Teachers Saving Children® Inc. - National
Newsletter
Volume 7, Number 5
June 1997
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"The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out."
Recently my pastor shared a message with this verse as his text. The message centered on the need for us spiritually to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning within our lives. I found not only the importance of this truth for my own spiritual life, but also an analogy for us in the pro-life movement.
In the Old Testament, the priests were commanded to keep the fire burning on the altar where the burnt sacrifices took place. This fire was to never go out, day nor night. It was a very menial duty for the priest to rekindle or add fuel to the fire. The priests also had to remove the ashes which needed to be done in order for the fire to burn effectively; otherwise the piled up ashes would eventually smother the fire. In addition, the fire from this altar was used to kindle the fires on the other altars as well. So it was very important for this fire never to go out. The priests who had these menial duties needed to keep their focus on the task that the Lord had laid before them.
So is it true within our own lives and within the ministry God has called us to do; that of taking a stand for the lives of the unborn? Is it difficult to continually persevere with the menial tasks . . . of reaching out to one in need . . . or giving our time and money to a pro-life organization and/or pregnancy center . . . or taking a stand after being intimidated time and time again . . . or . . .?
God's Word tells us that perseverance develops character and that character develops hope (Romans 5:4). We not only have that hope in Christ Jesus, but we also have the hope of saving one life at a time.
During the summer months of renewal from the long school year, may the fire within us be rekindled and the ashes be removed so that the flame may burn fervently in its fullness as we continue to persevere with the menial tasks that God has laid before us. May we keep our focus on the goal of saving lives by establishing among professional educators' organizations a respect for all human life from conception to natural death. May this fire blazing within us touch and kindle those around us so that lives will continue to be saved . . . one at a time.
We are currently accepting new memberships for the 1997-98 membership year. Any new memberships received after June 1st are good until August 31, 1998. Renewal membership information will be sent to all current members in early July.
If you are not a delegate your voice can still be heard! Contact your delegate(s) to the NEA-RA. They are your representatives! Let them know your philosophy on the issues. If you don't know who will be representing you, contact your state affiliate NEA office.
Get involved by taking a stand! Contact your delegate representatives today!
The 1997 Ohio Education Association (OEA) Spring Representative Assembly was held in Columbus OH on May 2-3. During the RA, the Ohio Life Issues Caucus was joined by a significant number of new voices on the floor as growing concern over OEA's involvement in abortion continued to stir debate. Action was taken in the attempt to amend two different resolutions:
1. Resolution C-4 (Child Abuse and Missing Children)
An attempt was made to extend concern to any child, "from viability", with reference being specifically made to partial-birth abortions. Arguments in favor of this amendment were powerful and effectively delivered, speaking to the hearts of all present.
2. Resolution I-3 (Civil Rights)
Delegates made two attempts to silence OEA's pro-abortion position. First, pro-life OEA delegates attempted to delete Resolution I-3 paragraph 2 that includes OEA's support for "reproductive freedom."
Then Life Issues Caucus delegates sought to send this item back to the Resolutions Commission for further study and definition of the term "reproductive freedom". It needs to be made clear, however, that the OEA leadership has in times past plainly defined the term "reproductive freedom" to include abortion, even though they now appear to be pleading ignorance as to its specific meaning.
In addition, an attempt was made to pass a New Business item, one seeking to survey all of Ohio's local presidents; its goal was to enumerate local members who have withdrawn from OEA because of its position on abortion.
Our delegates presented well orchestrated and convincing arguments, and there is a sense that persistence is beginning to pay off. Although all attempts failed, the gap is growing ever smaller and victory is in sight!
By mail: Write to Letters, NEA Today, 1201 16th St NW, Washington DC 20036
By E-mail: Write to NEAToday@aol.com
By Fax: 202-822-7206
The Union Local High School Life Club held a very successful week of providing information on life issues May 5 through May 9, 1997. The Life Club grew out of interest generated when nineteen Union Local High School students attended the March for Life, January 22, 1997, in Washington DC. The purposes of the Life Club are education and service. Our goal is to help educate the school and community (especially teens) on abortion, euthanasia, and surrounding issues dealing with life.
