint. That there was more than one seems certain. Perhaps there were a number of little Patricks, as E. O’Brien suggests, and history has lumped them into one great one! Was he perhaps mixed up with Rome’s first Bishop to Ireland – Palladius Patricius who also had a hand in converting the Irish? The popularity of the name Patrick complicates the historian’s job!

Fortunately, Saint Patrick left written accounts of his life and ministry along with a hymn which indicates the central place Christ had in his theology. These writings are to be found in the Book of Armagh (the short version) and in the rest of the manuscripts (the longer version) traceable to an Irish foundation in Eastern England around the year 650 AD.

It is unlikely that Patrick viewed himself as writing for posterity but simply wanted to place an account of his life on record. He was concerned regarding the authenticity of his ordination, which was questioned by some of his contemporaries, and he may have felt the need to demonstrate that indeed he was ordained by nailed pierced hands.

Then there is the difficulty of language. In Dr Bieler’s translation Patrick says, “What I had to say had to be translated into a tongue foreign to me, as can be easily proved by the savour of my writing, which betrays how little instruction and training I have had in the art of words.” Patrick would have been reared in the Celtic language, learned Irish when he was a slave in Ireland for 6 years and picked up conversational Latin during his time in Europe.
It is likely that Patrick dictated his material which would have been taken down on wax tablets by a scribe using a kind of shorthand. This then would have been written in full on papyrus.
For important documents the text would have undergone perhaps several revisions the final version being passed to the copyist for circulation. Normally the earlier texts would have been destroyed but some may have survived adding to the difficulties we have today.
Let us rejoice in what we do know; the Hymn known as St Patrick’s Breastplate. This portion was translated by Mrs C J Alexander.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, I bind unto myself the Name,
Christ behind me, Christ before me, The strong Name of the Trinity;
Christ beside me, Christ to win me, By invocation of the same.
Christ to comfort and restore me, The Three in One and One in Three.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Of whom all nature hath creation;
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Christ in hearts of all that love me, Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

The Supreme Court has spoken. There is no legal protection afforded by the Constitution to the baby in the womb. He or she has no rights except the right to life. This right to life is that our government want to get their hands on. That’s what the impending referendum is all about. It’s been a bad week for the unborn!
In the old days it could have been said that the Catholic Church controlled the womb. Now in a modern secular State the government want to be in control. They want it out of the Constitution where the people of Ireland placed it on 7th October 1983 when they carried a referendum to grant equal right to life of the unborn with that of the mother, saving countless lives over the last 35 years.
To gain this control they are required to de-humanise the unborn. By promoting the notion that it is not really a child but a foetus for the first 12 weeks they hope will make abortion more palatable during that period. Then there are the hard cases where they have decreed that no gestational limits should apply. These are where there is a risk to the mother’s health, rape, incest and the diagnosis of a fatal foetal condition. Actually the existing wording allows abortion in these cases.
They state their underlying principle is the make abortion safe, legal and rare copying the words uttered by Bill Clinton when he was President of the US. The “rare” aspiration has become a joke. Tacitly acknowledging this, the Minister for Health is considering the introduction of free contraception in an effort to head off the rise in unwanted pregnancies should this referendum succeed.
In the face of all this what should we do? Where is the nub of the problem? Abortionists know that they must promote the lie that the unborn is not human – only a collection of cells they say. To challenge this concept a group called the Irish Centre for Bio-ethical Reform (ICBR) are conducting a poster campaign which has two aims. The first to demonstrate that from day one of a pregnancy there is the beginning of a new, whole and unique human being with its own genetic code. The second to refute the assertion by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service that abortion is a gentle suction to remove the pregnancy. In fact, the baby is torn apart inside the mother and suctioned out in pieces.
The posters of ICBR show in clear pictorial detail both the humanity of the child and the violence of its death. So stark and irrefutable is the display that abortionists cannot bear to look at it. ICBR have sought and given interviews to the media but our media have not published any of them to date. When the display was located on the pavement outside the Irish Times the newspaper pulled down the blinds – they were unable to handle the consequences of their own editorial convictions. Similar reaction has arisen when the display was mounted outside other key locations. At the entrance to the Dial reporters took pictures but these were scarified when published.
Interestingly every major campaign in the past has required an image to bring the cause home to the public. This makes the imagery of ICBR of crucial importance.

