Let me see if I can tell this story without revealing anyone’s identity. 

My wife and I met a lovely young woman who was nineteen. When she mentioned that she had a two-year old daughter, this grandfather asked to see a picture. The child was obviously of mixed race and the mother is single. 

Carolyn and I both praised the child and thanked the mother for loving her baby. I then told her the story of Baylor University expelling a student who became pregnant. I confronted Baylor and asked two questions. One, did they expelled the father of the child? They did not. If the young woman had had an abortion could she have stayed in school? Probably.

I argued with Baylor that while we do not want to promote pre-marital sex, more importantly, we do not want to promote, encourage, or reward abortion. 

Many years ago, a minister invited me to preach in his church. While preparing, he told me of a church in Mississippi which refused to allow a mother to bring her child for child dedication for two reasons. One, the mother was not married. Two, the father was African American. 

I told the pastor that if he would have that family in services when I was to be there, we would dedicate that baby. He did and we prayed that the day would come when that child would be elected Governor of Mississippi. 

But, there is one more important detail. When the Sunday came, and the mother brought her child for dedication, her parents came with her. I approached the young mother’s father to thank him for loving his grandson.  

As I approached the grandfather, I noticed that he had on a huge Masonic belt buckle. Later a friend, who knows my loathing of Freemasonry, asked what I did. I said that my rejection of and objection to Freemasonry was exceeded by my love for children and my hatred of racism and bigotry. I hugged the grandfather, Masonic belt and all, and celebrated his grandson’s life. 

I am so glad that Carolyn and I met both of these young women.