Sunday, January 27, 2008

Got teens in the house? Lead them to truth. CS-2

My Way Sunday
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This project in case studies started with yesterday's 'sample'. I hope you're ready - I think this one is much more challenging. Occasionally, some of these case studies you will be loaded with controversy. As you examine these, be sure to allow for differences of opinion.

Be aware that some topics will bring out responses you may not have anticipated. Be ready! Anticipate!

What you, thinking ahead, think would be 'wrong' responses can be a 'teaching' moment. Ask questions that guide thought. Be prepared to find resources that explain more completely the issues at hand.

Ready?

Set?

Go!
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Following-up from yesterday's sample case, we are again going to talk about abortion.

Note: The characters in this case are middle 20's
Janet had been living out of wedlock with Tom for two years. She loves Tom very much. The past few weeks Janet had been attending a church where she had first become a Christian and then a church member. Tom was not interested in church, but he didn't mind if Janet wanted to go.

One evening after a long talk with her pastor, Janet came home and told Tom' We either have to get married immediately, or one of us needs to move out." Tom reluctantly chose marriage.

A few months after the wedding Janet became pregnant. A few days after finding out she was pregnant she was told she had cancer. Her doctor recommended an abortion.

Janet decided to talk with her pastor about her situation. He suggested that she get another opinion from a doctor who was a Christian. The second gynecologist said, "if you don't have an abortion, we can't give you chemotherapy. We can't guarantee you'll live for more than two years without chemotherapy."

Tom insisted that Janet get an abortion. Janet was unsure. She sought the advise of more doctors. Five out of seven strongly advised abortion. Janet decided to carry the baby. She believed God would protect her.

After making this difficult decision, Janet sought out a life-long friend for support, wisdom, and encouragement.
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1. How would you feel about Janet's decision to keep the baby?

2. How would you feel if you were Janet? Her husband?

3. If you were the friend Janet turned to, what could you say or do to be a support to her?

4. What do you think is God's part in this whole story?
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Cases Originally Copyrighted by Jim Burns 1987 - permission granted to use in work with teens.
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There are many 'feelings' that surface when we look at issues like this. Pray for guidance as you review the issues in this particular case study. God be with you!
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FYI - next week's case will look at an alcoholic mother
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4 comments:

Melody K said...

I would be supportive of Janet's decision to keep the baby. I'm sure she and her husband would be feeling scared, and lonely. As a friend, about all I could do would be to be there for her; listen, and pray with her. And God does work good out of tragedy; I am thinking of St.(or is it Blessed?)Gianna Molla. But it may not be a good ending in the way we would wish it to be.

Adrienne said...

(I would have to go with what Melody has already said.)

This is a tough one!!! I would have to support her decision. Doctors have no real way of knowing the prognosis of these situations. Placing your faith in God makes more sense than placing your faith in a doctor. After having the baby she could have chemo. Is it simple to make these decisions? Absolutely not! But God never said His way would be simple or easy.

Buddhist, RN said...

It's naive to think "GOd will save me" but I'm also not condoning abortion. Sje should know that she's putting her life at serious risk and prepare accordongly for everyone she's leaving behind so they are all taken care of. But as a friend, I think I could listen to her talk, help her prepare whatever she eeds to for the baby, and help figure out practical details like the kind of help she'll need when she's pregnant. Just do what friends do. I place MY faith in my doctors, I suppose, because I can't really go to God and ask him which medication to take for my various prooblems. I'm not irreligious, just being practical about my health, although most of my things/medicines aren't really in "violation" of supposed doctrine.

ShariYS said...

Is a baby without its mother in a good position? I'm not condoning abortion either, but this is NOT a convenience-abortion situation. This approaches the situation of an abortion that could be necessary in order to save the mother's life, and I DO NOT accept that it's the "Christian" position to oppose the termination of a pregnancy even to save the life of the mother. That's devaluing the mother's life, making her life something less than human. I would certainly support the decision of this woman if she were my friend, but I would also tell her all this as supportively as I could. If she chooses to sacrifice her own life to save the life of the baby, well, that's CHOICE, isn't it? Yet, to just say that "God will protect me" is naive and unrealistic, not a sign of true faith.

It frightens me that some people could so blithely propose that a truly Christian woman or couple would never terminate a pregnancy even when the mother's life is at stake.