So I have been thinking a lot lately about copyrights. And I really wanted to post about this issue, but I didn't know what to say. And I guess I still don't. But I did run across something that has encouraged me to write.

So my friend Eric posted about this pastor Mark Driscoll who is a pastor of this church called Mars Hill in Seattle, WA. And this guy, Mark, wrote a book to help guys deal with their struggles. (Sort of like the book, Every Man's Battle, but much more forthright... and shorter). So he posted his entire book on the web so all you have to do is go to the site and download it and there it is! 

And I think this is a really cool thing because he really wants to help guys with their struggles, and he isn't make them pay for it. He isn't earning anything for it. A lot of churches have their sermons available for free downloads which is cool too. And our church in Tucson puts all their music online and they have done some audio books of the Bible which they give out for free too. 

I have a hard time when people write books and then charge for the study guides (so everyone has to buy a study guide, you can't just make copies of it for your group). I just think the study guide should be something that you can make copies of for your group. I know lots of people just make the copies anyway. 

Poor Rob Bell has been picked on a lot lately (although I don't actually feel bad), but I am going to pick on him again. :) So he does this Nooma videos. I don't even know Nooma means, but they are these like 10 minute videos which end up being like short sermons. And they are like videos...so the settings and actors are a "cool" way to make the sermon, well, "cooler". So I watched this video for a Bible Study I helped with. And at the end of the video there was this whole thing about not copying the video, blah blah blah. And I just thought, how sad. Not that I want to make copies of his cool videos...but I think you should be able to. Like if your goal is really to help people... A lot of people who need help can't afford to buy the "cool stuff". 

I don't know.  

I just think wisdom comes from God and He uses us to help communicate his awesomeness. So why are charging each other for it?

In response to Steven's posts (www.geezwhathello.blogspot.com)....

The issue of abortion has become something close to home lately....mostly because not only did I give birth to a son, but a son who has down's syndrome. And I have learned a lot by this experience, including the fact that about 90% of women who find out during their pregnancy that they are probably (because the test has a high false positive) going to have a DS baby, abort. (And about 5,500 children are born with DS each year...so you do the math because I can't!) And I think a huge reason this happens is fear. Satan has gripped parents with an immense amount of fear about what the life of their unborn child will look like. Will my child walk? talk? learn? Will he be in a regular classroom? Hold a job? Move out? Will he be teased? Will he be loved? I learned a couple weeks ago of a woman who did the prenatal testing and when the doctor's came in to give her the positive results they told her of a room next door where they could "take care of it" right away.  

Obviously DS accounts for a small number of abortions. So who else is aborting? Obviously other physical and mental defects account for abortions. Then there are the single moms, the young moms, and the scared moms and the moms who are having lots of sex with no one special. What do they all have in common? Fear. Fear is paralyzing. Maybe that's why we go to wars too. (but I am not going to get into that debate right now). 

Abortions are the result of broken, hurting people. And the abortions don't fix their brokenness. I wonder the number of moms who go through an abortion and end up in therapy or experience severe depression or end up suicidal? 

And so my  question is, where is the church? Well, we're standing on street corners with signs saying PRO LIFE and condemning women for aborting. We have bumper stickers on our cars. We are on TV spouting verses and preaching. 

But I think we are called to a very different ministry. Women aren't going to stop getting abortions (legal or not) because of words spoken, or read. Women are going to stop getting abortions when we band together and help her. When we show the family other beautiful children who enjoy life...children who happen to have Down's Syndrome, when we help the single mom into a home and offer her childcare and help her with meals, when we help heal the broken women who are seeking sex to fill a void that can only be filled with Jesus' love and grace. I think the church has done enough preaching about their belief system, and it's time to start loving...really loving and offering ourselves to wounded people. To really show ourselves supportive. 

I know women who have had abortions. And I know they regret it and it's painful. And I know they felt alone, scared, and full of fear. And the abortions have had serious consequences for their lives. 

And so when it comes to voting I will be bold (although I could change my mind on this statement) and say it's not an election about abortions. No election is. I think politics are crappy and I don't get them and I haven't seen many good things happen because of them. And although I am prolife, I don't see how this election is going to save lives. 

This election is not going to stop the severe pain that causes someone to walk into a clinic and give up their baby. This election is not going to heal the women who have already made that choice and pay for it everyday. 

May we begin praying for ways to reach the broken. May we start sharing in one another's pains. 

I don't really know how I can help these women. I don't know where they are...although with the high number of abortions accounted each year, I can assume they are my next door neighbors, and friends. And so I guess I just need for God to continue to help me find these lonely, broken women, and love on them with all I have. 

And maybe if they held my beautiful beautiful son they might see what they are missing out on.

I want to add I understand that it is painful for those of us who are prolife to imagine the number of innocent children aborted each year. I find the numbers overwhelming. But I just see the need to respond in a different way. I guess it's kind of like the time when Jesus confronted the group of people stoning the adulterous woman and he said something like, "Will he who is without sin throw the first stone." Of course later Jesus confronted the sin, but first he pointed out their lack of love. So I don't know what that means for the issue of abortion, but it must mean something. 

Anyway, I should say I have never been into politics... and so if I sound like I don't know what I am talking about politically, it's because I don't. I just know that we need to be loving people more than we are.