The Bible makes no distinction between the baby in the womb and the baby in the manger. The word in the Greek ‘brephos’ applies to the baby in Mary’s womb (St Luke Chapter 1 verse 41) and the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes (St Luke Chapter 2 verse 12). There is no 12-week period of non-personhood in the Bible!
We have an amazing God who has fearfully and wonderfully made us knitting us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139 verses 13/14).
Just as God carried his people in times past so he will carry them through the difficult days of the present (Isaiah Chapter 46 verses 3-4).
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
and to grey hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save”. Praise Him.

The Beast is no longer ferocious. It is snowing gently now. The footsteps of last nights’ visitors, which cut through the snowdrift, have almost disappeared. Where the wind has swept the ground to a thin layer of snow, Tess the pup’s footsteps are the only signs of life.
An exception would be found around the bird feeders. The height of the snow enabled birds to eat the fat balls while standing on top of the drift. The bird table got buried when some snow came off the roof piling up to the kitchen windowsill. Feeding and drinking now is now facilitated through the window and onto the ledge.

So where did “The Beast from the East” originate? Apparently there has been a spike in Arctic temperature. Over 10 consecutive days in February the temperature, for at least part of the day, was above freezing. These recordings were made at Cape Morris Jesup on the northern tip of Greenland. At another monitoring station in Greenland the temperature rose 36C above the annual average, and for two days in February the north pole has been warmer than Zurich in Switzerland.
This jump in temperatures high over the Arctic, has weakened our jet stream that brings warm air in from the Atlantic to Ireland and Britain resulting in cold air from thousands of miles away being dragged over to us, bringing a severe chill – enter the Beast from the East!

So what happens when the Beast meets Emma? She came from Portugal whipping up a storm and tons of water as she passed over the Bay of Biscay. Despite the fact that she came from the South the rain clouds rapidly turned to snow when she met the Beast depositing her load in selected places largely in Munster and Leinster. (The UK got a hammering as well!)
The high winds which drove these meteorological events ensured that the snow would form large drifts such as those which have blocked the all the local side roads. However, the thaw has set in and there is a promise of rain which will hasten the melt.

Global climate is complicated and full of feedback loops that are not properly understood. The freak warming of the Arctic marks the emergence of a new feedback loop where increasing temperature leads to still more destabilising rises. The polar vortex, a great girdle of winds that keeps the cold air of the Arctic separate from the warmer air of temperate regions, seems to be weakening. Warm air goes north; cold air comes south. In the long run, everything grows warmer and wetter!
The weather in the Arctic has always shifted dramatically over short periods, but the drama has never been this intense since records began.

Ever since the Fall the world has been subject to futility. Indicators that point to this fact are found in many places but highlighted in the Bible in the profusion of weeds that appear in uncultivated land and in the pain of childbirth in humans (Genesis Chapter 3 verses 16/19). There is a parallel between the creation’s bondage to decay and the human sufferings of the present time. There is a groaning over the frustration of the present state we are in which will be restored to perfection when the last soul is redeemed (Romans Chapter 8 verses 18/25).

The new heavens and the new earth will have no more bondage to decay, no more groaning’s, no more Beasts from the East (Revelation Chapter 21 verses 1/4). But this is all bound up in salvation history. The Bible ties the consummation of all things to the completeness of the church – the Bride of Christ and looks to the day when the last name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

There is an intimate connection between an individual’s salvation and the renewal of the entire created order where the risen and reigning Lord Jesus will be with his people for ever (verses 5/8).

The death of Billy Graham this week at age 99 (he would have reached 100 in November) ended his ministry on earth. He was the doyen of evangelists, outliving his contemporaries and continuing to be involved in ministry well into his 90ies.
It was back in 1954 when Billy came to London and the first Crusade took place at the Harringay Arena. It was well prepared. There were 800 people praying through the night before the event began. The Crusade ran from March to the 22nd May to large crowds filling the arena. At its conclusion Dr Fisher the Archbishop of Canterbury said that Billy had taught them to begin again at the beginning with their evangelism speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit of sin and of righteousness and of judgement.
In 1955 the All Scotland Crusade took place in Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall. Billy was encouraged when he learned that Glasgow’s motto was “Let Glasgow Flourish by the Preaching of the Word and the Praising of His Name”. He preached to capacity crowds and the sermons were transmitted to many other cities and towns throughout Scotland by telephone lines.
A feature of these events were the provision of trained counsellors. These were ordinary born again believers who had to learn key verses ‘topping and tailing’ them; for example, Romans 3 verse 23 ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’, Romans 3 verse 23. These key verses were explained to ‘enquirers’ (those who had responded to the message) who were then committed to the Lord in prayer and sent home with a booklet to read. The ‘enquirers’ were encouraged to attend a weekly Bible Study where many were grounded in the scriptures and went on to become members of the local church that nourished them.
There were many Crusades in the following years both in these Islands and globally. In many Ruth Graham, Billy’s wife (herself the daughter of missionaries to China where she had lived till the age of 14) was a great help to him, critiquing his sermons and raising his 5 children. On one occasion when she was home alone a man knocked at the door and when she opened it he said he was Jesus Christ!
She asked him why he knocked – why didn’t he come through the door? Dumbfounded the man went away hopefully to reconsider his misguided claim!

