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This upcoming Sunday marks the 39th observance of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, a day where pro-life citizens and churches across America come together and lament the tragedy of abortion. 

The History of Sanctity of Life Sunday

On the tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Ronald Reagan wrote an essay about abortion, which would become the only book to be published by a sitting president. He wrote that, “Prayer and action are needed to uphold the sanctity of human life. I believe it will not be possible to accomplish our work, the work of saving lives, ‘without being a soul of prayer.’”

The next year, Reagan issued “Proclamation 5147 — National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 1984,” which highlighted the lives that had already been lost due to abortion and designated Sunday, January 22, 1984 as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. “I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life, and to reaffirm our commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of each human life.”

This tradition was continued by George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Unfortunately, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and now Joe Biden each discontinued it while in office. Regardless of presidential support, pro-life citizens and churches have made it a point to continue marking Sanctity of Human Life Sunday across America. Read more about the origins of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.

What You Can Do To Participate

Pray for Life

• Pray that human life would be valued by our country, regardless of circumstances.
• Pray for the end of abortion in all states.
• Pray for the pregnancy resource centers who are helping women facing an unplanned pregnancy.
• Pray for political and church leaders, and that they would be willing to stand up for life.

Educate Yourself and Your Family

• NC Family has a variety of materials available on the topic of the sanctity of life.
• Ryan Bomberger’s book, Pro-Life Kids, is an excellent resource that reinforces the importance of every human life (Ryan was the keynote speaker at our 2022 Winston-Salem Dinner).
• Ryan Anderson’s newest book, Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing, discusses the lasting impact that abortion has had on our country (Ryan Anderson was our keynote speaker at our 2022 Raleigh Dinner).

Have a Conversation About Life

• Whether with a large audience or just your family, start a conversation about life and its value.
• There are a variety of resources that you can share with your community. You can find these at sanctitysunday.com.
• Make sure you are subscribed to NC Family’s emails and Action Alerts! There will some significant pieces of pro-life legislation in North Carolina this year, and contacting your representatives can help pass these bills.