Sharing My Story

In 1979 Francis Schaeffer co-authored with C. Everett Koop
another blockbuster book entitled “Whatever Happened
to the Human Race?” This book gave a thorought critique
of the anti-life culture that had been developing in the
wake of the Roe v. Wade decision six years earlier in 1973.
It stressed the evil of abortion but also emphasized the
slippery slope attendant issues of euthanasia and infanticide.
This book was also accompanied with a film series and
like “How Should We Then Live” received wide distribution
in evangelical congregations including my San Bernardino church.

While evangelical Christians had loathed the Roe v. Wade
decision as a body it had largely done nothing about it
during the 1970s. The Roman Catholics were doing most
of the heavy lifting in taking a stand for life issues during
the 1970s. Schaeffer’s and Koop’s book and film series were
intrumental in educationing the Evangelical church on
the seriousness of these issues. Since my encounter with
the pro-life table in 1970 at my college I had for the most
part put this issue on the back burner of my mind. I’m sure
a lot of other Christians had done the same thing. The
Republican party in the late 1970s and early 1980s was
taken over by cultural and social conservatives that
embedded a strong pro-life stand within the party platform.