In many ways Billy was before his time. He was insistent that “God wants to use you right where you are. Every day you probably come in contact with people who will never enter a church, or talk with a pastor, or open a Bible – and God wants to use you to point them to Christ.” And this in a time when it was largely left to the paid professional!
He saw the need of every person being actively involved in spreading the word by lip and life.
‘Becoming a Christian’, he wrote, ‘is the work of a moment; being a Christian is the work of a lifetime’. He challenged people to pray for their colleagues and to empathise with their struggles. They should also model integrity: ‘Christians should be known in their neighbourhoods or places of business as honest people’. With such words he laid an axe to the root of the fabled Sunday Christian!
Unfortunately, today we have fallen back into the jargon. Jesus said we were to make disciples so we set up discipleship programmes inevitably identifying peoples’ minds with the 12 in the Gospel.
Perhaps we should listen to the simplicity of his language and the clarity he brought to the text. Hear him a few years ago on the subject of his death!
“Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.”
There is not much left to say except that he always preached the cross of Christ: –
Just as I am without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come.

It is often said that we live in a global village. Things happening on the other side of the world become news competing with our own backyard bulletins. This week the influx of Chinese material to the WhatsApp Eire CCF site on my smartphone spelled out in strange letters “A Happy New Year”! This piece of technology has been developed by former members of the Chinese Christian Fellowship in a laudable attempt to retain the good things of the past and give them an airing in the present.

The greetings were accompanied by a group photograph showing that the faces are still very recognisable despite the passage of time! Virtually all of them received their tertiary education here and some completed their schooling in our system. A number settled in Dublin and we have the joy of having in Lake in our own family circle.
The Fellowship grew into a church and divided into two Dublin churches one preaching in Mandarin and the other in Cantonese. There are a number of others in rural Ireland, the gospel flowing more easily along linguistic and cultural lines to where Chinese are resident.

The Chinese use the lunar calendar. Chinese astrology has a 12-year zodiac cycle with a different animal for each year, each with their individual characteristics. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. They are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
This New Year, 2018, is the Year of Dog and people born in 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 and 2018 are dogs! When you discover a persons’ Animal you can easily work out their age – do the maths!
Then there is the practice of ‘Red Packet’. It is mainly given to children. The red colour of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. The content is usually money; importance being given to whither the figure being an odd or even amount. The total number of notes in the packet carry meanings associated with good or bad luck. The distribution of red envelopes via mobile payments over the Internet is extending the practice at the expense of some of the fun!
As with Western Zodiacs all the characters are given attributes. From these can be deduced meanings or behaviours which transmit to the individual. In the case of childbirth, the mother’s birth date and the date of conception are used to make up the child’s chart.

For the believer the Bible provides guidance through life, superstition and fear being replaced by promises such as God gave to Moses for his people Israel “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy chapter 31 v6).

In common with the Chinese we live in a society where luck features in the reckoning of almost everyone. The concept of an all-powerful God who is in complete control – even down to the turn of the dice, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Proverbs chapter 16 verse 33) does not come naturally.

The idea that God is sovereign over all our plans is not something we are born with, “The heart of a man plans his course, but the Lord plans his steps.” Proverbs Chapter 16 verse 10).
The fact is it is in our nature to want independence not to be dependant and when that stubborn nature is conquered by God’s grace the enormity of His goodness would make us cry with the Psalmist “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (73 verses 23/6).

