Seth & Aubrie Drayer

“The Communists convened a congress of all Christian bodies in our Parliament building. There were four thousand priests, pastors, and ministers of all denominations—and these men of God chose Joseph Stalin as honorary president of this congress. At the same time he was president of the World Movement of the Godless and a mass murderer of Christians. One after another bishops and pastors arose and declared that communism and Christianity are fundamentally the same and could coexist. One minister after another said words of praise toward communism and assured the new government of the loyalty of the Church. “My wife and I were present at this congress. Sabina told me, ‘Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ! They are spitting in His face.’ I said to her, ‘If I do so, you lose your husband.’ She replied, ‘ I don’t wish to have a coward as a husband. ’” - Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ Occasionally, one reads something that deeply impacts one’s pe...

Reading a familiar rundown of the debate to define personhood today, I was struck by an odd thought: how do I know I'm a person? Tom Scheve, author of the article posted on How Stuff Works , leaves the reader utterly confused by the end of his effort to wrestle with the great divorce man has created within himself---separating his humanity from his personhood. Writes Scheve, "The question of personhood has two interrelated components: exactly when human life begins -- or ends -- and whether being alive is the same a [sic] being human. Even if everyone agreed on when life begins, there would still be wide disagreement on whether being alive gives a human automatic personhood." That personhood does not come automatically with being a member of the family Homo sapiens is considered by many to be simple fact. Nevertheless, as Scheve explains, attempting to decide what is and is not a person is a rather tricky matter. Some prerequisites for personhood are laid down---persona...

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn are a husband-wife team who've enrolled in the battle they consider to be the "greatest moral challenge of this century." Ed Pilkington details their war on injustice in a recent Guardian article. The outrage is "gendercide;" it is the subject of their book Half the Sky and the focus of their life mission. "Gendercide," as detailed by Kristof and WuDunn, includes (but is not limited to) sex slavery, "honor" killings, genital mutilation, and infanticide. The numbers of women affected are truly staggering. For example, 60 to 100 million females are missing in the current population---a statistic the authors use to justify their comparison of this injustice in scale and scope to the slave trades of old and the Nazi Holocaust. When the authors of Half the Sky encountered these brutalities firsthand, they were shaken by how "open" and "blatant" it is, such as police standing nearby as a ...

“You know, I agree with you. I’m against abortion,” the young professional said. “But, it’s a done deal here.” The well-dressed businessman had approached our “Choice” Chain with a willingness to engage. “Can you explain?” I inquired. “Well, it’s not a big debate like in the States. Here in Canada, no one talks about it anymore.” I met this young man in late July when Aubrie and I attended a week-long training program hosted by the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR) in Calgary, Alberta. During this week of coursework, group discussions, film, and “Choice” Chains, Aubrie and I forged friendships and explored new methods of pro-life outreach. What the businessman on the street told me, though, plagued me in a way unlike common pro-abortion rhetoric. It reminded me of the times I lived in France, where abortion is not merely taboo—it’s forgotten. It’s not that the pro-abortion side is winning. The battle can’t be found. Today in the States, the fight a...

Aubrie’s graduation from Bethel College a couple of months ago was indeed a joyous event. However, the celebration was somewhat mitigated by the anticipation of another milestone: the NCLEX Boards—the exam every graduate must pass before becoming a true nurse. Now, however, I am thrilled to say that Aubrie is not only a graduate but also a veritable Registered Nurse! She passed the exam last month and is now on the job hunt. In addition to making me a truly proud husband, Aubrie’s experience has given me food for thought, for her transition from student to nurse is a prime example of a misconception in the debate for life. Aubrie is now a nurse. However, prior to passing the Boards, she was not, and it would have then been inaccurate to call her a nurse. She was working toward and yearning for the day she would become one, but she was merely a potential nurse. Now, that has changed and she is afforded all of the rights of an RN. Similarly, the “pro-choice” community w...

Imagine the following scenario: the apartment building in which I live is condemned (some days, this is easier to imagine than others). The administration summons the demolition team, which prepares to raze the complex. In their hastiness, though, the administration forgot to inform the residents of the date of demolition. The wrecking ball is poised for action, but suddenly the chief administrator remembers the hundreds of habitants who may or may not be inside the building. What should he do? Go onward with the demolition and bring the building down? After all, it is possible that there is no human being inside. Perhaps they are all at work or school. Or, should he err on the side of caution, call off the demolition until he is confident there is no human being inside? Would anyone choose the former option over the latter---to demolish a building before checking to make sure there is no one inside? I doubt it, unless their moral compass were askew. Why, then, has such thinking ...

This month marks the end of my service as a youth minister. Though we are excited about the adventure ahead, leaving our ministry with the youth group known as The Underground is also difficult for both Aubrie and me—for this is a group with which we have great unity. Veritable unity is something which has become difficult to understand, let alone pursue, in a culture such as our own. I might feel some camaraderie with the neighbors in my apartment complex. I might nod at the man at Starbuck’s who orders the same drink as me. But, do these commonalities breed any sort of deeper unity? In Christianity and Liberalism, J. Gresham Machen responds to the attacks of theological liberalism (and its anti-supernatural prejudice) on orthodox Christianity. He writes, “In the sphere of religion, as in other spheres . . . the really important things are the things about which men will fight.” What is truly important is not some vague appreciation for an undefined deity, but the answer to the quest...