Dr. Creech gives Invocation for Pro-Life Rally on Halifax Mall
By Hunter Hines
Christian Action League
January 24, 2017
RALEIGH – While the March for Women was going on in Raleigh last Saturday, there were hundreds of other people who participated in a Rally and March for Life. The event, which was hosted and organized by North Carolina Right to Life on the Halifax Mall behind the Legislative Building, featured various speeches and prayers.
A youth rally and mass led by Raleigh’s Roman Catholic Diocese was also a part of the day’s activities.
Before the Rally and March, more than 300 people had met at the Double Tree by Hilton in downtown Raleigh for the 18th Annual Prayer Breakfast for Life.
Young and old alike lined Lane Street holding their signs, some saying “Stop Abortion,” others saying “We Vote Pro-Life.” Marchers traveled from Lane Street to Blount, then to Edenton in front of the Capitol Building onto Salisbury and finally back to Lane.
The primary speaker for the Prayer Breakfast and Rally was Carol Tobias, President of National Right to Life in Washington, D.C. A longer version of her speech was first give at the Prayer Breakfast and an abbreviated version of the same speech at the Rally.
Tobias thanked everyone who participated saying they had come because their hearts had been touched by the “plight of the helpless.” She reported that everything was going exceptionally well for the pro-life movement at this time and much of it was because pro-lifers for more than 40 years had not grown weary in well-doing.
“We have a new pro-life president and vice president. Doing the almost unimaginable, pro-life Republicans maintained control of both the U.S. House and Senate,” said Tobias, “We elected a record number of pro-life legislators in state legislatures, and we received the extremely encouraging news that abortions in the United States have dropped to levels not seen since 1974.”
“For the first time since 1974, the number of abortions performed in the United States has dropped below one million – 926,190 in 2014. That is a drop of 12.5% from just three years earlier. The worst year for unborn children was 1990 when more than 1.6 million of them were killed. These latest numbers show a drop of more than 42% from that year,” she said.
Tobias also contrasted the differences between what a Hillary Clinton presidency would have looked like for the pro-life movement as compared to President Donald Trump.
She said, “I breathe a huge sigh of relief when I think of the pro-life people who will be serving in the Trump administration – Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, Tom Price as Secretary of HHS, Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the United Nations, Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff, Kellyanne Conway as Senior Advisor to the President, and many more. Unborn children will have staunch defenders and advocates at critical positions in the new administration.”
“But the biggest and long-lasting change will come through the courts,” she added. She said President Trump has promised to appoint pro-life justices, and the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat currently needs to be filled. Because there is a majority of Supreme Court Justices willing to uphold Roe v. Wade, filling that seat, she contended, won’t be enough.
“I want President Trump to have the opportunity to appoint more men and women to that court,” she said.
Tobias also challenged the Tar Heel state to pass legislation that would ban dismemberment abortions.
A dismemberment abortion is the brutal practice of tearing off an unborn child’s arms and legs. “Six states have passed laws to ban this unthinkable act and I want you to pass the bill in North Carolina. Make the pro-abortion legislators explain to their constituents why its okay to kill little babies by tearing off their arms and legs so that they bleed to death,” Tobias passionately contended.”
To read Tobias’ full speech, click here
Dr. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, was asked to give the Invocation for the Rally. Tobias said Dr. Creech’s prayer was a very powerful one.
Below is the prayer Dr. Creech prayed:
“Our Gracious Heavenly Father,
“Once a professor in a college ethics class presented his students with a problem. He said, ‘A man has syphilis and his wife has tuberculosis. They have four children: one has died, the other three have what is considered to be a terminal illness. The mother is pregnant. What would you recommend?’ the professor asked the class. After a spirited discussion, the majority of the students voted that she should abort the child. ‘Fine,’ replied the professor, ‘You’ve just killed Beethoven.’
“O Lord, it is impossible for us to know how severe our loss is as a nation in the wanton destruction of innocent human life at its most vulnerable stage. Our sin has its own inherent punishments, notwithstanding that we surely deserve to be subjects of your wrath and righteous indignation. For certainly other nations in history have been judged for less than what we’ve done.
“But we stand here in this place today to beseech you to forgive us.
“Forgive us for having the wrong attitude toward human life, failing to recognize that we are made in your image. When we dare to take life at any stage, when we defile something so sacred, we strike the very face of God.
Lord, forgive us.
“Forgive us for having the wrong emphasis on self. Your Holy Word tells us that control over our bodies is not a moral right, but a moral responsibility that must be carried out in keeping with your order.
Lord, forgive us.
“Forgive us for having the wrong attitude toward human sexuality. Abortion would virtually disappear tomorrow if it were not for the willful violation of your charter for marriage, sexual purity, and the family.
Lord, forgive us.
“O’ Lord, stop the shedding of innocent blood and apply the precious blood of atonement and redemption through Christ our Lord to our transgressions.
“Create a right spirit in us – a culture of life. Overturn the egregious decision of Roe v. Wade and every law, both state and federal, that with respect to life declares what you call evil to be something good.
“Give us men and women who will honor and protect life to lead us. And O’ Lord empower our leaders in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches that already do esteem life – give them your favors to advance its cause.
“Continue to be patient and long-suffering, Lord, with our nation, while many of us show works consistent with repentance, while we dig around the roots of an unfruitful tree in your vineyard, while we nurture it, while we labor to restore it to health.
“Thank you for your mercies and grace. Thank you for all who are here today. Bless and honor these proceedings with your presence and power in pursuit of the ends which have already been mentioned.
“We make these petitions for the sake of your glory – for Christ’s sake – for the sake of our country – for our children’s future and the hope of our children’s children. Amen.”
