Via Hank Hanegraff

Snowflake Number 94
I have long said right here on the Bible Answer Man broadcast that it is an established scientific fact that human life begins at conception, that an embryo has a distinct human genetic code, that an embryo exhibits metabolism, development, the ability to react to stimuli, and that an embryo demonstrates cell reproduction; therefore, discarding embryos or destroying them through experimentation is the moral equivalent of killing innocent human beings. When you extract a stem cell from an embryo, you are killing a human being. I’ve always understood that intellectually, this weekend I began to understand that in a real life experience.

I met a little girl named Alysse. She is 4 ½ years old. She was a frozen embryo for two years. That embryo was thawed, implanted in the uterine wall of her mother, and she today is a beautiful, bright, bubbly little girl that I held in my arms, and I was able to read Bible stories to. If I ever had an experience of ideas having consequences, it was this weekend holding that little girl, and seeing that that embryo could have been discarded, except that her parents recognized the reality that life begins at conception. So they got involved in a snowflake embryo adoption program, and little Alysse, 4 ½ years old, is snowflake number 94. I met her, and I told her, “You know what my favorite number is? It’s 94.” And she smiled knowingly.

What an incredible thing to see, a child that came out of a frozen embryo. What a warning to us that we should not in a cavalier fashion discard embryos as though they’re simply microscopic blobs of Jell-O. No. They’re among the most ordered complex structures in the entire known universe. David said it well,

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
When I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
Were written in your book
Before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:14-16, NIV)

This is a warning to Christians, really quite frankly, that we need to know what we believe and why we believe it, because it has real practical implications. It’s not about ivory tower theories. No. What we believe has real practical dynamic and life giving reality associated with it. Know what you believe and why you believe it, particularly when it comes to the sanctity of human life.

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I've been noticing here at Greenville that we live in a stage of extreme tolerance. So much tolerance that we begin to compromise because we are afraid of what others think of our beliefs. For the longest time I could never go either way on the subject of abortion around people. I always said that logically- it really is the mothers choice. I always believed that the idea of abortion was wrong and it sickened me to the core.

I've done this with several things, I'm through compromising my beliefs- who the heck else does it? What other religion is extremely tolerant of another? I hate that. Take Islam for example. They have every right to worship in our country. If a missionary were to go to an Islamic country, they wouldn't allow it. If you are a Christian and go to a primarily Muslim country- you run a very high risk of murder. They have no tolerance whatsoever to Christians. But here they are worshiping freely in our country. Don't misunderstand me, I'm so happy that they are allowed and accepted into our country to worship freely. I'm really just sick and tired of hearing "you're close minded" NO. I'm not. I'm a believer of Christ. Everyone, yes, everyone is close minded if you are going to look at it that way.

So here and now, I'm through compromising. I'm standing firm on what the bible says- about everything. This doesn't change anything really, because it's what I've always stood for. I'm still loving. I still ACCEPT. I do not judge. I love the sinner, hate the sin.


Harsh, maybe.
True, definitely.