Sunday, January 22nd

January 22, 2006 marks the 33rd anniversary of the tragic Supreme Court Decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the U.S. This Supreme Court decision overturned all moral and logical reasoning that most citizens of our society held and practiced. Since 1973, over 43 million lives have been aborted. Approximately 93% of the women who have had abortions cited they did so for social reasons (i.e. unready for responsibility, can’t afford the baby, concern over how baby would change her life, etc) as opposed to issues regarding the mother’s health, the baby’s health, rape or incest. These few facts are very alarming for us as Orthodox Christians who hold all life as sacred and holy.

The teens of our archdiocese are very concerned about this issue and desire to do whatever is in their ability to help bring about change that leads to godliness and holiness. The members of the North American Council (NAC) of Teen SOYO, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Philip, will lead our Archdiocese in observing Sunday, January 22, 2006, as the “Sacred Gift of Life Sunday: Protecting the Life of the Unborn”. Our teens, as part of the celebration of January as Orthodox Education Month, will be furthering their education, understanding and commitment regarding the Orthodox Church’s teaching on the sacred gift of life and abortion. In turn, they will help to bring a greater awareness to the faithful of our parishes and throughout their local communities.

The teens are putting together a list of readings for further study some are listed in this publication. A fuller list is being placed on the Teen SOYO website. In addition, the teens are researching the various Orthodox agencies that support alternatives to abortions. A list of these agencies and links to their websites may also be found on the Teen SOYO website. Various resources will be posted to the Teen SOYO website that will further our education and understanding.

Local Teen SOYO chapters and High School Christian Education classes are encouraged to check out our resources page for materials. Some of the materials include a case study on abortion and the sacred gift of life that was developed by Dr. H. Tristram Engelhardt, an Orthodox Christian and leading Bio-Ethicist. The teens, under the leadership of the pastors and advisors, will have the material necessary to have discussions and further their belief and commitment to the sacred gift of life.

Please join our teens as we recognized the sacred gift of life on Sunday, January 22, 2006 throughout the parishes of the Antiochian Archdiocese.

Taken from the Archdiocese webpage — where you can go for further resources.