Rep. Holt,
I am writing to you regarding HF2256. I have also copied Rep. Gustoff, Rep. Collins, Rep. Dunwell, Rep. Jones, Rep. Kaufmann, Rep. Lohse, Rep. Meyer, Rep. Nordman, Rep. Stone, Rep. Thompson, Rep. Thomson, Rep. Wheeler, and Rep. Wills on this email, as I believe it contains helpful information for them as well. Additionally, I intend to make this letter open to the public.
I support HF2256 and urge you to do the same by assigning it to a subcommittee and a full committee upon its passage, before the February 16th funnel date.
HF2256 grants equal protection under the law to the pre-born, rightly recognizing their right to life from the moment of conception. This law would establish equal justice and correct a horrific wrong that exists in our state. Currently, as you are likely well aware, the pre-born do not have equal protection under Iowa law. Their precious lives are at risk, and they are subject to being mercilessly murdered inside their mother’s womb up until 20 weeks. Even if the heartbeat bill receives a favorable opinion from the Supreme Court, this does not remedy the problem, as they would have no protection before 6-8 weeks. The only repercussions for violating this law are imposed by the Iowa Board of Medicine on doctors. This overlooks a significant culpable party in the murder of the child and merely administers a half-hearted slap on the wrist to those who would take the life of the most innocent in our state.
The laws we currently have are unjust and fail to protect the innocent. God established the institution of civil government in Genesis 9:6, where He said, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God He made man.” This establishes two key elements of justice: 1. A civil magistrate’s first commission is to defend innocent life, and 2. Without appropriate punishment, justice can never be established. These truths are reaffirmed and expanded upon in Romans 13:3-4, which states, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”
Our laws currently invert these principles, as one of the least safe places one can be in Iowa is in his mother’s womb, and there is no punishment for the murderer of the pre-born, only for the most innocent. Truly, our law books are a terror to the good and a punishment to the innocent. HB2256 would correct our laws and honor God. God is not impressed with our unjust laws, and He has set a specific purpose for every magistrate who walks this earth—to protect the innocent by punishing the guilty.
This grave injustice is not merely something I am strongly convicted about; I am reminded daily of the reality of this injustice through my son, Thomas. My wife and I were blessed to adopt Thomas when he was just a year old, but in that year, he survived much by the grace of God.
Thomas is a survivor of his birthing person’s (one of the few appropriate uses of this term) attempt to murder him in the womb. This led to a significantly premature birth and has left him with several complications that he may be forced to live with for the rest of his life.
The seizures that strip him of his strength and continually delay his development often lead him to frustration and a look of bewilderment, as he cannot physically do the things other children his age can. The “hitch” in his gait that keeps him from running fluidly nearly rules out sports at any competitive level for him. The setbacks in his development became a clear reality when he tested at an 18-month level for his fine motor skills.
Are these complications and difficulties his fault? No, but neither are they an accident. They were caused with malicious intent, yet there was no protection for him under the law. This injustice must be corrected in our state because the reality is that most children in Thomas’s situation are not as fortunate as he is. Most do not survive the attempt on their life and are condemned to death with the mere accusation of inconvenience. This accusation is certainly not worthy of death, yet they are unjustly condemned to such a fate while the perpetrator goes free with no repercussions.
HB2256 is a bill of great magnitude and certainly deserves to be placed as the top priority on every legislator’s agenda. Life and death are set before you in this bill, and I hope you will see the weight of it and act accordingly.
Rep. Holt, it is time that justice is established in the state of Iowa by recognizing the equal protection of the pre-born under the law from the moment of conception. It is for this reason I urge you to assign HB2256 to a subcommittee and a full committee upon its passage, before the February 16th funnel date.
As a debtor to grace,
Pastor Sam Jones
Author: Sam Jones
Pastor Sam completed an intense pastoral internship at Hagerman Baptist Church and served as a chaplain at Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls, Iowa before accepting the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Hudson, Iowa. He loves people and his goal is to make disciples of Christ by personally, prayerfully, and persistently investing the Word of God into others.