I may be a few days early but the 14th will come round and you still will not have purchased that card/flowers unless you heed this reminder! The Saint is not nearly so busy these days but he is punctual, showing up each year on his anniversary!
Legend has it that Valentine was a successful promotor of marriage. It is said that his success gave Claudius the Cruel a difficult time getting soldiers to join his army. The men preferred family life! Claudius’s remedy was to ban marriage, a law which the Saint ignored, resulting in his martyrdom around the year 269AD.
Dublin’s interest has been kept alive by the Reliquary containing some of the Saint’s bones being located in Whitefriar Street Church in 1836. These are placed on the high alter on the 14th February annually when marriages are the focus of the masses that day.

The phrase in the marriage ceremony “till death do us part” is said to be an unreasonable expectation in today’s ‘flexible marriage arrangements’. Life circumstances, mutual interests, careers and other factors fluctuate and so our expectations concerning marriage should also be flexible, so the Millennials say. “It is different now-a-days.” “Mobility is the name of the game.” Flexible working hours have now morphed into flexible working premises with many working at least part-time at home. For others the mobile phone has enable the car to become their office with meetings arranged in the nearest hotel. Relationships become more fleeting and work can become a substitute for life!
For many permanent jobs are beyond reach. The boom and bust economies in the West consign saving to the past and uncertainties abound in the world of today.
So how does God view marriage? How could he convey his thoughts to his people in the most unforgettable way? What is it he loves? The church of course – the global assembly of his people.
To his people Israel he presents himself as their husband; “Your Maker is your husband– the Lord Almighty is his name– the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth” (Chapter 54 verse 5).
This binding of himself to his people using the language of the marriage bond is used throughout scripture and speaks volumes of permanency and security. It finds its highest expression in Christ’s relationship as head of his church. It breaks out in the sacrificial love of Christ for his church, his bride (Ephesians Chapter 5 verses 22/23). There can be no more powerful illustration of the value God puts on the marriages of his loved ones than that of Christ’s loving to the death his bride – the church. And he gives this example for husbands to follow!
Marriage Week starts in many countries this coming Wednesday, to encourage those fortunate enough to be married to give special time and attention to that relationship. It also provides an opportunity for those not yet married, but who do not have the gift of singleness to prayerfully decide who should get the card or flowers!

Recently at the Golden Globe’s Awards the audience of media stars were treated to a rousing address by one of the recipients. It came from Oprah Winfrey. The content of her 9-minute speech was perfectly in tune with the mood of the gathering which was female solidarity in the face of powerful male exploitation.
It was a rallying cry and all the more surprising because of who uttered it! The evening had been full of the usual sentimental jargon and seemed to be otherwise unremarkable except for the black dresses. These were being worn to show sympathy for women who had been sexually harassed, many having joined the ranks of the “me too”.
The words Oprah delivered were carefully chosen and were of the “never again” variety. Now was the time for women to take control. Men would not get away with such conduct again. Her considerable oratory powers came into play and had the effect of one well-known star recommending her as the next President!
Well-chosen words were again in evidence at the conclusion of the trial in the US of the gymnastic trainer, Dr Larry Nasser. His reign over young female gymnasts had gone on for years. His standing in the sport was so high as to make his position untouchable. With his medical background he cast an aura of authenticity over the various procedures he carried out on these athletes. He even had the support of parents to the degree that he could carry out his perversions on their daughters in front of them.
After many years of paedophilia he was tried recently and sentenced to 137 years in prison!
The victim impact statements matched the enormity of the offence. The measured delivery of the speech made by Rachel Denhollander gave great gravitas to her words. She is a Christian girl and incorporated the Gospel into her impact statement in a very clear manner.
Jesus had been saying some hard things and the crowds had faded away. He then put it to the disciples “will you too leave me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (St John Chapter 6 verse 68).
In a week when Bishop Dolan outlined the possible trajectory stemming from ‘abortion on demand’ to the killing of the disabled and then the elderly, in other words a culture of death, we need to be reminded of a better way.
The way of sacrificial love, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life. Wise words and wise are those who put their faith in Jesus!

The jailing of Matthew Horan, the 26-year-old sex offender, this week has highlighted the dangers inherent in the misuse of social media. Horan was using Skype, Snapchat, Instagram and Kik. All designed to promote social interaction including the transmission of pictures.
As is usually the case this sex offender comes from a difficult background. Amongst other things he had been a loner and found making internet friends a way around his difficulties of forging relationships. Those he contacts become like Little Red Ridinghood, unaware of the Wolf (who sounds like a Granny) sending sweet messages and making arrangements to meet!
At the conclusion of the trial there was an opportunity for the victims to make a ‘Victim Impact Report’. One 10-year-old girl described how she felt ashamed, scared and alone.
The insecurity created by realising that you have been deceived by someone who you thought was a friend must shatter your confidence and make you want to avoid getting involved with people.
There is a need for boundaries to be imposed but often the parents are less computer literate than their children who can easily frustrate their efforts. The cry goes up that the Government should do something. Or the computer industry, or the schools but primary responsibility lies with the parents.
It has been suggested that parents raise issues such as the Horan case and ask “What do you think about people who lie and pretend to be children when they are adults?” Another way is to ask vicariously “what would you say to your friend if they told you that this had happened to them?” They would probably tell them to go to the teacher or their Mum and Dad. This enables you to say “that’s really good” and talk about what else could be done.

