At times it can seem like wickedness is gaining the upper hand. The increasing wickedness is primarily driven by an abounding disregard of God’s Word, a blatant disregard of truth. Those participating in and contributing to the increasing wickedness (wrongdoing) that we are being affected by throughout our society is cloaked in what they depict in their minds as “right-doing.” They believe their actions are advancing compassion, justice and mercy. However, this is faulty thinking. James 3:16-17 tells us such thinking or “wisdom” will create “…disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (ESV).

Along with our members throughout this country who are courageously and compassionately speaking truth, we are witnessing this increasing faulty thinking from others as we advocate on your behalf in this 2022 legislative session. Nearly four months into this legislative session, the primary battle areas in false thinking have centered on killing the unborn and “compassionate” killing of those toward the end of life, plus supporting mutilating surgeries and unevidenced, irreversible and destructive hormonal treatments to be performed upon minors struggling with gender dysphoria. In no way could any of these situations be considered “compassionate.”

In the last three months, we have opposed bills that would expand assisted suicide in states where it is currently legal (Hawaii, Vermont and Washington State). These bills include removing multiple guardrails put in place to protect vulnerable patients, so we have focused our efforts on preventing these bills from passing. There is a greater rush to kill patients who have requested lethal doses of medications by shortening waiting periods, which does not protect against what may be a patient’s rash decision (and their last decision) if made under duress or diminished decision-making capacity. Nevertheless, the expediency is considered being “compassionate” and “merciful” to the patient’s suffering. Gratefully, with consistent and strong advocacy, the Washington state expansion bill died in late February. Hawaii’s bill will likely pass, and Vermont’s bill will possibly pass. Some states that have attempted to legalize assisted suicide failed once again this year, and we are grateful.

Also, we are engaging significantly in numerous states in our fight to protect lives of the unborn. I have never seen such an increase in bills that seek to remove all limits on abortion without any concern for life or health of the mother and her child, with an escalated rush to push those bills through both chambers and ready for their governor’s signature within days or weeks. From allowing non-physicians to prescribe abortion-inducing pills, to attempts to enshrine abortion throughout all nine months of a woman’s pregnancy into their state constitution (Maryland and Vermont—simply horrific), to possible denial of care of an infant born alive after surviving an attempted abortion, I fail to see the compassion or mercy in any of this.

No doubt the darkness and sheer wickedness is disheartening to see and experience. And yet, I cannot tell you fully in words how OVERJOYED I am about our members and state directors who are testifying at bill hearings, sometimes late into the day and into the late-night hours in some cases, waiting their turn to educate with solid ethical, medical and scientific evidence along with godly wisdom—which delivers true mercy and good fruit—on these challenging issues. Most recently in Colorado, a radical pro-abortion bill, known as the Reproductive Health Equity Act, was introduced in their House on March 3, 2022 and quickly assigned to committee for first reading and hearing. This bill would codify the right to an abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy for any reason. The bill language would also likely nullify the only existing abortion regulation in Colorado: parental notification. The bill discounts the humanity of the developing human by explicitly stating that “a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state.”

From the bill’s introduction on March 3, multiple and quick committee hearings were held. The bill passed out of the House on March 14 and was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Senate Committee on Judiciary on that same day. Though with much coordination on short notice, I was informed that more than 350 pro-life advocates testified in opposition to this bill—at hearings that lasted 14 and 25 hours! They far outnumbered supporters of the bill, ensuring that truth was shared. Perhaps some hearts were pricked during these hearings, and perhaps they considered the evidence presented. Unfortunately, the bill passed out of the Senate on March 23, 2022 and was placed on Governor Jared Polis’s desk for signature.

The bad news is that some bad bills have passed. However, with the Lord’s help and through courage, faithfulness and obedience exemplified by those serving as salt and light, we have also stopped some bad bills from passing. In addition to stopping some bad abortion and assisted suicide bills, we also saw bills fail in Virginia that would have expanded marijuana commercialization. Plus, we saw a bill pass that prohibits the sale of edibles, which is often target marketed to youth.

As one of our Washington state directors said, “There is good news here—not all the bad bills passed! The other good news is that the darker the darkness, the brighter God’s light is, and God’s light is shining brightly after this legislative session.” I agree!  Her words encouraged me greatly, and I told her so!

Wickedness is increasing, though it is hardly gaining the upper hand. We serve a mighty God who works through those whose hearts are willing and available, to speak truth that will unshackle them from faulty thinking; that will prayerfully transform them into a new person and change the way they think (Romans 12:2). THEN they will know God’s will for them, which is good and pleasing and perfect, that they too may become a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).