Prayer for Courage...I Can't Take It Any Longer

[AsianBlossom]

Okay, so I don’t know what to do anymore. Frankly, there’s something that’s bothering me, and I can’t talk about it to a group of people I care about, because it’s against the rules. This is a vitally important issue—a life or death one—and no one will listen. No one. They don’t care or know about what’s truly important. According to what they’ve said, they either don’t know how deep this matter runs, or they seem to only be caring about the money side of it. And if I tell them the gravity of the matter, I will be shunned from their group. SHUNNED.

(And it’s not just this group too, it’s my school as well. It’s bombarding me from all sides, and causing me nothing but anxiety and grief. I have shed many tears already and it’s not even over yet.)

I don’t know if it’s what I want, but I will not stand around and watch others condemn themselves out of ignorance or for the sake of money. And frankly, if I decide to speak and leave, I guess my conscience will be clear in the matter. The rest will be up to how everyone else feels in the matter.

So, if you all would, would you please pray that God gives me the courage to do what must be done, and that no matter what, God’s message will get through to those who MUST hear it. It’s going to be hard, and it hurts a little to think I might be leaving them, seeing as I care about these people (and I’m hoping at least a few of them feel the way that I do and are like-minded about it), but what must be done should be done. For their sakes. For everyone’s sakes. For my sake.

Thank you.

[SailorDove]

Dear God,

Please give AsianBlossom the courage to do what she knows she must do. Please bless her with the right words to reach the people she cares about to help those who need help. You understand this situation so I pray for whatever is required to resolve the problem in the right way.

In your name Jesus we pray,
Amen

[Kunoichi]

Stay strong sis!

For the world will hate you , as it has hated me -Jesus

God is helping you and he will be with you!

[AsianBlossom]

Thanks for your prayers; to put it bluntly, this situation hurts. I'll see if I could maybe try to explain it.

For example, let's say you have a friend who could choose between two things, one that had some good moral fiber to it (with some hiccups), and one that had a few good points where the other had hiccups, but was lacking in the aforementioned morals that follow Christian teaching. And your friend chooses to ignore the morals and goes for the second one, focusing completely on those few points the other one lacked. You know your friend is a Christian, and are completely saddened that they would choose to ignore their Faith as a guide for this decision. You want to tell them, but you can't for one reason or another. And the scary part is that this decision affects you as well. ._.U

It's that sort of thing, but with a bunch of people. Does this help if my first post was a bit vague?

[Gabriel 9.0]

I'll be praying for you my friend.

[Gala]

I'll be praying for you. It sounds like you are doing what you know is right and standing up for what you believe. Stay strong.

[AsianBlossom]

Well, I've prayed and thought about it (and your prayers have helped, thank you all very much) and I've decided that the best I can do is put something in my signature rather than leave, since I'm not sure where else I'd go to ask certain questions (like about the appropriateness of anime and manga and receiving answers from a Christian viewpoint).

Might as well tell you all what's happening. I wanted to tell the people here on the CAA that nowadays here in America, things are getting serious. I cannot start any political threads telling people why they shouldn't vote for a certain candidate, but I believe I CAN put something about protecting the unborn in my sig. It just saddens me that as Christians, for some of us, defending life and morals is not the first thing on our agendas, you know? I went to one member's LiveJournal, and all these people were talking about voting for the pro-choice candidate, and all I could think was, "Aren't most of you Christian? Do any of you care about the sanctity of life and/or the sanctity of marriage, but especially LIFE?" Granted, we don't have the right to judge anyone, but it saddens me that people who should believe in the sanctity and preciousness of life and that murder is a sin wouldn't try to hold those as some of the most important issues.

I was ready to leave the CAA because it hurts to see the most innocent in society prone to murder, and at the hands of people who should be caring.

Granted, I don't know who everyone is voting for, but it saddened me that such a high concentration of people on that LiveJournal comment spot were from this website and were in favor of the pro-choice candidate.

I understand other issues are important--like the economy and energy and the war--but if your president refuses to protect the most innocent in society (and even voted to overturn a bill protecting babies born alive in abortion clinics, which is CLEARLY infanticide and undeniably MURDER), then who will he truly protect? (Not to mention getting rid of our defenses sounds like a definite lessening of protection to me)

I'm sorry if this post has a political bent (please forgive me if it breaks any of the CAA rules), but I cannot take it anymore. I will be silent no longer. The unborn NEED our help, and standing on the sidelines because "it's going to offend someone" isn't going to cut it. God expects more of us than that. Heck, the Saints and martyrs DIED for what they believed in, and while I'm certainly hoping that it doesn't come to that for me or any of us, it shows that we should feel that strongly about what we believe.

So if you have listened to this rant, I thank you very much. There are just so many other things in this world that are more important than money, and life is DEFINITELY one of those things.

And please do not turn this thread into a debate...that's the LAST thing I want to start.

