This coming Sunday marks the 39th commemoration of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, a day where pro-life citizens and churches nationwide come together to grieve the tragedy of abortion. This yearly observance began on January 22, 1984, when President Ronald Reagan issued “Proclamation 5147 — National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 1984” to recognize the lives that had already been lost and to call on citizens to come together to recognize the gift of life.
He wrote that “prayer and action are needed to uphold the sanctity of human life. I believe it will not be possible to accomplish our work, the work of saving lives, ‘without being a soul of prayer.’”
This tradition was continued by George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, however Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and now Joe Biden have not kept it alive. Despite the lack of presidential support, pro-life citizens and churches have continued to mark Sanctity of Human Life Sunday throughout the United States. For more information about the origins of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, click here.
What You Can Do to Participate
Pray for Life
- Pray that human life would be valued by our country, regardless of circumstances.
- Pray for the end of abortion in all states.
- Pray for the pregnancy resource centers that are helping women facing an unplanned pregnancy.
- Pray for political and church leaders, and that they would be willing to stand up for life.
Educate Yourself and Your Family
- Ryan Bomberger’s book, Pro-Life Kids, is an excellent resource that reinforces the importance of every human life.
- Ryan Anderson’s newest book, Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing, discusses the lasting impact that abortion has had on our country.
Have a Conversation About Life
- Whether with a large audience or just your family, start a conversation about life and its value.
- There are a variety of resources that you can share with your community. You can find these at sanctitysunday.com.
- Need help talking about abortion? Check out the pro-life apologetics organization Life Training Institute. They have been equipping Christians to defend their unborn neighbors since 2004.
- Make sure you are subscribed to California Family Council’s emails and Action Alerts to stay involved about bills affecting the unborn! As responsible citizens that love their community, use this information to contact your representatives. Hold them accountable to protect human beings at all stages of life, from conception to natural death.