Sometime in February a student committee sat down and planned out the week including rescheduling classes to accommodate assemblies. This group then went to the principal for permission to continue. Once permission was granted, speakers were contacted. It was decided that the main topics should be abortion and euthanasia. During committee discussions it was decided that our goal was to provide information to enable students to make more informed choices. Since one-third to one-fifth of abortions involve teens we felt it naïve to think that our students were immune. We elected to stay away from pictures of aborted babies. We believed that though there is a place for these pictures our desire was to be more "low key".
We scheduled two assemblies of the entire student body. As with any of our assemblies students have the right to not attend. Our auditorium was packed both days. Prior to "Life Awareness Week" we had sent home letters to parents explaining what we were doing and why. The letter also included a copy of the weekly schedule. Karen Cross, Executive Director of West Virginians for Life, spoke on May 5, Her topic was the "Effects of Abortion". She had experienced two abortions herself; one as a teen. On May 7 our speaker was Janet L. Folger, Legislative Director of Ohio Right to Life. Janet spoke on "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide". Janet is especially knowledgeable on this subject having represented the US at an international conference on euthanasia in the Netherlands. Both speakers were very well received by our student body.
On May 6 during the lunch periods films on prenatal development were shown. This included Shari Richard's ultrasound videotape and a new film, "A Video Journal of Life in the Womb". This new video features the latest technology of contact embryoscopy, a technique that permits live filming of a 5-12 week old baby as it moves about in its mother's womb. Mr. Stan Sobel, biology instructor at Union Local High School, and Dr. Karen Heusel, Associate Profession of Nursing, at Wheeling Jesuit University were the presenters. The week concluded on May 8 with the film "The Procedure" shown during the lunch periods by Mr. Roy Heusel, a science instructor at Union Local High School. The films were shown in a classroom and students were given permission to bring a sack lunch if they wished.
Our Life Club members were very enthusiastic about the week and plan to repeat it next year. They expect to conduct programs from the beginning of next year about pro-life activities.
The moral of the story is that you never know what you can do until you try. I encourage pro-life teachers to get involved. I am a member of the NEA and OEA, but they don't represent me on life issues. Being pro-life won't get you pats on the back. I share this with the students. I keep going back to a statement attributed to Congressman Henry Hyde (and I paraphrase) that he hoped when he stood before The Lord Jesus Christ that millions of aborted babies would cry out, "Be easy on him he stood up for us.!!!"
Editor's Note: Roy Heusel is a science teacher at Union Local High School, a public school located in Belmont County. The enrollment in grades 9-12 is about 465. The school is located in a rural area and serves about seven widely spaced communities. For more information contact Roy Heusel at 614-695-8373.
The May 1997 draft of the State Health curriculum is loaded with mental health outcomes and sexuality outcomes that will NOT be optional for students under the proposed Administrative Rules contained within the Standards. Standards Committee Chairperson, Martha Wise, stated at the March State Board of Education meeting that the State Health model would not be completed until after the new Standards are in place. In essence, the Ohio General Assembly will be asked to consider changes to the Ohio Revised Code, thus approving "health requirements" for graduation, without ever seeing the final list of health competencies.
Even before legislation is introduced, citizens should contact their State Senator and State Representative to express their concerns. In addition, everyone should make contact after legislation is introduced to reinforce their concerns. To find out the names and phone number of any State Senator, State Representative, and/or State Board of Education member, call Roundtable of Ohio at 1-800-522-VOTE.
The information regarding these standards and pending legislation is changing almost daily. For complete accurate information, questions, and/or updates, please contact Melanie Elsey by phone (330-896-2971) or e-mail (Lzjoshua@aol.com). Once legislation is introduced citizens should also contact Representative Michael Fox's office at 614-644-6721 and Senator Merle Grace Hearns at 614-466-3780 for confirmation of the date(s), time, and place of scheduled hearings in their respective chambers. Even if one does not testify, there will be a need for an overflow of citizens to attend the hearings.
Concerned citizens from other states can help Ohioans spread the word by contacting anyone you might know who lives in Ohio. It is of utmost importance for many individuals to get involved in protecting the education, specifically the health education, of our children.
Anyone who has access to the Internet can vote their conscience regarding their stand on abortion. The site is funded by a group of non-partisan citizens. They are interested in creating a public forum on the World Wide Web to discuss the complexities of the abortion issue. The voting statistics are forwarded on the first of each month to President Clinton, Senators, and Representatives in Washington DC.
What an opportunity for all pro-life citizens to voice their conscience! Be sure to vote and then share this unique opportunity with all your pro-life friends!
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