“Our once great western Christian civilization is dying. If this matters to followers of Jesus Christ, then we must set aside our denominational differences and work together to strengthen the things that remain and reclaim what has been lost. Evangelicals and Catholics must stand together to re-establish that former Christian culture and moral consensus. We have the numbers and the organization but the question is this: Do we have the will to win this present spiritual battle for Jesus Christ against secularism? Will we prayerfully and cooperatively work toward a new Christian spiritual revival ― or will we choose to hunker down in our churches and denominationalisms and watch everything sink into the spiritual and moral abyss of a New Dark Age?” - Mark Davis Pickup

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

BLOG NUMBERS HIT NEW INTERNATIONAL HEIGHTS

The numbers are very encouraging.
Mark Davis Pickup

As the HumanLifeMatters blog approaches 200,000 hits, my personal blog http://markpickup.org has exceeded 100,000! Although the majority of readers of both blogs come from the United States and Canada, thousands of readers are from Europe and Asia. I had no idea the blogs would enjoy such international success.

Donate buttons have been installed on both blogs to allow readers partner in getting the life-affirming messages of these blogs to an international readership. HumanLifeMatters' blog postings deal with bioethics, end-of-Life issues, abortion, euthanasia, disability and suffering, and other issues pertaining to natural human dignity from a pro-Life perspective. I can honestly say that the HumanLifeMatters blog is taking the pro-Life message to the world!

My personal blog focuses more on matters of Christian faith in the storms of life and trusting Christ. Many hurting people and their families have expressed gratitude for the entries that have helped them in their faith during trying times.

I believe these are critically important perspectives in an increasingly secular world that devalues human life at every turn.

Apparently http://humanlifematters.org and http://markpickup.org have struck a chord with people internationally.  
Funds raised will be used to expand the online profile and influence of both blogs, bring together international pro-Life and Christian writers as contributors, and eventually purchase services to assist me if my own degenerative multiple sclerosis continues.


Mark

 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

THE 'WHY' OF SUFFERING

Mark Davis Pickup
To read Mark Davis Pickup's last blog post "The 'Why' of Suffering", go to http://markpickup.org

Sunday, May 12, 2013

CANADIAN MEDIA SUPPRESSES CERTAIN VOICES

Canada has no legal protection for prenatal life at any point during pregnancy. It is legal for a Canadian woman to have an abortion for any reason or no reason up to and including the 9th month (if she can find a doctor to do it). All abortions are paid for by the public purse. A woman in  Canada can have as many abortions as she wants.

Many Canadian citizens are deeply opposed to this appalling state of affairs. This year 12,000 people showed up in front of Canada's Parliament to make their voices heard in the annual March for Life. If you were unaware of it, that's probably because the media either did not report the story or only passingly referred to it.  It seems there are some voices Canada's liberal media elites want to suppress. (Let 200 people show up in front of a provincial legislature supporting a right to have a sex change, gender reassignment at taxpayer expense and watch the media show up!)

The suppression of coverage of pro-Life voices by the liberal media was to be expected.There were exceptions -- such as the Sun Media chain -- but they are the exception that proves the rule: Canadian media willfully manipulate news coverage. Certain stories are suppressed, they try to silence certain voices .
Michael Coren

There are a few journalists who go against the grain:  Michael Coren is one. He is a champion of free speech and a fair and unbiased news media. Mr. Coren discussed media suppression of the March for Life on his TV show. Click on link below. --- MDP
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/2369425715001




Thursday, May 9, 2013

I HELPLESSLY WATCHED A FRIEND KILL HIMSELF WITH FOOD!

I once had a friend named Dave. Although he was as strong as a mule, he was one of the gentlest souls I've ever known. Granted he had his faults but in the 30 years I knew Dave, not once did I hear him make an unkind comment about anyone. That's a rare quality. David was gentle, loyal and kind. Unfortunately for him and me, he was also morbidly obese. 
 
David had a wonderful singing voice. He accompanied me on many of my speaking tours across Canada and the United States and often sang inspirational songs after my speeches. David was so unassuming and modest -- audiences were stunned that such a superb voice came out of him.
 
Many of my venues were rather dressy events and all David had were gigantic T-shirts and formless sweat pants. He could not find a suit to fit. My wife is an extraordinary dress maker so she used her talent to make him a suit.
 
How does this relate to human dignity? Assaults on human value and dignity take many forms. We must not forget that everybody possesses natural human dignity that started with the spark of life we often refer to as conception. At some point in his life, Dave ceased to believe in his own worth. He ceased to believe in his own natural human dignity that is rooted in the image of God that was his (whether he believed it or not).
 

Dave experienced much emotional and spiritual pain in his life which he buried deep inside. There were people who loved Dave, but somehow something happened at an earlier time in his life that made him incapable of receiving their love or even believing he was worthy of being truly loved. (?)

Food became Dave's comfort -- a kind of salve to temporarily relieve his soul-pain and inexpressible sorrows that haunted him throughout his life. As Dave's weight and size increased, the simplest things like sleep became difficult. He slept leaning on a chair because laying down made breathing too difficult. 

Food was his seductive enemy that increasingly isolated him from a world that prizes the slender and fit and increased his sorrow. Many people recoiled at his extreme obesity and turned away in disgust.

Dave had an aversion to doctors and had not seen one in years. I begged him to see my doctor but he would not go. He ate more as though he was committing suicide by the installment plan. It worked.

One day I received a call from Dave's sister: He dropped dead of a heart attack. He was 48 years old. My friend was gone.

If over consumption of food is a problem for you or a loved-one, please seek help to get it under control.
 
Recently I came across a widely viewed video on YouTube. It had another morbidly obese man (much younger than Dave) with a gentle demeanor and an exquisite voice. He reminded me Dave.  See below. -- MDP

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

ABORTIONIST DR. KERMIT GOSNELL'S BARBARITY IS NOT UNIQUE

Abortionist Dr. Kermit Gosnell
The secular liberal media is finally lifting their blackout of coverage of the Kermit Gosnell House of Horrors abortion clinic in Philadelphia. The video below is shocking but the story needs to be widely known.  The squalid conditions, violation of health standards, under-qualified  or unqualified staff, have been a continual refrain about abortion clinics in various jurisdictions.

 I suspect this is just the tip of a cold and dirty iceberg of the abortion industry.Why would we expect any different? If life is not respected why would health regulations be respected?

Abortion did not liberate society: it has murdered our nations' children in a holocaust of unprecidented proportions and has hardened or broken millions of human hearts. It has scarred and killed our women. That's what 40 years of abortion did. Never mistake barbarity with enlightenment. Let us use the grisly case of Kermit Gosnell to mark the beginning of the end a dark chapter in North America's 40 year history of abortion. Let us use this terrible case to change our national mindset toward a new embrace of the value and dignity of all human life.  That's real enlightenment.

Yes, Dr. Kermit Gosnell was a baby killer, but he is not so unique. All abortionists are baby killers. Make abortion something of the past and enter the sunlit uplands of inclusion and love.

Mark Davis Pickup