Ray Oberreuter is a senior citizen, married 50 years and counting, the father of a son and daughter, and a lifelong “professing” Christian. Like many, his faith has gone through the normal ebbs and flows of life.
He shares “I’ve been in and out of the church throughout my lifetime. When I reached my 50’s I walked out of the Church I was born in because they were not reaching out to women who had experienced abortion. My eyes were finally opened.
The only thing members of this church knew about abortion was that it was wrong. They had no idea who these women were or how they came to their decision. As for their vaunted Church hierarchy? Their actions reveal they didn’t care either, as their position has not changed to this day. While there was a token organization available for women facing unplanned pregnancies, most people knew little about it. Yes, they preached the “Love of God and Love of Neighbor”, BUT it never included these women. I eventually “tired” of their obfuscation and moved on.”
Ray will be sharing his lifelong journey in “faith” as well as his most recent journey where his eyes have been opened to the stark reality women experiencing abortion have been marginalized and disregarded by the church. The Christian “faith” mandates we are to hate the “thing” and love the person, ie. “hate the sin but love the sinner” but even after fifty plus years of what they describe a moral evil they have failed to reach out to the victims of abortion.
Ray will be sharing the many facets of his journey with the hope of expanding this discussion to those on both sides of the issue.
The question never addressed the last fifty years still remains and demands an answer…
“Is abortion good for women and the rest of us as well?
I was drawn into this issue by a supernatural force. The testimonies of women coerced to abort forever changed me causing me to question my lifelong proclamation to Christianity. Why hadn’t I ever reached out to them? I was forced to confront my faith and what that meant and face some uncomfortable realities about myself and my faith.
Abortion is an enigma’ forever present in todays culture which has become readily accepted by many without meaningful discussion of the emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual consequences for those who experience it, resulting in women not only left to deal in the aftermath alone, but also enslaved to the secrecy which surrounds abortion.
Those who carry the trauma of an abortion often yearn to move on… To leave the experience behind and return to a sense of normalcy. Yet, they may find themselves confronted by lingering physical and emotional pain, and by powerful feelings of regret, emptiness, anger, and shame. Over time, life may appear to progress, but beneath the surface there can be a deep sense of isolation and anxiety, worsened by the absence of anyone who truly understands. Brief moments of relief are soon overtaken by what feels like constant lows, creating an emotional turbulence that clouds hope and conceals the need for healing. As a result, many remain unable to move beyond the weight of their abortion experience and into the peace and freedom they deserve.
It is the mission of this ministry to help women struggling in these ways to experience the comfort and joy that only healing through Jesus Christ can provide. Women need and deserve to be “set free” from the bondage of their abortion and this is indeed attainable.
It is the belief of this Ministry all mankind is connected to one another irrespective of ethnos, biology, or worldly status. We are the creation of the One God, the God of the Bible, bound and linked to one another, by His enduring love. Henceforth, we have been Commanded first to love Him and then one another by mirroring His love for us. It is our sinful depraved nature which has obstructed us from carrying out His major Commandment, in spite of it being what is best for us, leading God the Father to offer His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to be sacrificed on a Cross atoning for our endless SINS.
Each of us are here for a purpose which can only be realized once we embrace one another in the righteousness and love of Jesus Christ. It is the “least of these” who have either experienced heinous acts perpetrated against them or have made bad choices, sometimes out of their control, who deserve our utmost love and compassion. It is the mission of this ministry to include these precious souls in this debate in the hope of not only bridging the divide between themselves and humanity but also the divide between men and women in todays society.
