The medical profession often speaks of heart disease as the silent killer. The disease progresses over time, and then one day, you feel pain in the chest, cold sweats and nausea. Suddenly, without warning you are thrown into cardiac arrest. Some survive; others don’t.

I would propose that there is another silent killer among us. Since Jan. 22, 1973, this monster has destroyed nearly one and one-half million Americans. They die by the hands of the very people who are trained to save lives. These smallest among us are torn from the warmth and security of their mothers’ wombs to be thrown away as medical waste.

They are the unborn children who will never see the sunrise, smell a rose or feel the loving touch of their mother’s hand. They will never hear beautiful music. These who have been silently killed will never run or jump. Their lot is to die before they experience the outside world.

These unborn do not die because of disease. They die because someone decides they have no right to life. Often, the decision is made in panic and crisis for the future of the mother. So for convenience, their lives are snuffed out before the first cry is made.

America has lost her heart and soul. We have walked away from our biblical foundations that declare every human as valuable whether born or unborn. We have turned our back on our founding principles which declare every person is worthy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In doing so, the silent killer has been loosed to destroy generations of doctors, lawyers, preachers, teachers, researchers and leaders.

Nearly every morning when I open my newspaper, there is an advertisement or article indicating ways to eliminate heart disease. We now have specialty hospitals to deal with heart problems for the purpose of saving lives. It is a wonderful thing. The public is made aware of the problem and given many opportunities to correct it.

Yet, the silent killer of the unborn goes on-unchecked and in silence. Preachers rarely speak to the subject, although the Scripture is full of truth regarding unborn children. It is almost as if we have come to a place to accept the death of millions without informing and challenging our politically correct culture. Silence only propagates the death of millions more.

We must not stop raising our voices for the unborn. We cannot ignore the political and legal issues that stand in the way of laws protecting the unborn.

My prayer as we approach the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision marking the sentencing of death to the unborn is that we will not be silent. Let us declare without reticence that God values every life, born and unborn, and so do we. May we continue to work for the establishment of laws that will protect the most innocent and vulnerable among us-the unborn. Let our pulpits not be silent.

Abortion is the silent killer.