(again, thanks to Brent for sort of letting me borrow my comment to his blog even thought I haven’t asked him yet)

Regarding the failure of South Dakotans to pass the bill eliminating all non-essential pregnancy terminations last week:

If abortion had been banned in SD and ultimately in USA at *this* point, [evangelical] people would have a big sigh of relief and would have rolled over back to sleep again. I believe God is calling mainstream evangelicals, even mainline churches and religious people to the kind of prayer, fasting, and crying out that some of us are entering into. The esther fasts*, 40 day fasts, and daniel fasts** of a few bands of noble, brave, and obedient people was not meant to pacify the vast majority of nominal believers who haven’t taken any firm action yet. God I think has restrained – delayed the power to enact relatively painless change.

* an esther fast is 3 days without water (as hard-core as it gets)

** a daniel fast is a fast from any rich or fancy/flavorful food