The Government have done something insofar as the 1998 Act makes sexting illegal where it involves people under the age of 18. They are also considering following the example of Australia and making an appointment of a Digital Safety Commissioner. Also there are helpful websites such as Webwise.ie and Zeeko.
Our need to build up our children’s coping skills has just got harder! There now two areas to address – on-line and off-line. No longer is limiting “screen time” much use as the smart phone is almost part of the young persons’ clothing. There is a way to cope however and for that we turn to the Bible.
Adam and Eve didn’t have sexting but their rebellion against God left them, as the little girl said, ashamed, scared and alone. One of the first things the Lord did was to cover their nakedness (Genesis Chapter 3 verse 21). It is a sign of our ongoing rebellion that we find it so appealing to uncover at the drop of a hat!
Our battle to do the right thing is never going to be won. The sinful nature always wins out.
That’s why we need a saviour (Romans Chapter 7 verses 24/5). To engage with the Lord Jesus Christ is foundational to coping with life’s problems be they on-line or off-line.
We have been considering the deceitfulness of sex-offenders in their devious ways. But the Bible broadens it out to what it calls the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews Chapter 3 verse 13).
It is universal – the problem with deception of course is that the one being deceived doesn’t know it is happening to them!
God’s word says it plainly (Romans Chapter 3 verse 23) and there are no exclusions. The good news is that God has in Jesus provided the remedy which he will apply to all who put their faith in Him (Romans Chapter 3 verses 24/26).

When Michael Martin the leader of Fianna Fail announced this week that he now favoured the introduction of abortion up to 3 months he confounded his Party. Up to then he had been stanchly pro-life.
The 8th Amendment to the Constitution – The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

This has protected babies in the womb from abortion but, in a small number of cases, presented doctors with a dilemma. This arises when the unborn child is well but for medical reasons the mother’s life can only be saved by an abortion as part of her treatment.
In order to fulfil the letter of the law the doctors should permit the mother to die but save her child. The doctors require some comfort from the law should they attempt to save the mother at the expense of the child. At present the Constitution offers no such comfort.

Two other circumstances are said to be grounds for abortion. The first is where an abnormality appears to be detected in the womb. This has led to the automatic aborting, in some countries, of Down’s Syndrome babies (Iceland has no Down’s children).
The second is in cases where the mother is a victim of rape. The mother has already gone through the most horrendous experience and requires much love and assistance. Her human rights have been violated but it is a contentious matter to suggest the violation of the rights of the unborn who is the innocent party in the rape.

No other country has been able to frame abortion laws which prevent the ultimate introduction of abortion on demand. By suggesting that we permit it during the first 3 months of the pregnancy Martin has left the pro-life and joined the pro-choice lobby. Since most abortions occur during the first 3 months to bring in legislation to cater for it introduces a culture of death with a knock-on devaluation of human life.

The lines have been drawn clearly and it should not be beyond the wit of legislators to produce a bill to meet the situation without introducing abortion on demand. Whatever they do will be attacked by the pro-choice lobby who will not rest till we have the same facilities for abortion as the UK and the US of A.

Jesus placed a high value on children in an age when they were largely overlooked (St Mark Chapter 10 verses 10/11). The fact of the child’s life beginning at conception was well established (Psalm 139 verse 13). In addition, the unborn as part of the human race have the unique distinction of being created in the image of God (Genesis Chapter 1 verse 27). They are not unwanted puppies that have to be put down but unique creations made for fellowship with the triune God.
This fellowship is available to all who recognise their need of cleansing and forgiveness for sins which they have committed. These could include abortion (Jeremiah Chapter 31 verses 31/34. All this was fulfilled in Jesus when he died bearing our sins and rose again to ensure that all those who come to him will never be rejected (St John Chapter 6 verses 35/37).