[Kunoichi]

Sis,

God has placed this on your heart for a reason. Altho i do not agree with abortion, I will say that I might not think about it as much as you do. (not saying its bad..but I think about helping those who have been raped and stuff more cuz of what i have personally been through)

So if it is on your heart, maybe God wants you to act on it and do some things to help people..maybe even help those who have had abortions. At the same time, I know that you are to feel compassion for those who do have an abortion or are struggling with it, its kinda like suicide..its an act of desperation in some ways...even if some don't see it that way.

*smile i am not debating and not starting an argument as this is my opinion but in my opinion if you feel really strong about something, then it sometimes means you can do something for it too *smile God bless sis

[Nate]

I'm a pro-Obama guy. I do not agree with his stance on abortion. I think it is wrong.

However I would rather vote for a candidate I believe will do good for this country but is wrong on an issue, than a candidate I believe will harm this country but is right on that issue.

What good would it do for abortion to be made illegal but the country destroyed?

Further, Roe v. Wade isn't going to be overturned anytime soon. McCain can't make abortion illegal because the Supreme Court has already ruled.

But wait, when was McCain against abortion ANYWAY?

"I'd love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations."

Those are the words of John McCain. So let's see...John McCain does NOT want to make abortion illegal? So then the candidates are no different on that issue.

A person can think abortion is murder and sinful while still supporting its legality. As we've seen with illegal drugs, mod chips, and downloading fansubs, something being illegal won't stop people from doing it.

Also, in before lock.

[AsianBlossom]

*shakes head* Nate, Nate, Nate...this was supposed to be venting, not starting an argument. Besides, this is also the Prayer forum.

(And on a side note, I'm not 100% for McCain but to me he's the lesser of the two. And this is where I end my discussion.)

So yeah, this whole thing is practically tearing me up inside. Please keep everyone out there struggling with these sorts of issues in your prayers.

Also, if someone is suffering because they've had an abortion, I will not condemn them. They need help and healing from what they've gone through.

[Kkun]

I'm a pro-Obama guy. I do not agree with his stance on abortion. I think it is wrong.

However I would rather vote for a candidate I believe will do good for this country but is wrong on an issue, than a candidate I believe will harm this country but is right on that issue.

What good would it do for abortion to be made illegal but the country destroyed?

Further, Roe v. Wade isn't going to be overturned anytime soon. McCain can't make abortion illegal because the Supreme Court has already ruled.

But wait, when was McCain against abortion ANYWAY?

"I'd love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations."

Those are the words of John McCain. So let's see...John McCain does NOT want to make abortion illegal? So then the candidates are no different on that issue.

A person can think abortion is murder and sinful while still supporting its legality. As we've seen with illegal drugs, mod chips, and downloading fansubs, something being illegal won't stop people from doing it.

Also, in before lock.

Just for posterity, that quote from McCain was from 1999. In 1984, McCain said that he believed that life begins at conception. He also said in 2007 (granted this is a year before this whole election business and when he's in the running for the primary) that he DID believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned. He also has a 0% rating from NARAL, a pro-choice group.

So it's not fair to say that McCain is necessarily FOR abortion even if he isn't fighting tooth and nail against it. Barack Obama, on the other hand, IS pro-abortion having voted against Partial Birth abortion bans on multiple occasions (and he enjoys a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood!). I'd say the candidates are fairly different on the issue.

P.S.: this is all from Wikipedia, where I'm certain you got your quote because it's listed with the other facts I noted, along with citations so I'm fairly certain that though I got it from Wiki, it isn't just made up.

P.P.S.: I'm not really planning on voting for either candidate (I might write in Ron Paul or Harvey Dent) but I figured I'd jump in and correct your calculated choice of that quote to prove your point.

P.P.P.S. I realize this is willful disobedience of the rules. I'll take my strike now.

[xblack_x_rosesx]

I'll be praying for you.

(I hate to say this, but I am pro choice. I have my reasons, I don't want to get into them, but I fully understand and respect yours)

I pray you have strength to stand up for what you believe in.

Life and love,

Britt

[Kunoichi]

*shakes head* Nate, Nate, Nate...this was supposed to be venting, not starting an argument. Besides, this is also the Prayer forum.

(And on a side note, I'm not 100% for McCain but to me he's the lesser of the two. And this is where I end my discussion.)

So yeah, this whole thing is practically tearing me up inside. Please keep everyone out there struggling with these sorts of issues in your prayers.

Also, if someone is suffering because they've had an abortion, I will not condemn them. They need help and healing from what they've gone through.

I hope that I didn't sound like i was saying you would condemn them ^_^;;

also I think its good that you have passion *smile its what we need as christians I think ^_^ I will be praying

[AsianBlossom]

Thanks; you can be sure I'll be praying as well. This is definitely a dark time for our country. I don't think I mentioned this, but my church seems to be split down the middle about the election as well.

And Kkun, thank you for clearing all that up. I'd prefer you didn't get a strike.

[Radical Dreamer]

LOLOLOL. <3 u ppl.

Locked. XD Politics is important in society, but there's a reason why we don't allow it on CAA. CAA is not your personal soapbox, especially for politics. If you've got it on your heart to say something related to politics, no one's keeping you quiet--just say it somewhere other than CAA.


Also,